Episode 5: Cultivating Curiosity and Agency Through Inquiry-Based Learning

In this episode of Dreams of Education, Kelly Tenkely and Michelle Baldwin dive into the origins and evolution of inquiry-based learning at Anastasis Academy. Kelly shares her frustration with the one-size-fits-all curriculum model, recounting how rigid boxed curriculums ignore students’ unique complexities. This led her to envision the Learning Genome Project and start Anastasis Academy, committed to seeing each child as an individual. Kelly credits her inspiration to educators Edna Sackson and Maggie Hos-McGrane, who emphasized the power of inquiry-based learning.

Michelle recounts the challenges and excitement of joining an inquiry-based school with no set curriculum, finding freedom in crafting lessons around students’ interests and discovering new ways of integrating subjects. Both discuss the power of inquiry to naturally differentiate learning, enabling students to engage in unique ways and tap into their strengths, from exploring Fibonacci in nature to creating an innovation museum inspired by Stephen Johnson’s How We Got to Now.

The conversation also touches on the broader impacts of an inquiry-based model on school culture, fostering curiosity, collaboration, and the ability to make real-world connections. Both reflect on the importance of cultivating empathy, autonomy, and a love of learning through engaging provocations and inquiry.

Other places you can find Michelle and Kelly

Michelle: Avenue 4 Learning

Kelly: Dreams of Education Blog, KT's Place