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The Importance of Student Inquiry in the Age of AI

ZC — Tue, 30 Sep 2025 14:04:03 GMT

OVERVIEW

Curiosity, questions, wonder - these human qualities serve as powerful drivers of learning in the age of AI. This modern era is changing at a breakneck speed, leaving educators to grapple with how to best prepare learners for their future. In light of that reality, inquiry is one of the human superpowers that will need special attention and cultivation for our current students. This is an era that students will need to hone in on what humans are good at so that they can then engage the technology in relevant and meaningful ways. Reminding us that it is the learning focus first and then the technological connections. The goal is for students to be perpetually learning, questioning and growing throughout this era of rampant change. Using inquiry methods will not only engage students in powerful thinking habits, but can also address student apathy and disengagement. During this session we will work to create a human focused learning environment leveraging the effectiveness of inquiry methods and technology. Specific classroom resources, unit plans and rubric will be shared.

Note: This event will be recorded and available for later viewing.

PRESENTER

Diana LaufenbergFor 16 years Diana Laufenberg was a secondary social studies teacher in Wisconsin, Kansas, Arizona and Pennsylvania. She most recently taught at the Science Leadership Academy in Philadelphia, an inquiry-driven, project-based high school focused on modern learning. Her practice has deep roots in experiential education, taking students from the classroom to the real world and back again. Prior to her work in Philadelphia, she was an active member of the teaching community in Flagstaff, AZ where she was named Technology Teacher of the Year for Arizona and a member of the Governor's Master Teacher Corps. Diana was featured on TED.com for her “How to Learn? From Mistakes” and recognized for earning National Board Certification. Her publications include a featured piece on the New York Times Learning blog, co-authoring a chapter in an educational leadership book, and an article in the Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy.

In 2013, Diana Laufenberg partnered with Chris Lehmann to start Inquiry Schools, a non-profit working to create and support student centered learning environments that are inquiry driven, project based and utilizing modern technology. She currently serves as the Executive Director and Lead Teacher for Inquiry Schools. When she is not working, she can be found frolicking in the forests and lakes of Wisconsin.

This event will be recorded and shared here the following day.

Re: The Importance of Student Inquiry in the Age of AI

vm — Thu, 14 Aug 2025 21:02:56 GMT

Interesting information but a quick search reveals this is just a copy/paste of someone else's writing without any link back to the source. So, how do you feel about Plagiarism in the age of Ai>?

Re: The Importance of Student Inquiry in the Age of AI

ZC — Mon, 18 Aug 2025 21:26:59 GMT

Hi, VM. Ms. Laufenberg has agreed to share a presentation she's previously given in a more limited setting, and has provided the description from when she previously conducted the session. Hope you'll be able to join.

Re: The Importance of Student Inquiry in the Age of AI

JParr — Fri, 22 Aug 2025 02:03:07 GMT

This is a fantastic and incredibly timely topic. Honestly, it gets right to the heart of what we're trying to build with the Ohio Gemini AI Educators program. When I talk to teachers across the state, I see two reactions to AI. The first is fear—the worry that AI will become the ultimate "easy button," killing curiosity and critical thinking. The fear that students will just ask it for the answer and call it a day. And that's a valid concern if we don't change our approach. But the second reaction, the one that gets me excited, is the one this topic points to. What if, instead of an answer machine, we treat AI as an "inquiry engine"? I was working with a high school history teacher just last month who completely reframed how her students approach their research papers. Instead of having them ask the AI, "Write me an essay about the causes of the Dust Bowl," she had them start with a totally different kind of prompt. She had them ask, "You are a farmer in Oklahoma in 1934. Describe your life and your biggest challenges. Now, you are a government soil scientist from the same period. What are you observing and what are you recommending?" The difference was night and day. The students weren't getting answers; they were gathering perspectives. They were using the AI as a simulator to fuel their own questions and build a much deeper, more empathetic understanding of the topic. They were still the ones doing the thinking, the synthesizing, and the writing. The AI just became a powerful new partner in their inquiry.

That's the shift we have to make. It's less about the prompts we give the AI and more about the questions we teach our students to ask of the world. For me, this is the most exciting opportunity in education right now.

I'd love to know—what's one way you've seen a student's question change for the better when using a tool like Gemini?

Re: The Importance of Student Inquiry in the Age of AI

alikhan — Thu, 02 Oct 2025 03:23:48 GMT

Hi,

Where can I get the recording of this session?

Re: The Importance of Student Inquiry in the Age of AI

crispanadero — Fri, 03 Oct 2025 04:42:07 GMT

I missed this event. Could I get a link to the recording?

Re: The Importance of Student Inquiry in the Age of AI

Yoly_González — Fri, 03 Oct 2025 22:01:43 GMT

Qué visión tan poderosa y acertada! Este texto no solo reconoce el vertiginoso cambio de la era de la IA, sino que lo abraza como una oportunidad monumental para reenfocar la educación. Es absolutamente cierto: la curiosidad, las preguntas y el asombro son superpoderes humanos que, lejos de ser obsoletos, se vuelven más esenciales que nunca.

