Fertile+questions+and+Rich+tasks

An excellent reading where you can gain an understanding of fertile questions is found through the following link: http://www.learningtolearn.sa.edu.au/Colleagues/files/links/Communities_of_Thinking_i_1.doc Here are some of the main points from it regarding fertile Questions… Volume **58** Number **3** November 2000 We organize teaching and learning in a community of thinking into three stages: **__the fertile question stage__**, the research stage, and the concluding performance stage. In the //fertile question stage//, the teachers—whom we call facilitators—pose a fertile question that **__stimulates and motivates the students—the learners—to engage in a problem at the heart of the studied discipline.__** The question is accompanied by initiation into the subject matter: background, basic concepts, disputed issues, central sources, and research methods __The fertile question has six characteristics:__ //An open question.// A question that in principle has no one definitive answer; rather, it has several different and competing possible answers. //An undermining question.// A question that undermines the learners' basic assumptions, casts doubt on the self-evident or commonsensical, uncovers basic conflicts lacking a simple solution, and requires the critical consideration of origins. //A rich question.// A question that necessitates grappling with rich content that is indispensable to understanding humanity and the world around us. Students cannot answer this question without careful and lengthy research; such research tends to break the question into subquestions. //A connected question.// A question relevant to the learners, the society in which they live, and the discipline and field they are studying. //A charged question.// A question with an ethical dimension. Such questions are charged with emotional, social, and political implications that potentially motivate inquiry and learning. //A practical question.// A question that can be researched in the context of the learners, facilitators, and school facilities and from which research questions may be derived. **__Some examples of fertile questions and the subjects they address__** · The Human Genome Project—a curse or a blessing? (biology) · Why do we sleep? (biology) · Human beings—a product of environment or genetics? (biology) · Why is the sky blue? (physics) · Is Jerusalem united? (geography) · Why did the peasants obey the gentry and the church, even when exploited and oppressed by them? (history) · What makes a story good? (literature) · Why do people travel? (sociology, anthropology) · Is competition good for us? (multidisciplinary) Rich Tasks represent the culmination of student engagement with the curriculum, they are activities which are assessable and reportable. The Rich Tasks are more than merely something by which students are assessed. They legitimate and underscore the New Basics and Productive Pedagogies by making available assessable activities that are __intellectually challenging and have real-world value__, two characteristics which research identifies as necessary for improved student performance. Their website contains all the Rich tasks that have been developed & these are able to be downloaded. Another education programme which details Rich Tasks is The Junior Cycle Physical Education Programme,based in Ireland, which has the following succinct explanation of a rich tasks as they apply them to their learning programmes… http://www.jcpe.ie/SP_PlanRichTasks.htm The task is deemed to be **rich** when it is constructed based on the following principles and: __Key principles in the use of rich tasks:__ __In New Zealand__ the ‘Rich Task’ ' Fertile Questions’ style delivery of curriculum has been called **__“Learning Pathways’__** – Team Solutions had facilitated schools in the development of a programme of topic delivery using this process – Bayswater primary's website has a good description of this process. http://www.bayswater.school.nz/learning-pathways.htm Learning Pathways is an interdisciplinary way of delivering the curriculum. Authentic learning situations are derived from an initial 'fertile' question and after explicit teaching, students implement inquiry learning strategies to develop their team and individual learning pathways and achieve their learning goals. The notion that children are more involved with their learning when it has a real life or genuine context is an important consideration when selecting the question to be investigated. At the conclusion of the study the presentation of their findings or 'communication of learning' will generally involve the school or local community in some way. There are many models currently available which detail the stages of an Inquiry Based Learning Programme of delivering curriculum. I have listed 3 below. The basic process is the same in all models with some adding another dimension but whichever process you are following the process is not linear - and different stages may be revisited many times during the course of an inquiry. The models are all based on the premise that the unit needs to be driven by an inquiry process, which is determined by the students own learning needs. In New Zealand Gwen Gawith was an early advocate of this programme - She named her version **__'Action Learning'__** Her progression is as follows: o //Decide// o //Search & finding// o //Using & analysing// o //Recording// o //Presenting & communicating// o //Evaluating// An Australian Educator Kath Murdoch is a major advocate of IBL - her progression is as follows: o //Tuning in// o //Preparing to find out// o //Finding out// o //Sorting out// o //Going further// o //Making connections// o //Taking action.//
 * __Fertile Questions__**
 * Communities of Thinking**
 * //Yoram Harpaz and Adam Lefstein//**
 * Yoram Harpaz** (yoram@pz.harvard.edu) is a former and founding Director and **Adam Lefstein** (adaml@netvision.net.il) is the current Director of the Communities of Thinking educational reform program at the Branco Weiss Institute for the Development of Thinking, P.O. Box 648, Jerusalem, Israel 96782.
 * __Rich Task__** is the name given to the delivery aspect of the Queensland Education Authority’s New Basics programme of syllabus delivery.
 * http://education.qld.gov.au/corporate/newbasics/html/about/about_rt.html**
 * is authentic and relevant; to the student and to the learning outcomes to be pursued
 * contains transparent criteria and standards
 * is multidimensional; involving more than one learning outcome
 * involves acquiring, applying and evaluating knowledge
 * encourages a divergent response from student and teacher
 * provides opportunities for students to demonstrate subject knowledge, skills and understanding
 * assists teachers and students in determining the specific help which students may require.
 * sharing learning intentions with students
 * helping students to recognise the direction and levels of attainment in their work
 * providing focussed feedback. Involve students in reviewing their progress and setting future goals
 * evaluating and adjusting teaching in the context of the learning outcomes, rich tasks and student progress.
 * __Inquiry Based Learning (IBL)__**

http://www.ltag.education.tas.gov.au/Planning/models/inquirymodel.htm The site above details Kaths' model with detailed descriptions of the processes at each stage and has examples of units of work from beginning school to Australia Year 9

Trevor Bond is a New Zealand educator who has developed a model: **Information Literacy & Inquiry Learning model** http://ictnz.com/SAUCE.htm

http://www.inquiringmind.co.nz/index.htm A New Zealand site complied by Jan-Marie Kellow which shares resources about inquiry learning that she compiled during her time as a Ministry of Education e-learning fellow.