The Thinking Symposium

Thinking About Our Work

• Thinking involves discriminating between beliefs that rest upon tested evidence and those that do not

Thinking about Thinking

• Inquiry is suspension of beliefs (judgements) to make space for learning

• Such suspense is likely to be painful

Thinking and Inquiry

• Reflective thinking requires us to overcome inertia that inclines us to accept suggestions at their face value. It demands a willingness to endure a condition of mental unrest and disturbance - Dewey

• “Not done on Google”• “Not a retelling but going deeper”

Reflection and Thinking

• What is at the very heart of teaching that develops the capacity of students to think deeply, reflectively, critically, creatively and objectively?

• How do we cultivate habits of discriminating tested beliefs from mere assertions, guesses or opinion; of developing in students a sincere and open minded preference for conclusions that are properly grounded?

Teaching Thinking

• What vital behaviours are engrained in the practice of every powerfully effective teacher?

• Teaching is NOT a fad – we are seeking the essence, the truth of it – the VITAL CORE

Teaching Thinking

• Beliefs that impact on teaching– Beliefs about intelligence– Beliefs about learning– Beliefs about content areas– Beliefs about what knowledge is– Beliefs about purpose of school– Beliefs about our role as teacher

• Which of my (our) beliefs are a constraint to student or my own thinking? How can constraints provoke innovative thinking?

Beliefs and Thinking

• Discourse and metacognition are vital behaviours…What would it be like (look like) to slow down and make room for discourse and metacognition?

• When is the last time you had a good conversation with the back of someone’s head?

Thinking Made Visible

• What if the goal was to teach students how to think and not to cover the curriculum? How would your teaching change?

• What is our belief about curriculum – a tool or a rule?

Thinking in the Curriculum

Student Work

Thinking Initiatives at the School

From the Thinking Symposium......

• We came away excited about the value of academic discourse in the classroom, and committed to making it a significant part of our classroom communities

• As we talked with each other, and with our principal, we decided to make this a school focus and an important component of our school improvement plan

Our first steps involved.....

• Sharing with our whole staff at our first staff meeting – the focus on “small steps” to gain progress toward our overall goals of valuing student talk, increasing student discourse and decreasing teacher-dominated classrooms

• Used Lucy West clips and quotes from the symposium to affirm the value of discourse in our classrooms

September – December Focus

• Explicit teaching of classroom conversation skills

• “wait time” – honour thinking, slow down• Accept all answers, discuss/explore for further

understanding• Create classroom talk walls (what does it look

like/sound like)

Specific Inquiry Question for Grade 3 and 6 classrooms

• Does engaging in frequent classroom discourse around our understanding of numbers improve our individual reasoning and communication?

Initial Plan

• Grade 3 and 6 teachers collaborate around this goal

• Use iPads to record partner conversations in math• Share these recordings as we consolidate lessons• Focus on how we use manipulatives• Use EQAO questions to provide information

around student thinking, reasoning and communication

Renfrew County DSB’s BIP

• See – Think – Wonder–What do you see?–What do you think about that?–What do you wonder?

• Stop and Jot–Before I thought…–Now I am thinking…

One Small Step

• Talk Moves

– Ask students to explain the thinking behind their answers (whether they’re right or wrong)

– Ask students to explain why they agree or disagree with a student answer

– Asks students to comment or add on to a students response or idea

– Use Wait Time –thinking takes time– Give time for students to struggle to articulate their thinking

One Small Step

• What is EOSDN?• Why a Thinking Symposium?• An event or a continuum?• Preparation – as a team decide on the focus of

your work; pre-viewing/reading available• Attend as a team – Lucy West facilitation

applying thinking to the work• Follow up opportunities• Spring “Going Deeper”

EOSDN and Thinking

Within TeamsWork on the development of SIMplementation.