Making thinking Visible

Making thinking Visible

These our not our ideas We apologize, we are are not sure where they came from.WHAT KIND OF THINKING DO YOU VALUE AND WANT TO PROMOTE IN YOUR CLASSROOM?EXERCISE:Brainstorm the actions that students in your class spend most of their time doing. What actions account for 75% of what students do in your class on a regular basis?

LEARNING IS A CONSEQUENCE OF THINKING

Thinking moves integral to understandingObserving closely and describing whats thereBuilding explanation and interpretation Reasoning with evidenceMaking connectionsConsidering different viewpoints and perspectivesCapturing the heart and forming conclusionsWondering and asking questionsUncovering complexity and going below the surface of things

Additional types of thinkingIdentifying patterns and making generalizationsGenerating possibilities and alternativesEvaluating evidence, arguments, and actionsFormulating plans and monitoring actionsIdentifying claims, assumptions, and biasClarifying priorities, conditions, and what is knownHOW CAN WE MAKE THINKING VISIBLE?

Learning is a Consequence of Thinking Share and Build Knowledge

Good Thinking is Not Only a Matter of Skills But Also a Matter of DispositionsCuriosity and Openmindness

The Development of Thinking is a Social EndeavorConversations, Engagement, and Cooperative Learning

Fostering Thinking Requires Making Thinking VisibleSpeaking, Writing, Drawing, and Graphic Organizers for Later Reflection

Classroom Culture Sets the Tone for Learning and Shapes What is Learned-classroom routines/structure-language/discussions-explicit/implicit expectations-time allocation-modeling-physical environment-relationships/interactions-opportunities

Schools Must be Cultures of Thinking for Teachers"Professional Learning Communities"

HOW CAN WE MAKE THINKING VISIBLE?QUESTIONINGAs teachers, questions should:Model our interest in ideas being exploredHelp students to construct understandingFacilitate the illumination of students own thinking to themselvesQuestions that help advance understandingCan help the teacher to not only promote higher order thinking but can provide some guideposts for the lesson itself

Facilitating and clarifying thinkingWhat makes you say that?Facilitates and clarifies the learners own thinkingSwitch the paradigm of teaching by telling Change the traditional sequence of questioning of: question, respond, evaluate Switch the paradigm of teaching from trying to transmit what is in our heads to our students and toward trying to get what is in students heads into our own so that we can provide responsive instruction that will enhance learning

Traditional sequence of: question, respond, evaluate pattern is replaced with: understand students comments (Can you tell me more about that?), push the student to further elaborate and justify (What does that tell you then?)

11DOCUMENTINGMore than a recording or representation of students thinking Is focused on the learning process itselfPractice of observing, recording, interpreting, and sharing, in order to deepen learning.Must serve to advance learning not merely record it

How the routines are organizedRoutines for Introducing and exploring ideasSee-Think-WonderZoom InThink-Puzzle-ExploreChalk Talk3-2-1 BridgeCompass PointsThe Explanation GameHow the routines are organizedRoutines for Synthesizing and Organizing ideasCSI: Color, Symbol, ImageGenerate- Sort- Connect- Elaborate Concept MapsConnect- Extend- Challenge The 4 Cs The Micro Lab ProtocolI Used to Think...Now I Think..How the routines are organizedRoutines for Digging Deeper into IdeasWhat Makes You Say ThatCircle of ViewpointsStep InsideRed Light, Yellow LightClaim, Support, QuestionTug-of-WarSentence-Phrase-Word A Strategy to Make Thinking Visible is Think-Puzzle-Explore

Think about a topic

Identify Puzzling Questions

Explore Puzzling Questions

THINK...Arthropod

What is Puzzling?

Why do arthropods hang upside down?Explore Puzzling Questions?A pad of hairs called a scopula may surround the claws. The scopula sticks to smooth surfaces and helps the spider walk on ceilings and walls.World Book 2000 p. 785 Think-Puzzle-Explore is Similar to the KWL chart but there are Important Differences

-Both tap into prior knowledge but Think-Puzzle-Explore asks "what they think they know" rather than "what they know."-Open ended approach enables students to offer thoughts rather than definite knowledge.-Encourages the reluctant student to participate in discussions, since all thoughts are accepted.

Implications for Teaching Learning ProcessClassroom activities become more learning centered rather than work orientatedBuilds confidence of all students by increased participationPromotes risk-free environmentAssesses student thinking using visible documentation