Do YOU have any QUESTIONS?

Learning can happen in a variety of ways in almost every aspect of life; it can even occur without any realization. Inquiry-based and project-based learning are two strategies that will be used in my classroom to help students learn.
Inquiry-based learning is learning through asking questions. The concept of inquiry began with Socrates who led his students to learn individually by constantly asking questions. The reasoning behind the urgency of students to constantly ask questions is so the children can learn by experiencing things first-hand: if a child asks a question, they are able to learn the answer directly from a source of knowledge. Children will find and internalize what they WANT to know, not only what teachers think needs to be tought. I think this is especially important at a young age because kids have such a strong desire to learn. If teachers just stand up and lecture, a child's desire to learn may be thwarted. This concept of learning focuses on allowing children to use their senses (sight, sound, touch, taste and smell) to learn new material and is based on three basic principles: focusing on information-processing skills, allowing the students to be the center of their own learning process, and using, me, the teacher as a facilitator of learning rather than a lecturer. It involves much cooperation from the student who cannot simply sit back and listen to me lecture, but must be actively involved in asking questions and desiring to learn.
However, this method will be challenging because. As the students grow and develop, they will become more and more reclusive and tend to not ask as many questions in the classroom for the fear of being ridiculed by their fellow classmates. The lack of questioning may cause the inquiry-based method to fail. So it is my job do my best to keep the questioning alive and the students under control in order to use this method. It is a shame that students become afraid to ask questions.
Project-based learning, as opposed to inquiry-based learning, is a little more dynamic and more active. It is an advanced level of inquiry-based learning which allows students to be more hands-on and work independently in small groups. This method will allow me to take the classroom OUTSIDE! I think that the idea of moving the classroom outdoors and using multiple resources for research is essential to re-defining the traditional setting. In theory, this idea allows students to learn new material without being judged by a rubric that would tell them if their paper or exam was up to par. This way, students feel a sense of accomplishment upon completing their project and also develop important social skills by interacting with their peers. With project-based learning, the classroom is more of an idea: learning can also occur outdoors, on the Internet, or at another student's house.
As stated earlier, project-based learning provides a way for students to learn in a more relaxed environment. Instead of sitting at a desk, fearful of talking, children are able to work in groups in which they can talk and share their ideas. This type of setting may seem a little more chaotic since each group is talking and collaborating simultaneously, but it is actually a good way for students to learn without even realizing that they are learning. In this type of learning, the use of technology will be applied. Students will use computers to research the topic of their project, or they have the option of using video and digital cameras to document their learning process.
However, it is a risky method because some students may not be as proactive as necessary and may just be sitting there while their partners do all the work for them. So, parental guidance, along with very close student/teacher communication as to how the assignment is flowing along will be necessary to be aware of the students activities at all times in order to keep the assignments fair and equal.
Both project-based and inquiry-based learning can be used in any classroom at any level. They challenge the students to do more than be just another face in the crowd, listening to me blab about an unknown topic. Instead, they are given the opportunity to learn by doing. Whether it is asking questions, researching, or building something for a project, kids can learn valuable lessons that help them both in school and life.