A Culture of ThinkingHOW CAN EFL SUPPORT THINKING IN AND OUT OF THE CLASSROOM?
DECEMBER 2013.
Workshop facilitator: Mauricio Miraglia twitter @mauromiraglia
Look at each picture: what would you ask your students?
Write questions individually to later share in our group
Image 1* Image 2 Image 3
Questions
Wh Questions What
Where
When
Who
How
Why
What if…
Image from http://www.visiblethinkingpz.org/
Sharing and organizing
Gathering
Processing
Applying
WhatWhereWhen Who
HowWhy
What if…
Image from http://www.visiblethinkingpz.org/
Evidence of your work
So what IS thinking?
Your definition…
How do thinking and learning connect?
John DeweyWe do not learn from experience...we learn from reflecting on experience.
We only think when confronted with a problem.
Reflection is a discipline.
Paulo FreireThe educational process is never neutral. People can be passive recipients of knowledge — whatever the content — or they can engage in a ‘problem-posing’ approach in which they become active participants. …
It is essential that people link knowledge to action so that they actively work to change their societies at a local level and beyond.
Critical Thinking.orgThe ability to think critically involves three things: ( 1 ) an attitude of being disposed to consider in a thoughtful way the problems and subjects that come within the range of one's experiences, (2) knowledge of the methods of logical inquiry and reasoning, and (3) skills in applying those methods.
What is a Culture of Thinking?
cultural forces present in every school, classroom, and group learning situation.
These forces act as shapers of the group’s cultural dynamic and consist of:
1. Language
2. Time
3. Environment
4. Opportunities
5. Routines
6. Modeling
7. Interactions
8. Expectations
We define “Cultures of Thinking” (CoT) as places where a group’s collective as well as individual thinking is valued, visible, and actively promoted as part of the regular, day-to-day experience of all group members.
(Ritchhart, 2013)
8This work doesn’t happen by teachers merely implementing a defined set of practices; it must be supported by a rich professional culture
Ritchhart, Project Zero Visual Thinking:
More at http://www.visiblethinkingpz.org
Do you agree/disagree?
We can teach thinking in our EFL classroom Children and teenagers can learn how to think Teaching practices can promote (better) thinking
To what extent? Why? Consider in your answer:
1.Language
2.Time3.Environment
4.Opportunities5.Routines6.Modeling
7.Interactions8.Expectations
Lucrecia Prat-Gay’s classroom exampleEFL & Thinking in action
Image re-designed by M. Miraglia based on Lucrecia’s presentation at Chile’s Oxford Day, 2009
Fostering thinking: hands-on activity 1
1. Learning goal
2. Age group
3. Level of English
4. Language Teaching point
5. Thinking skills involved
Revised Bloom’s taxonomy
Questions based on Bloom’s taxonomy
REMEMBERING
remembering
memorizing
recognizing
recalling identification
recalling information
who, what, when, where, how ...? RecognizingListingDescribingIdentifyingNaming LocatingFinding
Questions based on Bloom’s taxonomy
UNDERSTANDING
interpreting
translating from one medium to another
describing in one's own words
organization and selection of facts and ideas
SummarizingInterpretingInferringClassifyingComparingExplemplifyinghow is ... an example of ...? how is ... related to ...? why is ... significant?
Questions based on Bloom’s taxonomy
APPLYING
problem solving
applying information to produce some result
use of facts, rules and principles ImplementingCarrying outUsingExecuting
Questions based on Bloom’s taxonomy
ANALYZING
subdividing something to show how it is put together
finding the underlying structure of a communication
identifying motives
separation of a whole into component parts
ComparingOrganizingDeconstructingIntegrating
what are the parts or features of ...? classify ... according to ... outline/diagram ... how does ... compare/contrast with ...? what evidence can you list for ...?
Questions based on Bloom’s taxonomy
EVALUATING
making value decisions about issues
resolving controversies or differences of opinion
development of opinions, judgments or decisions
do you agree that ...? what do you think about ...? what is the most important ...? place the following in order of priority ... how would you decide about ...? what criteria would you use to assess ...?
Questions based on Bloom’s taxonomy
CREATING
creating a unique, original product that may be in verbal form or may be a physical object
combination of ideas to form a new whole
what ideas can you add to ...? how would you create/design a new ...? what might happen if you combined ...? what solutions would you suggest for ...?
Fostering thinking: hands-on activity 2
1. Learning goal
2. Age group
3. Level of English
4. Language Teaching point
5. Thinking skills involved
The tasks ahead?
• Make sure your learning objectives include thinking skills (change starts with ourselves and our classroom);
• Model thinking in your lessons;
• Make thinking visual;
• Engage students into thinking at all instances, evaluation is not an exception;
• Talk to your colleagues and stakeholders about the importance of installing a culture of thinking at your school;
• Design a model with colleagues for your lesson plans;
• Get the message out to students and parents;
• Design a poster to communicate thinking skills in a friendly manner;
• Think about your thinking model and start again!
Sources
Tishman, S, N., D, & S., E. (1995). The Thinking Classroom: learning and teaching in a culture of thinking. Needham Heights, MA: Allyn & Bacon.
Ritchhart, R. (n.d.). Visible thinking, cultures of thinking. Project Zero, Harvard University. Retrieved from http://www.pz.gse.harvard.edu/cultures_of_thinking.php
Workshop facilitator: Mauricio Miraglia twitter @mauromiraglia