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In-service program documentation
Analyzing classroom vignettes from an inquiry perspective (D5.2)
Facilitator's plan (by Judith Fonzi) -- Individual analysis and group discussion of a common vignette

Rationale: We are engaging in this experience so that when, as a group, we talk about "teaching through inquiry" we all conjure up similar images. This experience will also results in a "list" of characteristics that we should "look for" as we critically examine the units of the NSF curricula

• Since our vision of teaching mathematics through inquiry assumes a constructivist perspective on teaching and learning as a basis (already a radical departure from how teachers had been teaching) and then embodies further specific characteristics and orchestration of experiences we must begin this new project by making explicit what we mean by "teaching mathematics through inquiry". Since a constructivist view of teaching and learning is critical to implementing "our" inquiry approach we cannot risk "loosing" this point by focusing only on those characteristics which make it inquiry. Therefore we will frame this experience as "identifying what the characteristics of the kind a teaching we are trying to promote" and then tease out what of these characteristics are unique to inquiry.
• As a catalyst for the conversation participants will read vignette about Judi's geometry class ( from Borasi, R. (1996). Reconceiving Mathematics Instruction: A Focus on Errors. NY: Ablex.) to offer a detailed description of an inquiry experience so as to elicit more fine grained characteristics of and inquiry approach. Participants will be asked "as you read this vignette please identify those characteristics which are representative of the kind of teaching/learning we are trying to promote". Participants will be asked to write their responses. (30 minutes)
• Engage in a whole group discussion of the characteristics evident in the vignette (here the school facilitators would be silent at least until the participants have shared their interpretations of the vignette with respect to the characteristics they identified, for example - if the participants say that the teacher capitalizes on "errors, conflicts, anomalies" they should first give all their specific examples of such before staff contributes additional examples). After discussing the vignette we will ask then to think about an "inquiry unit" and what the characteristics of such a unit should be so as to make this image clearer as well (total 11/2 hours)
  • Judi will record all of the responses so that we develop a complete image of the teaching/learning environment we are promoting
  • Raffaella will then extract those characteristics which are unique to "our" inquiry (as opposed to just constructivism) and try to provide a first bit of the theories informing the need for/format of those characteristics

Materials needed:

• 18 copies of vignette
• several compasses and rulers
• newsprint, markers and tape

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