Making Thinking Visible
How 2 Promote Enggmnt, Undrstndng & Indpndnce for All Lrnrs
Authors:
Mark Church
Karen Morrison
Essential Question
MAIN IDEAS
Harvard's Project Zero
What is it? Visible Thinking is a varied collection of practices, including thinking routines. These are small sets of questions or a short sequence of steps, as well as the documentation of student thinking.
What is it NOT? A fixed, non-flexible sequence of lessons
Truly UNDERSTANDING requires "Thinking Moves"
1. Observing closely and describing what's there
2. Building explanations and interpretations
3. Reasoning with evidence
4. Making connections
5. Considering different viewpoints and perspectives
6. Capturing the heart and forming conclusions
Using these six "thinking moves", we can positively link thinking about a topic and the mastery and understanding of that topic. More importantly, when we make these moves VISUAL, it leads to better understanding.
Making the Invisible VISIBLE
Project Zero Asked STUDENTS!
4th grade response: "If someone asks me to spell something, I put a picture of that word in my head and spell it. I always have a mental picture in my head. I compare things to what I already know."
6th grade response: "Understanding words and sentences; pictures; details, I ask myself questions; try to answer the question; thinking logically; don't get caught up in things that aren't relevant."
10th grade response: "Remembering; analyzing; using past experiences in present experiences; visualizing; categorizing; creativity; intelligence; finding similarities; comparing and contrasting"
How Do We, as Teachers, Make the Invisible Visible?
1) Questioning: Asks questions that push students and will model our interest in the ideas being explored
2) Model an Interest in Ideas: Ask authentic questions (questions you may NOT know the to!); this creates an environment rich in intellectual engagement
3) Construct Understanding: Use questions that move past knowledge but focus on allowing students to CONNECT ideas, visualize
4) Facilitate and Clarify Thinking: "What makes you say that?" This allows teachers to better understand student thought.
5) Listening: We must ask the question "what makes you say that?" Then, we must LISTEN to the response. This develops active listeners.
6) Documenting: Record class investigations on whiteboard, photograph student work. Capture the moment in time where we can SEE students move into true understanding.
WE do this using the 21 THINKING ROUTINES prescribed in this book!
THINKING ROUTINES MATRIX
Routines for Introducing/Exploring New Ideas
2. Zoom In
3. Think-Puzzle-Explore
4. Chalk Talk
5. 3-2-1 Bridge
6. Compass Points
7. Explanation Game
Routines for Synthesizing and Organizing Ideas
2. Generate, Sort, Connect (Concept maps)
3. Connect-Extend-Challenge
4. 4 Cs
5. Micro Lab Protocol
6. I used to think...now I think...
Routines for Digging Deeper Into Ideas
2. Circle of Viewpoints
3. Step Inside
4. Red Light, Yellow Light
5. Claim-Support-Question
6. Tug-of-War
7. Sentence-Phrase-Word