The New Cultures of Thinking Blog
Michigan Assoc of School Social Workers * www.masswmi.org
...a word students hear often in school.
- Think before you speak.
- Think carefully about your answer before you write it down.
- Think about how you would feel if it happened to you
Thinking. It is such a common word, yet students struggle each day to deeply think past surface answers, to justify their responses, and to stretch their thinking. In 2000, Dr. Ron Richhart , a senior research associate at Project Zero in the Harvard Graduate School of Education, embarked on a journey to create a Culture of Thinking to develop “both the individual and the group as effective learners and thinkers able to engage with and adapt to a changing world.” This sounds like a lofty ambition, but as I listened to teachers in my school discussing their newly designed lesson plans and observed students engaged in cultures of thinking routines, I quickly discovered how the Culture of Thinking (CoT) core principles could easily be intertwined into my interactions with students as a school social worker.
That’s why this blog was created. With a slight shift in your thinking, (and the ideas from this blog) you can build a culture of thinking during your time with students. Through the blog I will highlight the core principles of Cultures of Thinking and explore some of the Thinking Routines that easily mesh with the lessons you have already created when working with students. The examples will be specific for creating a culture of thinking as a school social worker and helping students to make their thinking visible.
A school actively engaged in Cultures of Thinking is creating an environment where thinking is valued and actively encouraged. Lesson plans are designed with the intention of students being able to express their thoughts (verbally or non-verbally), respectively challenge each other’s beliefs, and justify their thinking. I quickly saw many of these lesson themes through the lens of a social worker:
- Increasing perspective taking,
- Understanding new concepts to a greater depth,
- Becoming aware of our own beliefs,
- Evaluating ideas, and
- Becoming more creative in expressing thoughts.
I knew that with small changes in my social work lessons, I could create my very own culture of thinking with my students, thus enabling them to gain more insight, knowledge, and understanding from our discussions and activities.
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Coming Soon
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Who should submit a proposal?
You. Your colleagues. Your colleagues' colleagues. Any professional with a level of social work understanding who would like an opportunity to share his or her knowledge with school social workers from around the state of Michigan is a great candidate for this conference.
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Start taking photos NOW! Send them to socialmedia@masswmi.org.
This year, MASSW is hosting another social media campaign and we need your participation.
What do you LOVE about being a school social worker? How can you describe the feeling of joy you get when a young life is changed for the better? We would like you to share it with others using "selfies", videos, or posters and the hashtag #massw16.
Meeting the Needs of Students in the School Setting in an Ongoing Public Health Crisis: Resolution Statement on the Flint Water Crisis
The following excerpt is from the latest MASSW resolution statement on the Flint Water Crisis. You may read the entire statement by clicking here.
he Michigan Association of School Social Workers shares the very serious and widespread concerns about the unprecedented public health crisis that has been unfolding in the city of Flint. State and federal assistance with the provision of water, water filters and plans for testing of blood and water samples are all critically important steps in addressing this crisis.
It is also incumbent upon us to remember the crucial need for resources for the Flint area schools to enable them to assist students and continue the important activities of teaching and learning in the midst of this ongoing state of emergency. An estimated 5400 school-aged students were drinking lead-tainted water in their schools and many more students were exposed to unsafe water at home. Hundreds of students in early childhood programs have been impacted as well.
These students, along with parents and staff, have been functioning in an ongoing atmosphere of stress and uncertainty regarding the potential impacts of lead poisoning and other health concerns related to the water supply. In addition to being exposed to lead, they have also been exposed to the large-scale presence of media, countless news reports and community demonstrations. Perhaps most importantly, they have been exposed to the fears, frustration, and anger of their parents and adult members of their community. Their sense of safety and security has been compromised. They are in need of hope and reassurance that they will be cared for and supported.
Unfortunately, the Flint Community Schools and other area districts have experienced ongoing budget cuts and reductions in staff that will challenge their ability to respond to this situation. Additionally, a frequent hallmark of trauma is avoidance, where adults may avoid talking with children about trauma out of a concern that doing so may cause additional anxiety or stress, creating another barrier to appropriate intervention. Failure to provide early intervention can lead to the development of anxiety disorders and post-traumatic stress disorder, with long-term developmental, emotional and behavioral consequences. We must work to insure that the trauma that accompanies this crisis is not ignored.