The Thinking Classroom

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The Thinking Classroom
Teachers, as they work towards the purposes and
principles of the Curriculum for Excellence
should become more aware of the need to develop
thinking within their classrooms as a means of
engaging and challenging their pupils.
but what do you think are the features of a
Thinking Classroom?
Discuss this in your group. One person will be
your spokesperson. Well record your thoughts on
a flip-chart.
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Programmes and initiatives Lets Think Lets
Think Through Science Thinking Science
(CASE) Concept Cartoons Cooperative
Learning Active Assessment Mapping
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Theoretical Basis Constructivism Piaget,
Vygotsky Working Memory Capacity Models of
Learning
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Constructivism Ausubel New ideas have to be
related to existing ones ..the most important
single factor influencing learning is what the
learner already knows. Ascertain this and teach
him accordingly.
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Piaget Stages of development Sensory motor
(ages 0-2) Pre-operational (2-6) Concrete
operational (7-12) Formal operational (12)
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Piaget Schemata (modes of thinking) for formal
operations Control of variables Proportionality C
lassification systems Equilibria Probability Forma
l models
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Vygotsky Children learn when challenged to think
beyond their developmental level Learn through
problem-solving experiences shared with peers and
teachers
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Activity We are now going to read out some
numbers. We want you to listen, and after we
have read out each set, please record them on the
answer sheet.
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Activity Once again, we are going to read out
some numbers. This time, we want you to record
them backwards. For example, if we call out 456,
you should record 654.
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Working Memory Capacity Short term memory has a
limited size of 7 2 concurrent
processes. Younger children will not have reached
their full potential.
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We will show you an 11 digit number for about ten
seconds. When it disappears, write it down. The
activity will be repeated twice with different
numbers.
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32659401398
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32659401398
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0141 420 5000
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0141 420 5000
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Working Memory Capacity
Size is eventually fixed but can be used more
efficiently by chunking. More than five process
steps are difficult for many children.
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You will be asked to write down the objects you
see when the film is finished.
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1. CDs 2. Coasters 3. Calculator 4. Watch 5. Cuddl
y Toy 6. Jar of Pickles 7. Moisturising
Cream 8. Tin Opener 9. Cordless Phone 10. Vase
11. Fondue Set 12. Book 13. Underpants 14. CD
Player 15. Pizza Cutter 16. Mug 17. Model
Car 18. Sunglasses 19. Camera 20. Paintbrush
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Information Processing Model
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Key features of a thinking activity

• Concrete preparation
• Cognitive conflict
• Social construction
• Metacognition
• Bridging

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• Concrete preparation
• Thorough preparation to ensure nothing detracts
  from thinking process
• nature of the problem is understood
• shared understanding of language, equipment
  used

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Cognitive conflict Puzzling experiences
stimulate the development of thinking to a more
powerful level Problems you cannot readily solve
using present level of thinking Challenge that
stimulates mental activity to next level of
thinking
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Cognitive conflict Try the Girls puzzle on
your own for 3 minutes.
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Social construction Pupils working together to
construct knowledge Pupils internalise what they
have contributed to and observed to build
knowledge
What a child can do in co-operation today, he
will be able to do alone tomorrow. Vygotsky
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Social construction Now try the Girls puzzle
in your group
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Julie Jenny Josie Jemima
11 8 10 9
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Metacognition Aware of own thinking
processes Reflecting back on the thinking used
to solve the problem Use questioning techniques
to - reflect on how we learn - reflect on
what we learn - reflect on what helps us learn
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Bridging Specific effort to point out ways in
which the thinking can be used in other
contexts Making connections between different
curricular areas, different situations