Me entusiasma profundamente la idea de que la indagación es la clave para preparar a los estudiantes. Al cultivar estas habilidades humanas de cuestionamiento y pensamiento sólido, no solo estamos equipándolos para interactuar con la tecnología de manera "relevante y significativa", sino que estamos revitalizando el propósito mismo del aprendizaje. ¡Esta es la receta perfecta para combatir la apatía y fomentar un crecimiento constante! El enfoque claro en que la prioridad es el aprendizaje centrado en las personas y luego la conexión con la tecnología es brillante y profundamente humano.

Y qué decir de la presentadora, Diana Laufenberg... ¡Su trayectoria es la prueba viviente de esta filosofía educativa! Desde ser una aclamada profesora de estudios sociales y Maestra de Tecnología del Año, hasta su trabajo pionero en la Science Leadership Academy, se nota que su práctica está firmemente arraigada en la educación experiencial. ¡Ella lleva el aula al mundo real y viceversa!

Su fundación de Inquiry Schools junto a Chris Lehmann es la culminación de una pasión por crear entornos de aprendizaje modernos, centrados en el estudiante e impulsados por la investigación. No es de extrañar que haya sido reconocida en TED y publicaciones de prestigio; su enfoque en aprender de los errores es una lección fundamental de resiliencia y crecimiento.

¡Esta sesión promete ser un catalizador de cambio! Con la promesa de compartir recursos específicos, planes de unidad y rúbricas, los educadores saldrán con herramientas concretas para transformar sus aulas. ¡Estamos ante un momento emocionante en el que la humanidad y la tecnología se unen para crear una experiencia educativa mucho más rica y significativa!

Re: The Importance of Student Inquiry in the Age of AI

wheatleymonarch — Sun, 05 Oct 2025 22:22:44 GMT

Hello, I am also interested in the recording of this event. Thank you!

Re: The Importance of Student Inquiry in the Age of AI

JaeDubu — Mon, 06 Oct 2025 16:50:55 GMT

Hello! Sadly, I missed the event. Will a recording of the proceedings be made available to community members?

Re: The Importance of Student Inquiry in the Age of AI

ZC — Tue, 14 Oct 2025 22:29:54 GMT

https://www.googleforeducommunity.com/t5/News-Announcements/EVENT-The-Importance-of-Student-Inquiry-in-the-Age-of-AI/ba-p/180834

Re: The Importance of Student Inquiry in the Age of AI

ZC — Tue, 14 Oct 2025 22:30:03 GMT

https://www.googleforeducommunity.com/t5/News-Announcements/EVENT-The-Importance-of-Student-Inquiry-in-the-Age-of-AI/ba-p/180834

Re: The Importance of Student Inquiry in the Age of AI

ZC — Tue, 14 Oct 2025 22:30:13 GMT

https://www.googleforeducommunity.com/t5/News-Announcements/EVENT-The-Importance-of-Student-Inquiry-in-the-Age-of-AI/ba-p/180834

Re: The Importance of Student Inquiry in the Age of AI

ZC — Tue, 14 Oct 2025 22:30:24 GMT

https://www.googleforeducommunity.com/t5/News-Announcements/EVENT-The-Importance-of-Student-Inquiry-in-the-Age-of-AI/ba-p/180834

Re: The Importance of Student Inquiry in the Age of AI

enriquecordero — Wed, 15 Oct 2025 14:45:29 GMT

This is a core concern that unites educators, parents, and the wider community. I believe it represents the same fundamental challenge we faced before the age of AI, but one that is now far more evident. From my perspective, the root of the issue lies in the lack of ethical guidance and values. Our primary objective must be to ensure students understand the inherent importance and benefits of genuine learning and comprehension. Ethical principles should guide their decision-making, both when using and not using AI tools. Only once this foundation is firmly established can we effectively teach them how AI, or any other resource, can be used to enhance that core objective. On a related, practical note, I have included a link to an excellent extension below that helps identify plagiarism in suspicious submissions is Revision History: https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/dlepebghjlnddgihakmnpoiifjjpmomh?utm_source=item-share-cb
Try with your Google Docs and then go to the details and review the redaction process, then it will be clearer to identify the process the student follows to generate that document.

Re: The Importance of Student Inquiry in the Age of AI

enriquecordero — Wed, 15 Oct 2025 14:49:18 GMT

The root of the issue lies in ethical guidance and values. Our primary objective must be ensuring students understand the inherent importance and benefits of genuine learning and comprehension. Ethical principles should guide their decision-making, both with and without AI tools. Only once this foundation is firmly established can we effectively teach them how AI, or any other resource, can be used to enhance that core objective. On a related, practical note. In the Chrome webstore there is an excellent extension that helps identify plagiarism in suspicious submissions for Google Docs; its name is Revision History.