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Student-Led Inquiry in the Science Classroom: Transforming “This is Boring” Into “I Can’t Wait to Investigate!”
Wednesday, October 15, 2025 @ 4:00 pm - 5:00 pm EDT
Presented by Suzanne Kehret, Former Educator, Current Product Designer, ExploreLearning; Bonnie Ellis, Former Educator, Current Senior Professional Learning Manager, ExploreLearning; and Dr. Megan Conrad, Former Instructor, Current Manager of Efficacy & Insights Research, ExploreLearning
Sponsored by ExploreLearning
Learn more about viewing the live presentation and the recording, earning your CE certificate, and using our new accessibility features.
Bringing authentic inquiry-based learning into the classroom is a powerful way to inspire, engage, and educate students—all while connecting them to exciting STEM career pathways! In this edWebinar, you hear from Suzanne Kehret, a Learning Product Designer and LX researcher who’s led science learning at both the classroom and district levels; Bonnie Ellis, now guiding teacher professional development after her own years as a science teacher; and STEM education researcher Dr. Megan Conrad. Together, they share research-based strategies that transform passive listeners into active investigators who think like real scientists.
Discover how to create a classroom where students actively engage in inquiry-based learning, gathering evidence, analyzing data, and building strong explanations for real-world phenomena. You see exactly how authentic, hands-on investigations can turn even your most reluctant learners into curious problem-solvers while supporting scientific sensemaking and three-dimensional learning. In this edWebinar, you learn:
- The science behind inquiry-based learning and how it supports student success, scientific sensemaking, and three-dimensional learning
- Strategies to foster real-world problem solving and student inquiry
- Practical approaches to integrate more inquiry into your classroom
- How to leverage high-quality instructional materials and technology to support student-led inquiry, scientific sensemaking, and three-dimensional learning
- How to seamlessly integrate more inquiry into your existing curriculum using technology without overwhelming your planning time
This interactive session includes real-world examples, hands-on modeling, and a live Q&A. You also see a brief demonstration of how ExploreLearning Gizmos simulations can enhance inquiry-based learning and help students engage in authentic scientific practices like analyzing data, constructing explanations, and developing models.
Bonus: All attendees receive an extended 45-day trial of Gizmos with full access to ALL simulations, investigations, and cases—no limitations, no timers!
You leave with practical inquiry-based strategies you can use tomorrow, a three-dimensional learning handout with classroom-ready implementation ideas, and approaches to spark student curiosity and deepen scientific thinking. This recorded edWebinar is of interest to middle and high school science teachers, curriculum directors, and instructional leaders looking to create more engaging, student-driven science learning experiences.
About the Presenters
Suzanne Kehret is a Product Designer at ExploreLearning, where she creates inquiry-based digital science lessons designed to put students in charge of their own learning. Suzanne started her career as a high school science teacher, focusing on helping students make sense of complex concepts through questioning and exploration. Later, as a K–12 district science coordinator, she supported teachers across all grade levels with curriculum design, instructional coaching, and new program adoption. Now in edtech, Suzanne partners with product, UX, and analytics teams to develop resources that genuinely reflect classroom needs. Her work is rooted in making science accessible, engaging, and truly inquiry driven—while supporting teachers every step of the way. Suzanne’s unique perspective bridges the classroom and district office, ensuring every voice is represented.
Bonnie Ellis is the Senior Professional Development Manager at ExploreLearning, a role she has held since joining ExploreLearning in 2017. Prior to joining ExploreLearning, Bonnie served as a science teacher for nine years, and as a science coordinator for three years, giving her first-hand experience she now brings to her work supporting educators. In her current role, she leads the Certified Instructor Program and manages two key teams: the Learning Architect team and the Professional Development Coordinator team. Her work is critical to supporting and refining implementation strategies for ExploreLearning’s professional development goals.
Dr. Megan Conrad is the Manager of Efficacy & Insights Research at ExploreLearning, where she leads studies on the impact of digital math and science tools in K–12 classrooms. She collaborates with product teams to improve learning outcomes and partners with district leaders to uncover evidence of student success and support evidence-based implementation decisions. Dr. Conrad earned her Ph.D. in psychology from Rutgers University and has 15 years of experience in research on child development, learning environments, and youth and technology. She previously served as an assistant professor of psychology and founded a research lab focused on children’s STEM learning in informal settings.
Learn more about viewing the live presentation and the recording, earning your CE certificate, and using our new accessibility features.
Join the Teaching Next Generation Scientists community to network with educators, participate in online discussions, receive invitations to upcoming edWebinars, and view recordings of previous programs to earn CE certificates.
ExploreLearning develops education technology for the most critical STEM learning needs. From early science exploration to foundational math skills to virtual STEM simulations, our solutions build deep understanding and are proven to work for ALL students. Our award-winning K-12 STEM tools, including Gizmos, Reflex, Frax, and Science4Us, are used by over 15 million students in over 80 countries.
Research based and proven to be effective, ExploreLearning STEM solutions are serious fun. Designed to engage students and inspire curiosity, they encourage and reward students as they learn. With adaptive, individualized instruction, our solutions build critical STEM skills with just-in-time support for each student. Transform your STEM instruction with digital tools that make it easy to reward effort, track progress, and personalize learning for every learner.
