Thinking Tools

What are they?

Why do we use them?

How do we use them?

Thinking is a skill which must be explicitly taught.

Therefore …

Thinking Tools provide strategies and processes to aid this

development.

The right tools are necessary to complete a set problem or task.

If given the tools to do this, then the task becomes manageable.

“Offering an appropriate thinking strategy, tool or process will more likely produce better discussion and therefore achieve the intended outcome.”

Eric Frangenheim

Exponents of Thinking Tools influencing Bellevue School …

Eric FrangenheimInternational Facilitator who works extensively in New Zealand.Has worked with ICT PD Cluster (Rotorua), which was attended by Bellevue School IT Lead Teachers. 2008

Michael PohlInternational Key Note speaker and workshop facilitator at the Waimarino ICT PD Cluster Mini Conference. 2008

A model which is used to develop critical and creative thinking is … Bloom’s Taxonomy. … a model which provides a broad range of higher order thinking skills.

… a tool used for planning and delivery of curriculum.

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Bloom’sBloom’s

TaxonomyTaxonomy

Bloom’sBloom’s

TaxonomyTaxonomy

Eric Frangenheim

Critical Thinking cannot be developed by low order, yes / no or closed questions.

AnalysisAnalysis

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EvaluateEvaluate

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““Critical Thinking”Critical Thinking”Students taking responsibility for their own thinking.

Eric Frangenheim

Students are empowered when…

• They understand the level of the question (Bloom - Evaluation)

• They understand the expected outcome (behave like a Judge)

• They know which appropriate thinking strategy/tool/process to employ

Many different Thinking Tools have been developed.

They are used within Bloom’s Taxonomy.They are used both within integrated learning units

and as stand alone activities.They are suited to varied tasks and varied ages.

TPPMI

Round Robin

Thinking Hats Thinking Keys

KWL

Y Chart Silent Shuffle

1. De Bono’s 6 Thinking Hats

A visual tool …enabling students to identify what

type of thinking they are using for any given tasks.

Particularly effective with young students.

Black hat - What is wrong with this? Why will this not work?Yellow hat - What is good about this? Why does this work?White hat - What are the facts? How do we find out?Red hat - What do I feel about this?Green hat - What ideas do we have? How do I work this out?Blue hat - What have we done? What do we do next?

Group or individual tasks

•Wearing the White Hat. (What are the facts about this picture?)

•Wearing the Yellow Hat. (What is good about this, what works well?)

•Wearing the Black Hat. (What is bad about this, what does not work?)

•Wearing the Red Hat. (How do you feel about this?)

Students can be given opportunities to self assess their understanding of the ‘Thinking Hats’ and when each should be used.

Students learn to identify

which coloured hat they need,

and this …

• clarifies their thinking

• creates a focus for their thinking

2. Brainstorming

• Lots of ideas wanted• All responses recorded• Criticism not allowed• Thinking outside the square

Ideas are discussed.

Ideas are analysed.

Judgements are made.

Solutions found, decisions made.

Goldfish

tank

air

swim

beach

Look after

sea

sand

oxygen

hide

bubbles

plantsfood

water

gills

fin

Wave their tails

Breath under water

Extended Brainstorming

Fluency - flood of ideasFlexibility - different kinds of ideasOriginality - unusual ideasElaboration - expanded ideas

e.g.•Ways to catch a cheetah•Things that are cold•Uses for a metre of string•Things found underground

Eric Frangenheim

The Problem with Brainstorming

• Only 1 student out of 30 = 3%• Not all are engaged• Too bright. Too confused• >15 seconds – energy nosedive• Good news – all strategies or

thinking tools are better forms of Brainstorming – so therefore more student engagement

3. PMI - Plus, minus, interesting

De Bono (improving) A simple and effective tool in which students can

organise their ideas and clarify their thinking.

PMI helps students learn to: • see both sides of an argument • view things from a different point of view • think broadly about an issue • suspend judgement • make informed decisions • work as individuals, in pairs or as members of a group

Students are given a format on which to record their ideas.

PMI can be a fun format through which to encourage lateral thinking …

• What if cats were all green?

• What if dogs lived underground?

• What if dinosaurs still lived?

4. Thinker’s keys Tony Ryan

• The Reverse • The What if • The Disadvantages • The Combination • The BAR • The Alphabet • The Variations • The Picture • The Prediction • The Different Uses

• The Ridiculous • The Commonality • The Question • The Brainstorming • The Inventions • The Brick Wall • The Construction • The Forced Relationships • The Alternative • The Interpretation

Strategies to encourage divergent thinking and discussion.

Question starters are presented to unlock thinking abilities of students.

5. Graphic organisers

• Recording • Organising• Focusing• Comparing• Contrasting• Analysing• Judging • Recalling

KWI

What I know What I want to know

What I have

learned

facts questions prior knowledge

Graphic organiser

Venn diagram…an analytical tool to depict shared

characteristics

compare

contrastcatagorise

Graphic Organiser

Y Chart

Looks like …

Feels like …Sounds like …

Graphic Organiser

Tournament Prioritiser

Sorting priorities on a set topic …

• Create a list

• ‘Seed’ the list

• Discuss and feedback

Graphic Organiser

Eric Frangenheim

If you were shipwrecked what would you take onto a deserted island?

(Noisy) Round Robin

• Have definite aim or purpose

• Generate a large number of ideas quickly

• Follow set rules

• Have teams of 2-4

• Have set topic

• Have I scribe per team

• Follow Brainstorm rules

Graphic Organiser

• Groups record their ideas on a topic• Papers rotate around the groups who add

their own new ideas• Groups decide on their 2-4 top ideas

the most dangerous idea the most creative idea … etc

• Teacher records all chosen ideas• Discussion follows …

… Critical thinking!

Silent Card Shuffle

• Silent Card Classification (no talking)

• Challenge, Justify, Improve

• In groups, circle, observe, discuss

• Return and Refine

• Teacher Debrief

Graphic Organiser

Eric Frangenheim

NOUNSADJECTIVES VERBS ADVERBS ARTICLES

PREPOSITIONS

PRONOUNS

The Judge In a cup….Who says so?

Flagpole Green Sang Quickly the up who

Businessman Jovial Climbed Carefully a for he

Umbrella Tropical Manoeuvred Ridiculously an in it

Key Big Jumped Often the of they

ly

Eric Frangenheim

We aim to encourage students to

take some responsibility for their

own learning.

We aim to engage students

positively in decision making and

thinking critically and creatively.

We aim to develop in our students positive habits … Habits of Mind!These are 16 habits developed by Art Costa.

Persistence Stop and think

Listening Working with others Creating and innovating New ideas Make it right That’s funny Learning forever Questions Being clever Thinking flexibly 5 Senses Thinking about thinking Wow! Past knowledge

Eric Frangenheim

offers some award winning

examples of not

using critical and lateral thinking.

The development of

analytical, critical and creative thinking

in students,

can be positively enhanced

by the use of varied

Thinking Tools.

‘Thinking Tools’

Pam Seath 2008