The Inquiry Page: Collaborative Technology into Practice

This session trains teachers and learners in the Inquiry Page, a free, web-based, knowledge-building tool that facilitates and fosters real-world application of inquiry-based learning across subject areas (www.inquiry.uiuc.edu). By creating "Inquiry Units", teachers and learners collaboratively engage in the inquiry path, building new knowledge as well as a resource for other teachers and learners. By offering a flexible structure, a-synchronous community-building occurs with teachers/learners being able to draw upon and share their own applications of inquiry-based teaching. The Inquiry Page is collaborating with the NSF's EdGrid GK-12 Fellows Program*, where scientist-fellows and K-12 teachers partner to integrate the use of computer-based modeling, scientific visualization, and informatics in science and mathematics education. GK-12 is one example where the Inquiry Page becomes a "portal", facilitating communication, inquiry-based teaching, and professional development. *The EdGrid GK-12 Fellowship Program supports annual teaching fellowships for graduate student scientists from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign and is administered by the National Center for Supercomputing Applications.published or submitted for publicationis peer reviewe