Inquiry Matters conference returns to the Midlands
COLUMBIA, S.C. (WIS) - It was a day of learning for teachers on Saturday, as dozens of educators from districts around the Palmetto State gathered for the Center For Inquiry’s ‘Inquiry Matters’ conference. The annual conference is put together through a partnership with the Center For Inquiry, Richland School District Two, and the University of South Carolina (USC).
Dozens of educators, parents, and students gathered at the Center For Inquiry Conference Saturday morning, sharing ideas about how they think outside the box when they teach. The conference focuses on growing inquiry-based learning tactics, that start with the student’s curiosity.
Workshops and presentations were held where students and teachers demonstrated inquiry-based tactics they’ve used in their curriculums.
“The real focus of this conference is to show what inquiry-based practices look, sound, and feel like and how effective they are, as well as the importance of using inquiry as a stance that we take towards professional development and university public school partnership work,” said Dr. Heidi Mills, retired USC professor and Founder of Inquiry Matters.
Students with USC’s elementary education program were also invited to join the public conference. The goal was to give pre-service teachers who are joining the workforce in the fall some inspiration for their own curriculum.
USC Elementary Education Instructor Beth White explains how the annual conference helps develop homegrown talent, to lead the way in classrooms across the Midlands.
“They will be first-year teachers next year,” White said, “(This shows) them that they are not just getting as a first-year teacher but it’s something they can live into for the rest of their teaching lives.”
As a passionate second and third-grade teacher, Nozsa Kyler says there is something about the event that really spoke to her. She was out on maternity leave over the last seven weeks, returning back to the classroom in time to close out the school year.
Kyler feels the conference has given her several lightbulb moments, reigniting the passion for why she wanted to go into teaching in the first place.
“Being away and then now coming back, there are so many things that I’ve already put in my notebook for next year that I’m excited to do,” Kyler said, “There are so many amazing things that I’m already excited to do simply because of what I was exposed to today”
Educators who attended the conference in 2024 plan on returning to CFI in 2025, to hear more ideas from fellow educators and share new tricks they’ve incorporated into their curriculum.
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