When asked to explain inquiry, this is how I make sense of the different inquiry cycles available.

I have made a table with the cycles or processes I use and aligned them with Kath Murdoch’s model. We use the cycle that best supports the student's inquiry and leads to ACTION.

Many cycles or processes have elements that are key to a quality inquiry, such as, the traits for writing, or, the elements of music for composition. I find these equally useful.

As inquiry is an active present verb, it is also important to plan for inquiry where students are actively connecting and thinking within the discipline(s). For example, students should not only study scientists and their discoveries, but also experience BEING a scientist to make his or her own discoveries.

In addition there are skills and key questions, even attitudes, that can be used at different stages to support the inquiry. For example, you can use the questions within Problem Solving Talk and Problem Solving Steps for the Math Problem Solving Process. Alternatively, you can use the Question Frames for the Reading Comprehension Cycle.

Reflection
Waves of reflection throughout the process, in an Arts Journal through drawing, writing, pasting etc, provide the opportunity for students to capture ideas and develop them. Students learn about how they are being creative eventually informing themselves of their own creative process. Reflecting on feedback from others during the three phases, formally or informally, will help students improve their ideas, expression and understanding of their own creativity.

Inspiration and Exploration
The child remains at the center and any inspiration (internal or external) he or she must feel strongly connected to. Exploration is free and open without structure and goes hand-in-hand with finding inspiration and being inspired. Towards the end of this phase, students capture their inspiration in their Arts Journal and catapult themselves to consider the Audience. Once they have done this the come back to continue into the next phase.

Audience
Student's consider what they want their Audience to feel. They describe what connections they intend to make with their audience and what connections they want the audience to make with them. Students need to understand the ideas they will convey to their audience.  They need to think of the messages they want their audience to leave with.

Expression
Which of the Arts or combination will best express their ideas, feelings, experiences, messages or make connections? Which elements of Arts will help them achieve this?

Record
Students make their expression permanent by writing their script, making their art, filming their dance, notating their music and so on.

Audience
Students perform and share. They reflect on the influence they have made on others through expressing themselves creatively.