Final Free Inquiry Post
Looking back at my free inquiry work this semester, I can honestly say I enjoyed it, but not always in the way I expected.
The best part of this experience was not just the topic itself, but the process. I found myself really valuing the moments where I could sit down, write, and draw, my way of expressing thoughts along with the images that come with them. These are things I genuinely enjoy, but they often get pushed aside during busy school weeks. This assignment felt like an invitation to pause and reconnect with that part of myself. Even though I often rushed through my posts because of time pressure, every week I caught myself wishing I had more time to stay with my ideas, develop them further, and let them grow.
If I could send a message back to myself at the beginning of the semester, I would say: don’t rush this, and don’t treat it like a regular assignment. Lean into the “free” part of free inquiry. I had so many ideas, written in my phone, in the corners of notebooks, in random moments, that never fully made it into my posts. I would tell myself to trust that those ideas matter, and to give them the time and space they deserve.
For other students, my advice would be similar: choose something that genuinely pulls you in. Choose something that puts you into a state of flow, where you don’t just want to finish the task, but where you want to stay with it longer. That feeling is rare in school, and this assignment is one of the few places where you can follow it.
What I enjoyed most about this inquiry was the freedom. It was one of the only assignments in my entire program where I felt like I could truly “do me.” That freedom made a big difference. It not only allowed me to express myself more authentically, but it also motivated me to engage more deeply with the technology tools we were learning.
In terms of EdTech tools, what stayed with me the most was learning my way around WordPress and building my own blog. I have always wanted to have a blog, and getting back to that idea through a new platform felt meaningful. It made the work feel more personal and something I could continue beyond the course. I also really valued learning how to use multimedia tools such as screencasting and H5P. These are not just course tools, they feel practical and useful for my future classroom. I can see myself using them to create videos and interactive content to support students in different ways, especially those who benefit from visual and self-paced learning.
Another highlight of this course was our visit to Pacific School of Innovation and Inquiry. That experience gave me a lot of hope. Seeing a learning environment that truly embraces inquiry, flexibility, and student-centered learning made everything we have been discussing feel real and possible.
Overall, this experience reminded me that meaningful learning often happens when we are given space, choice, and time to explore what matters to us. I hope I continue this practice beyond this course, writing, drawing, and capturing ideas as they come, without waiting for an assignment to make it happen.