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In a previous blog, I shared a collection of thinking routines developed and published by Project Zero at Harvard’s Graduate School of Education. These routines are incredibly effective structures to encourage students to think more deeply about ideas, concepts, processes, and issues. The Project Zero team presents a clear rationale for each routine (in English […]
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Project Zero at Harvard’s Graduate School of Education has created a collection of Core Thinking Routines as part of their Visible Thinking Project. Teachers can view the entire collection on the Project Zero website, where each routine is described in detail (e.g., purpose, application, launch) in both English and Spanish. These routines encourage students to […]
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Too many students view mistakes as a bad thing to be avoided. The truth is that mistakes are inevitable. We need to start treating these moments as opportunities to learn instead of something to be ashamed of. In this post, Sarah Dunn, a high school math teacher, shares the strategy she uses to get students […]
Metacognition is defined as thinking about one’s thinking or learning. More formally, “metacognition was originally referred to as the knowledge about and the regulation of one’s cognitive activities in learning processes” (Veenman, Van Hout-Wolters, & Afflerbach, 2006, p.3). The ability to think about what we are learning, how we are learning, what we want to learn in the future […]
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RSA animation is essentially whiteboard animation. The artist draws pictures on a whiteboard to depict concepts using a combination of words and pictures. If you’ve never seen an RSA animation, I’d suggest watching “RSA Animate: Changing Educational Paradigms” by Ken Robinson. I love the idea of representing complex concepts with images and words. To do […]
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“What do you want to be when you grow up?” This is a question everyone has been asked at one point in their lives. When I ask my students this question, most stare at me with a blank expression or mumble “Uh, I don’t know.” When pushed, some will say doctor, lawyer, fire fighter, or teacher. […]
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Using an online component to complement in-class work makes it much easier to facilitate meaningful group work. Prior to adopting and integrating online discussions, I struggled to facilitate group work that really worked. When facilitating group work in the classroom, I often struggled with: Unfocused conversations Not enough time No equity in contributions Hard to […]
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Part V: Thinking About Thinking Series This is part five of a five-part series focused on using thinking routines to drive metacognitive skill building. Click here to revisit my last blog in this series on using the “Claim-Evidence-Question” routine. To recap, metacognition is a cognitive ability that allows learners to consider their thought patterns, approaches to learning, […]
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Part IV: Thinking About Thinking This is part four of a five-part series focused on using thinking routines to drive metacognitive skill building. Click here to revisit my last blog in this series on using the “I used to think…Now, I think…” routine. To recap, metacognition is a cognitive ability that allows learners to consider their thought […]
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Part III: Thinking About Thinking Series This is part three of a five-part series focused on using thinking routines to drive metacognitive skill building. Click here to revisit my last blog in this series on using the “Connect, Extend, Challenge” routine. To recap, metacognition is a cognitive ability that allows learners to consider their thought patterns, approaches […]
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Part I: Thinking About Thinking Series This is part one of a five part series focused on using thinking routines to drive metacognitive skill building. Metacognition, often referred to as “thinking about thinking,” is a cognitive skill that empowers learners to reflect on their thought processes, learning strategies, and understanding of a concept or subject. […]