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Brad Buhrow is the co-author ( with Anne Upczak Garcia) of Ladybugs, Tornadoes and Swirling Galaxies" published by Stenhouse. This text focuses on how English Language Learners can discover their world through inquiry and independent inquiry. In this interview he responds to questions about this process.

1) Brad, first of all, how did you come up with the title for this book

"Ladybugs, Tornadoes and Swirling Galaxies"?

Kids are very curious and have so many questions. Ladybugs, tornadoes and swirling galaxies are a few of the topics our students have explored. Our kids' are eager to ask questions and have a great sense of wonder.

Keeping this sense of wonder part of our school culture is even more important in today's high stakes testing environment. If we believe that we want our kids to see themselves in literacy and love to write and love to read then wondering and exploring a variety of topics is even more important.

2) What exactly do you mean by "discovering their world through inquiry?

Kids want to learn about and understand their world. Well, let's give the opportunity then! We take kids where they are and find out they know and make visible their questions by writing them down. Many student investigations branch off curricular topics and many surface from their own desire.

This year in first grade, on the third day of school there were four kids that were very interested in birds. They sat on the floor pouring over some bird books that are part of our classroom library.

I sat down with them and asked if they would like to form a bird study group. The answer was a unanimous "Yes!"From there, I started scribing and coding their thinking. Using sticky notes I wrote their questions, inferences and background knowledge down. The kids took what I wrote and added to it. They drew images to connect to the print and began to add labels and other informational text features. The idea of migration emerged. The kids asked, "Why do some birds migrate and others don't?" "What happens to when migrating birds lose their habitat?"

So critical questions and enduring understandings emerge from our students' investigations.

3) How do you go about creating a "culture of thinking"?

The physical environment of the classroom is the starting point. Kids need to feel comfortable, have materials and supplies at their fingertips. Making visible our students' stories by publishing them from day one is how we get started. This creates momentum and excitement for the kids to show their thinking. By allowing our kids to make their thinking visible with art and print demonstrates we take their stories seriously. Their stories are displayed, read and we respond to them. This is how we begin.

4) What is so important about the classroom environment?

The physical environment is paramount is setting the stage. Rethinking how to set up a classroom might require some unlearning and relearning. Our goal is for the environment to give the kids tools to keep moving forward on their journey in learning. If you step into our classrooms you will see what we are studying, learning and thinking about. It's our work and it's visible.

5) How do YOU go about fostering questions from students?

Kids are always asking questions. We listen and make notes throughout the day whether it'sat recess, walking down the hall or in the classroom. Using the frame "I wonder__?" and providing questioning vocabulary including why, what, how, where, when- help mediate forming questions.These frames are made big, colorful and visible for the kids to use in their classroom. We model and are genuinely curious too! The kids pick up on that excitement.

6) What kinds of information do you think it important for teachers to gather?

Materials are key. We need to have a variety of online sources, texts at a variety of reading levels filled with compelling images and hopefully locate real people who are experts in the topic we are studying. We of course step outside the classroom walls to observe and study too.

7) What do you mean by "guided inquiry" and how do you go about doing it?

We show kids how to go about investigating topics. I like to model my own inquiry project so the kids can see my thinking regarding the process. They see me drawing, what sources I've collected, how I use navigational and informational text features.

They see me approximate my writing. After modeling a little bit the kids are usually bouncing with energy to give it a try! Kids work in small groups or alone. I confer and talk with them about next steps. Often we stop and share by taking thinking tour- just walking around the room and having each student quickly share something they learned or a wonder or a wow!

8) What do you mean by "independent inquiry" and why is it important?

Independent inquiry are topics that branch off of curriculum topics or something the kids are just super eager to read about and explore. Some topics that kids have sustained for months are kittens, owls, snakes, harp seals and their slaughter in Canada, lightning, hurricanes and even galaxies.Independent inquiries an important pathway to understanding the real world and create spaces and opportunities for kids to use their knowledge of literacy to teach each other. It is my hope that this is culturally responsive teaching.

9) How do you help students investigate content topics?

With content topics we all are studying the same big idea. Last spring our study of Australia and Alaska led us to a study of the deep ocean habitat. The kids and I became fascinated while learning about bioluminescence of the deep sea creatures. We by pairs of books and cut them apart so kids can focus on one page. Kids read and respond and they keep track of their thinking by creating their own informational texts, often these are posters. We co-construct words walls, play with language, merge languages with poetry and surround ourselves in our study. Our library media specialist plays a big role too.

She helps us with by co-teaching and locating sources for us to gather information. I believe a school library, staffed with licensed professional, is the cornerstone of literacy development and supports the notion of democracy.

10) How do you go about using assessment to differentiate instruction and what do you mean by differentiating instruction?

First of all, we take kids where they are and celebrate what they know. I may be repeating myself here. In our book, we developed a continuum to use as reference. Using a continuum encourages us to take note of approximations which inform us about next teaching points. We believe in flexible needs-based strategy groups. Belief in flexible grouping helps us to differentiate instruction. We pull kids who might be approximating something like using an index or creating captions for their images. Individual and small group conferring lets us meet the needs of each individual learner. We address approximations and teach next steps immediately!

Published October 5, 2008