We inquire for inquiry.

Love this article on inquiry-based learning. The article starts off with a terrific quote,

"Tell me and I forget, show me and I remember, involve me and I understand."

Inquiry implies involvement that leads to understanding. Humans begin the inquiry process at birth and carry it through life. We are just not aware of the process.

The process of inquiring begins with gathering information information and data through applying the human senses - seeing, hearing, touching, tasting smelling.

The article states that the traditional educational system discourages kids from asking questions, instead to repeat the expected answer.

A crucial fact to inquiry is how get and make sense of data. Inquiry implies a need or what to know premise. It isn't based on seeking the right answer rather appropriate resolutions to questions and issues.

Inquiry learning can be applied to all disciplines - art, science, history, math, etc., An important outcome should be useful knowledge about the natural and human-designed worlds. How are they organized, how do they change, how do they interrelate, communicate?

Inquiry based learning is so important to students. It goes beyond wrote knowledge. It gives them the ability to think and create outside the box. To actually use the skills they just learned.