Inquiry-based Learning

It seems to me that the only appropriate way to teach math is through inquiry-based learning.  I've definitely heard of the term, but never really knew what it meant.  I did assume that it had something to do with asking questions.  As a math teacher, I use inquiry-based learning.  For example, I might model how to solve a math problem to my class.  I might start out the problem, but I always have my students help to solve the problem.  Sometimes one student will solve the whole problem, and other times I might have a few different students involved in performing the steps.  The first problem that I model is typically easier.  I always make sure to give my students different types of problems that will provoke different questions.  Typically, each problem will have a new level of difficulty.

When students ask me a question about how to solve a problem, I often respond, "I don't know, you tell me".  When the student is forced to try this on his own (maybe with some helpful hints), he is more likely to retain the information.  Obviously, most students will not remember all of the specifics in Mathematics, but it is my job as a math teacher to help my students to become good problem solvers in their personal and professional lives.

Also, a quick word about historical thinking.  As a high school student, I never liked history.  I remember social studies as just being a series of dates, treaties, wars, etc. that I had to memorize.  As an adult, I think that studying history is extremely interesting.  Recently, my daughter told me that she loves her high school history class.  Her teacher makes history seem so interesting and exciting.  She tells her students to just think of history as one big soap opera - people (or nations) fall in love, they fight, then they break up.  This is the way to learn about history.  It brings all of the people and events to life!