- I-search
- Method of inquiry grounded in students' curiosity about a topic. Students develop a question for inquiry based on personal interest, assumed to facilitiate greater investment in the project and more meaningful research experiences for students.
- immersion
- Instructional practice in which students are immersed in a non-native language classroom in order to learn to speak, read, and write in that second language through exposure to conversation and instruction in the second language.
- in-service training
- Workshops and lectures designed to keep practicing teachers informed about current trends and practices in their field.
- inclusion
- Practice of educating children with disabilities alongside non-disabled peers, providing all students with the opportunity to participate in the school community regardless of individual strengths or limitations. Inclusion provides instruction and support for special needs students in the regular classroom.
- individual growth plan
- See personal growth plan.
- Individualized Education Plan
- The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, IDEA, mandates that each student with a disability who is enrolled in the Exceptional Children's (EC) program have an Individualized Education Plan (IEP). The goal of IDEA is to educate students with disabilities in the least restrictive environment possible. IEPs describe how the school plans to educate each EC student while accommodating the student's disability. IEPs often specify modifications to be provided by teachers.
- Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
- 1975 federal law (amended in 1997) under which schools must guarantee that all children with disabilities receive "free, appropriate public education in the least restrictive environment." The statute requires that children with disabilities be educated with children who are not disabled, and that removal from the regular classroom may occur only when the nature or severity of the disability interferes with the successful delivery of aid and services.
- information commons
- A place, either virtual or physical, that promotes the sharing and unrestricted access to information.
- inquiry
- Active approach to learning in which students investigate a problem based on a model of scientific inquiry. Students or teachers pose a problem, form hypotheses, collect and analyze data, and compare findings with initial hypotheses.
- inside-outside circle
- Cooperative learning structure in which students arrange themselves facing each other in two concentric circles. Students respond to questions and then rotate to the next partner. This structure allows students to be both teachers and learners of new information.
- interdisciplinary curriculum
- Applying methods and language from more than one academic discipline to examine a theme, issue, question, problem, topic, or experience. Interdisciplinary methods work to create connections between traditionally discrete disciplines such as mathematics, the sciences, social studies or history, and English language arts.
- Interstate New Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium
- A consortium of state and national education agencies and organizations focused on the preparation, licensure, and professional development of teachers. INTASC is guided by the belief that student learning standards should drive the preparation and development of teachers.
- intrinsic motivation
- Student motivation for learning that comes from internal factors such as curiosity and enjoyment.
K–12 teaching and learning · from the UNC School of Education
