Chatsworth Hills Academy IB Value Profile: Inquirers
As part of its commitment to the International Baccalaureate World School program, Chatsworth Hills Academy focuses on teaching its students with 10 attributes that are most valued by IB World Schools, called the IB Learner Profile. These attributes can help your child become responsible members of local, national and global communities. One of these attributes is inquiry.
“We nurture our curiosity, developing skills for inquiry and research. We know how to learn independently and with others. We learn with enthusiasm and sustain our love of learning throughout life.” ~ IB Learner Profile
Why Is Inquiry Important?
We believe our CHA students are and should be inquirers and we strive to develop our teaching strategies to promote that attribute. We provide the best conditions in which students can learn and promote a spirit of inquiry in the classroom. Here are a few reasons why inquiry is important for your student:
Inquiry boosts independent problem solving skills using critical thinking.
Inquiry-based learning teaches students to think more closely about the problem and then develop patterns to discover how to solve it. Students are taught to identify the exact problem, its effects and consequences and why it matters. Then, they determine the precise cause(s) of the problem. Only then can students create a list of solutions, costs, and inputs to come up with the best solution with benefits outweighing the costs. By allowing practice time for developing these skills in class, students get better and are more effective in solving problems on their own – whether it be a math problem or a social problem of great importance to the world.
Inquiry helps develop deeper understanding of subjects and concepts.
When our CHA students are allowed to discover the concept or standard they are learning on their own, they will truly understand what it is and how it came to be that way. Our teachers give students real-world problems and projects and guide them through the process using cooperative learning techniques, small or whole group discussions, and specific prompts to justify their decisions. By “doing” the work and experimenting with the variables, students build their own rules instead of just following a concept given to them.
Inquiry grows students’ confidence & self-motivation.
When students feel the pride that comes from discovering the best solution to the problem or task given to them for themselves, they suddenly gain a new level of confidence in their own learning abilities. CHA teachers nurture this confidence and motivate students by engaging their curiosity and promoting active, inquiry-based learning. Developing inquirers means students aren’t given the answers, but they are given voice, choice and encouragement to pursue their own questions along with feedback and direction. CHA students don’t back down from a new challenge and give up less frequently because they believe in their ability to apply their knowledge from one situation to another.
Inquiry results in better long term retention of information.
So many students are still educated using the “old style” of teaching where teachers give all of the formulas, information and answers and students are asked to memorize. In today’s world of information overload, we must develop students who can learn to think and learn on their own. When students develop their own rule, concept or path to the standards they need to reach, they won’t NEED to memorize anything because they deeply understand what that problem was and how they found the solution. The student can transfer the skills learned to other, similar situations because he or she “discovered” it on their own.
How Does Chatsworth Hills Academy Develop Inquirers?
The professional staff at our Los Angeles private school are carefully selected from the best teachers in the state. They are experienced teachers who work every day on their craft and have developed the complex strategies needed to provide inquiry-based teaching methods in our classrooms. A few of the ways that Chatsworth Hills Academy teachers build student inquirers include:
We don’t give students the answer.
Our teachers don’t feed information, formulas, or rules to students. Students who are not accustomed to this type of teaching and learning may struggle at first. Teachers must sit back and let them struggle through the inquiry process, especially at first. Teachers will guide students through the process providing feedback and mini-assessments and they will help those who truly need it. But, mostly they will be watching students develop their critical thinking and problem solving skills.
We provide hand-on, real-world problems and projects
At Chatsworth Hills Academy, you will find our students engaged in real problems and real projects of their own choosing based on driving questions that will lead students to acquire the skills we need them to learn. Creating inquirers through project learning is proven to increase students’ ability to define and solve problems, provide solid reasoning for choices and plan large-scale projects. This type of teaching also has shown increases in student motivation, positive attitude toward learning and work habits.
We Share Questions, Processes and Discoveries In Class
Sharing in small or whole class groups is important for building inquirers. Taking time to allow students to share their questions, their plans and their discoveries aloud is part of the metacognitive process needed for success. Our students work collaboratively in small teams or pairs to describe their strategies and findings on their projects. Our teachers plan carefully and guide students to learn the assessed skills.
Enroll at Chatsworth Hills Academy Today!
If you’re looking for an IB World School with an expert staff ready to arouse your students curiosities and give them the opportunity question, explore, discover and create their own pathways for learning, Chatsworth Hills Academy is the best choice for you. Call our admissions office today at (818) 998-4037 to take a tour, meet our staff and find out more about this premier Los Angeles private school, located in the San Fernando Valley. Or, use our convenient online request form to contact us for more information.
Want to learn more about the The International Baccalaureate® (IB) learner profile? Click on the links below for more information. The profile aims to develop learners who are:
- Knowledgeable
- Thinkers
- Communicators
- Principled
- Open-minded
- Caring
- Risk-takers
- Balanced
- Reflective
