Why should educators take Great Books Shared Inquiry training?
Self-Care and Professional Growth
Great Books Shared Inquiry™ training creates a shift that helps educators reimagine teaching and learning. When combined with passion and purposefulness, professional development helps you grow as an educator. Think of it as educators’ self-care. Developing your skills helps you every day in the classroom and benefits students. It boosts confidence.
When administrators enable teachers to enroll in professional development that’s rewarding, they retain talented teachers. This is a critical factor today when teacher turnover rates are at an all-time high.
Great Books PD Has Never Been Easier to Complete
Starting this fall, you can now take introductory Shared Inquiry training in-person, online, hybrid, or completely on-demand (see below). And we have just added two new advanced courses to our on-demand offerings, with more to come!
We also offer custom consultations to address the unique issues teachers face in their classrooms. Research shows that in-person, teacher-focused professional development supports the implementation of new strategies in the classroom and, over time, mastery of these skills.1
What You Will Learn in Shared Inquiry PD
Teachers who take Shared Inquiry training learn how to implement Junior Great Books® in the classroom, but they also learn so much more. Our research-based method of teaching and learning helps educators:
- Create a more collaborative and engaging learning environment. With Shared Inquiry, students work together to explore complex ideas and rigorous texts. This helps them develop critical thinking skills, learn to communicate effectively, and solve problems.
- Help all students find their voice. Shared Inquiry is a student-centered learning approach. This means that you will support students as they develop their own ideas and perspectives about the texts they read.
- Enhance all of the basic language arts skills. Shared Inquiry helps students build their reading comprehension, critical thinking, writing, speaking, and listening skills. This will help them succeed in all subject areas.
- Improve their teaching practice and help students reach their full potential.
Shared Inquiry also helps teachers learn how to:
- Ask open-ended questions that promote critical thinking
- Facilitate discussions that are respectful and productive
- Help students develop their own ideas and perspectives
- Assess student learning in a meaningful way
“We brought Junior Great Books into our district twice for professional development and both times our staff was incredibly impressed! We felt the training was well worth our time as our presenter was knowledgeable and engaging. Teachers came away energized about incorporating Junior Great Books into their instruction!”
—Erin Mohr
High Ability Coordinator
Hamilton Southeastern Schools
Fishers, IN
On-Demand Professional Development
Introductory Training
Shared Inquiry Essentials On-Demand • Register
Now educators can take the Shared Inquiry Essentials Course, our introductory training that prepares them to lead Junior Great Books in the classroom, completely on-demand. In the course, teachers learn the basics of being a Shared Inquiry leader. They are prepared to lead thoughtful and engaging discussions that help students find their own voices, develop a deeper understanding of what they read, and engage in respectful civil discourse. The course is taught in short video modules and requires submitted coursework.
NEW! Advanced On-Demand Professional Development
The Power of Student Questions • Register
This advanced Shared Inquiry course will help you teach students how to pose better questions after a first reading to best help them build their understanding of the selection. You will learn how to stimulate students’ initial curiosity about a specific text and help them learn to zero in on parts of the selection that may raise questions. You will also learn how to help students identify the types of questions they have formulated and how to best answer their questions. This course focuses on the sharing questions activity, but the strategies you will learn will help students develop a process that enables them to have the confidence to ask their own questions about any text they may encounter.
We strongly recommend that you complete the Shared Inquiry Essentials course before taking this course. This course assumes an understanding of the basic concepts of the Shared Inquiry method.
After this course you will be able to:
- Help students express their initial reactions to a text in the form of questions
- Use modeling and other strategies to help students articulate authentic questions
- Teach students how to recognize different kinds of questions
- Use follow-up questions to enable students to address their own questions
- Use the power of students’ questions to engage the class in exploring answers and sharing their ideas.
Implementing Junior Great Books Nonfiction Inquiry • Register
Designed for teachers, this advanced-level asynchronous course introduces participants to the Junior Great Books Nonfiction Inquiry materials using the Shared Inquiry method of reading and discussion with nonfiction texts. We strongly recommend that you complete the Shared Inquiry Essentials course before taking this course. This course assumes an understanding of the basic concepts of the Shared Inquiry method.
After completing this self-paced course, you will be able to:
- Utilize Nonfiction Inquiry reading strategies and engage in discussion effectively
- Apply the Shared Inquiry sequence of activities to nonfiction texts
- Reflect on the elements and advantages of the Shared Inquiry sequence of activities as they pertain to nonfiction texts
- Demonstrate proficiency in generating follow-up questions to enhance students’ understanding of nonfiction texts
- Organize nonfiction discussions around a single text or an anchor text
Participants are encouraged to contribute to the discussion forums and take part in the Shared Inquiry Community. Those who complete the asynchronous modules, required coursework, and course evaluation will receive the Nonfiction Specialist Badge.
Custom Consultation
All Great Books professional development helps educators learn, practice, and continuously improve their use of the Shared Inquiry method. Our custom coaching consultations give teachers the personalized, specific feedback they need to apply what they have learned from our Shared Inquiry training to become more proficient in inquiry-based teaching skills. You can choose one or multiple in-person or online days when our trainers will consult with your teachers and offer support that is customized to each teacher’s needs.
Our trainers can:
- Colead Shared Inquiry discussion with your students in your classrooms
- Demonstrate and model Shared Inquiry discussion with your students
- Meet with your team of teachers who are using Junior Great Books and discuss your implementation
- Provide any additional support you may need
Read the top five reasons to schedule consultation with a Great Books expert.
Contact your Great Books partnership manager today to discuss and schedule custom consultation days!
Notes:
- Linda Darling-Hammond et al., “Effective Teacher Professional Development,” Learning Policy Institute Research Brief (May 2017).
Director of Marketing and Development
Dan Lindstrom is the director of marketing and development for the Great Books Foundation. He promotes the important work that the Foundation does for lifelong learners, helping all who are interested to take part in civil discussions about outstanding literature and other objects of inquiry. During his 30 years with the Foundation, he has spoken with dozens of educators who love how Junior Great Books encourages children to express their own opinions about what they have read.
