Many people have contributed to the research behind this website. I am indebted to each and every one of them.
Stephen Ziff
Stephen was willing to take the leap and go down this path with me and provided some key and valued provocation and guidance. He is a thoughtful master teacher that is constantly growing and learning himself. His freeing up class time and willingness to change his teaching practices made this project happen.
Christina Cuk
Christina is my valued colleague and partner in crime at Crofton House. Her willingness to take this journey with me and challenge my thinking in all areas of this project is very much appreciated. Her input was all the more valuable in her expertise as a Social Studies teacher and teacher librarian. I will miss her in the library role next year.
IBSC
The International Boys' School Coallition (IBSC) was the initial impetus for this project presenting the idea and the opportunity to pursue the concept of Boys and Maker Learning. My colleagues across the globe who have pursued this same inquiry in different forms have been a constant inspiration to me. In particular the guidance of Trish Cislak and Di Laycock has kept me focused from Nashville to Cape Town.
ISABC
The Independent Schools' Association of British Columbia (ISABC) allowed me to expand my reach into a parallel study at Crofton House, an all-girls sister school. This expanded research base allowed me to work with Christina Cuk and to consider the differences and similarities in making between boys and girls. Also the opportunity to work with and share my thinking and ideas with other local independant schools has proven incredibly valuable. Thank you to Elizabeth Moore, ISABC Executive Director, for instituting this programme and allowing me to participate.
St. George's School
I constantly marvel at how lucky I have been to have been a member of the St. George's School community for the past 20+ years. I don't know of any other employer that would be as supportive and encouraging of a staff members growth and renewal. I particularly want to thank Headmaster Tom Matthews and HR Director Karen Potter for this and all of the other growth opportunities that they have allowed me over my career thus far.
Crofton House School
I want to make sure that the administration of Crofton House School is thanked for allowing Christina Cuk to participate in the this porgramme with me. It would not have been the same without her and any time or financial support that she has been given, I have appreciated.
Boys of Socials 11
This is an odd group. The boys of Socials 11 include the formal research participants but also include all members of Mr Ziff's class and the occasional others who got caught up in all the informal discussions around this research. It has been essential to me that I don't simply impart my impressions of what they might be thinking and get to the crux of what is really going on in their heads. Much of the Inquiry Simulation is them, quite literally. Sometimes they surface as examples of work done. Sometimes their reflections have guided my thinking and the options given in this "game." And their review of my work, whether in formal class debriefs or in informal discussion after school in the Learning Commons, have been the backbone of this research. Many of them beta-tested the game.
In particular, I want to thank Pascal Girard, who's gaming mind created two amazing inquiry projects in game form and ultimately inspired the idea of creating the Inquiry Simulation in the first place.