Making Thinking Visible

How to Promote Engagement, Understanding, and g g , g,Independence for All Learners

Ron Ritchhart . Mark Church . Karin Morrison

Project Zero, Harvard Graduate School of Education

7,000 words account for 90% of our d ldaily usage

• Think as a word ranks in the top 125 in terms of frequency in print.q y p

• Think is the 12th most used verb in theThink is the 12 most used verb in the English language.

What are we asking students to do when we tell them to THINK?

Harvard Graduate School of d ’ hEducation’s Project Zero ‐ The Mission:

• Learning to think and thinking g gto learn

F i• Fostering engagement, uncovering understanding, and promoting independence within a classroom culture of thinking

T h d li thi ki d• Teachers modeling thinking and being explicit about the thought process

Thinking Routinesg

Routines for Introducingand

Exploring Ideas

describing, wondering, interpreting, uncovering, 

questioning, distilling, observing details building explanationsdetails, building explanations

Routines for Synthesizingand 

summarizing, capturing the heart, organizing, identifying connections, 

Organizing Ideasg g, y g ,raising questions, analyzing, 

reflecting

Routines for Digging DeeperInto Ideas

reasoning with evidence, taking a perspective, identifying bias, raising 

questions, making counterarguments identifyingcounterarguments, identifying 

complexities

Thinking Routines Culture ShapersThinking Routines     Culture ShapersSending messages about learning:

Consequence of thinking

Both a collective endeavor and an individualprocess 

Incremental and evolving

Involves continual questioning aimed atInvolves continual questioning aimed at uncovering the complexity of ideas

Active process requiring personalActive process requiring personal involvement

Thinking Routines Involve:Thinking Routines Involve:

Q ti iQuestioning

ListeningListening

Documentingg

Questioning

Ask questions that:

• Model your interest in the ideas being explored Ask authentic questionsexplored.  Ask authentic questions.

• Construct understanding by connecting g y gor extending ideas.

F ili h ill i i f d ’• Facilitate the illumination of students’ own thinking to themselves.  What makes you say that?

ListeningListening

• Model your ability to reallylisten and ask powerful follow‐up questions.

• Successful group interactions depend on the group’s ability to li t d t d tlisten and to respond to one another’s ideas.

DocumentingDocumenting

• Captures the events questions and• Captures the events, questions, and conversations that provoke and advance learning over time.

• Supports learning from early childhood through secondary school.

• Connects the act of listening and extends it.  

• Saving student ideas signals that the ideas have value.

Thinking routines are structures.Thinking routines are structures.

• Thinking routines operate as structures that support thinking.

• The steps of the routine act as scaffolds that help• The steps of the routine act as scaffolds that help students think at a higher and more sophisticated level.  

• These structures can be used for whole‐class or small‐group discussionsgroup discussions.

Thinking routines are patterns or b hbehaviors.

• When thinking routines are used regularly theyWhen thinking routines are used regularly they become part of the pattern of the classroom.

• Students internalizemessages about what learning is and how it happens.pp

Learning and Innovation Skills – 4Cs L arn ng an nno at on S s s

Critical Thinking and Problem Solving Skills Making Thinking Visible Strategy Use various types of reasoning appropriate to the situation All three categories of routines (Introducing & Exploring Ideas,

Synthesizing & Organizing, and Digging Deeper) Analyze how parts of a whole interact with each other Zoom In

The Explanation Game Generate-Sort-Connect-Elaborate: Concept Map

Effectively analyze and evaluate evidence, arguments, claims and beliefs

What Makes You Say That? See-Think-Wonder Claim Support Question Claim-Support-Question Tug-Of-War Red Light, Yellow Light

Analyze and evaluate alternative points of view Step Inside Headlines Circle of Viewpoints Compass Points

Synthesize and make connections between information and arguments

Claim-Support-Question Generate-Sort-Connect-Elaborate: Concept Maps 3-2-1 Bridge

Interpret information and draw conclusions based on the best analysis

Sentence-Phrase-Word analysis Reflect critically on learning experiences and processes The Micro Lab Protocol

I Used to Think . . . Now I Think Identify and ask significant questions that clarify various points of view and lead to better solutions

Think-Puzzle-Explore The 4Cs Compass Points p

 

Communication and Collaboration Skills Making Thinking Visible Strategy Participate in rich conversations

All three categories of routines (Introducing & Exploring Ideas, S th i i & O i i d Di i D ) Synthesizing & Organizing, and Digging Deeper)

Articulate thoughts and ideas effectively using oral, written and nonverbal communication skills in a variety of forms and contexts

Chalk Talk CSI: Color, Symbol, Image I Used to Think . . . Now I Think Sentence-Phrase-Word Headlines H

Listen effectively to decipher meaning, including knowledge, values, attitudes and intentions

Circle of Viewpoints Step Inside Red Light, Yellow Light Tug of War Sentence-Phrase-Word Cl i S t Q ti Claim-Support-Question The Explanation Game

Demonstrate ability to work effectively and respectfully with diverse teams Assume shared responsibility for collaborative work, and value the

All three categories of routines (Introducing & Exploring Ideas, Synthesizing & Organizing, and Digging Deeper)

m p y f ,individual contributions made by each team member

Creativity and Innovation Skills Making Thinking Visible Strategy Use a wide range of idea creation techniques All three categories of routines (Introducing & Exploring Ideas,

Synthesizing & Organizing, and Digging Deeper) Create new and worthwhile ideas (both incremental and radical Connect-Extend-Challenge concepts) Elaborate, refine, analyze and evaluate their own ideas in order to improve and maximize creative efforts

3-2-1 Bridge Compass Points

Respect and utilize creative contributions of others Compass Points Be open and responsive to new and diverse perspectives; incorporate group input and feedback into the work

The Micro Lab Protocol The 4Cs incorporate group input and feedback into the work The 4Cs Circle of Viewpoints Tug-Of-War

Forces that Build and Nurture Cultures f h kof Thinking

Expectations For the group outcome as well as the type of thinking required

Opportunities Content, interaction with it, and student task

Time Required for insight, connection, and understanding

Modeling Provides concrete role requirementsg q

Language Teacher names, notices, and highlights thinking in action; students learn to use the language

Environment Arrangement of space contributes to the cultureEnvironment Arrangement of space contributes to the culture 

Interactions Showing respect by listening and questioning

Routines Once they are established can be used with very little disruption

Think about it . . .Think about it . . . 

• When teachers complain that their students are not thinking, it is ft b th h b t ht t t thi koften because they have been taught not to think.

• Project Zero researchers have consistently found that when thinking becomes part of the daily practice of the classroom andthinking becomes part of the daily practice of the classroom and teachers show an interest in and respect for students’ thinking, then students who had not previously been seen as academically strong begin to shine.   

• When school is no longer about the quick right answer but focuses on the expression of one’s ideas, questions, and observations, 

llthen a new playing field is created for all students.

Children grow into the intellectual life of those around them. (Vygotsky)around them.  (Vygotsky)