Coaching Inquiry to Support Transformation in Learning

Today Val and I worked with our students to support their inquiry passion projects. One of my students is passionate about dancing. She dances as one way to support a healthy living lifestyle. As part of her inquiry passion project Val arranged for the student to interview a premier ballet dancer, Jillian Vanstone, from the National Ballet in Canada. Her testimony of what it takes to be a dancer and the sacrifices she has made to attain her level of performance was enlightening for the students. The students learned a great deal about the lifestyle of a dancer. However, when you attach the learning experience to an inquiry question you enable students to take their learning to the next level. They are able to reflect on the experience and personalize it by thinking about how the experience effected their thoughts, beliefs and possibly actions. In this case the student blogged her reflection on our school blog where she demonstrated transformation. This is the kind of learning that encourages the development of metacognition among learners. They reflect on how the new experience connects to who they are, what they think and belief and decide on their next steps to take their thinking to action. See if you can pick out the transformation statements in her reflection? What has she decided to rethink in her actions?

Reflections on our SKYPE interview with Jillian Vanstone - principal dancer @ The National Ballet of Canada

Reflections from Mercedes:

Can a professanl dancer 's  lifestyle connect to our lifestyle?

I think it was an amazing experiance to meet Jillian and I had alot of support from my friends to skype her.

I learned that to be a professanl dancer you need to be very sterickt about your diet and your rest.

Her scoial life comes from her dance club. They are her community. I learned that you have to be very focued. I gess I have to check my treat eating a little more if I want to become a professal dancer.