“Education is not the learning of facts, it’s rather the training of the mind to THINK.” – Albert Einstein Ron Ritchhart, author of “Creating Cultures of Thinking”, explains that mindsets are powerful shapers of experience. We develop our mindsets through our interactions with others in various learning situations and in the feedback that we receive…
The Force of Opportunities… Part 2! Learning is GROWTH. The way in which we create and shape opportunities for students to learn influences how they see and what they believe learning to be. GEEKIES demonstrate growth! When we create meaningful learning opportunities, we get energy from engaging students and trying new things (Ron Ritchhart, Creating…
The Force of Opportunities Opportunities are vehicles for learning. The way in which we create and shape opportunities for students to learn influences how they see and what they believe learning to be. Creating opportunities for students to focus on the learning process instead of the final result is important for our students to grow…
The Force of Modeling When we present ourselves as thinkers and learners, we empower our students to build stronger connections within our community and engage our students in lifelong learning (Ron Ritchhart, Creating Cultures of Thinking, p. 117). Ron Ritchhart describes that the force of modeling can help us to do the following: Better understand the power of incidental…
Words mediate, shape, inform and solidify experience – Vygotsky. In what ways does language shape our thinking, our sense of self and affinity to the group? Of the Eight Cultural Forces that define a culture of thinking, it’s the hidden power of the force of language that builds the foundation for a community of thinking and…
We are Literary Critics… Part 2! Using specific group work structures and tools to elaborate and support our thinking allows us to interpret a text collaboratively. Working together, we can make our thinking visible to each other, inviting us to build upon our connections to the story. Collaboration makes our thinking visible… When we collaborate effectively…
We are Mathematicians! All good mathematicians use what they know about being flexible, efficient and accurate to understand the problem, to create a plan using appropriate strategies, to solve the problem using their plan, and finally, to check if the solution is correct. Claim-Support-Question… In Algebra! Using the thinking routine, claim-support-question (CSQ), and your understanding of number…
“Children grow into the intellectual life of those around them.” Vygotsky (Mind in Society, 1978) In my post, The Understanding Map, I state that schools must model for students what it means to think and learn. Surrounding our students with the mental activities we want them to develop into patterns of behaviour will push our…
We are Literary Critics! Uncovering the heart of the story depends on the connections we are able to make to the author’s development of characters, use of dialogue, figurative language, powerful vocabulary and pace of the story. Using text evidence to support our interpretations makes our thinking visible to others and invites them to build…
How do we nurture critical thinking and creativity? “Children grow into the intellectual life of those around them.” – Vygotsky. In order for us to nurture critical thinking and creativity, we must first unpack what it means to understand. Learning is a product of THINKING… In Ron Ritchhart’s book, “Creating Cultures of Thinking”, he explains…
We are Scientists! All good scientists use what they know about the scientific method to plan, make observations and connections, build explanations and support their thinking using evidence from the experiment, as well as from other resources. Key Vocabulary Be sure to review our key vocabulary in preparation for our science experiment, The Leakproof Bag (Steve…
“Bullying is like a bird in a cage because there is nothing the bird can really do to free itself, except wait until the cage is opened to fly out.” – Olivia, Grade 6 Exploring the topic of bullying challenges my Grade 6 Health class to reflect on past, or present, experiences that affect their…
“I learned that health was a lot of things, not just physical health…” – Emi, Grade 6 Health, what is it now? Students in my Grade 6 Health class at Graded School were asked to reflect on the following questions at the end of our unit and to make new connections to our enduring understanding…
“Our lives are indeed a series of stories. Some that stretch out from the beginning to the end and others that end before they really begin.” – Laura Manni, Mukwashi Trust School, Zambia Innovator, compassionate, visionary and humble…these are just few of the words I would use to describe my friend and former colleague, Laura Manni. Laura…
“I used to think volleyball was just a sport I really connected with, and I didn’t think of the skills in depth. However, I look at volleyball with a totally different perspective…” Grade 8 student, Tatiana, continues to describe her growth as a PE learner through her experiences in our volleyball unit. She goes on…
Visible Thinking Matters! 