Presentation: Teaching Thinking A guide for the perplexed

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Teaching Thinking -- A Guide for the
Perplexed Yoram Harpaz Mandel Leadership
Institute, Jerusalem yoramha_at_mandelinstitute.org
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Why teach thinking? The explosion of knowledge

• Knowledge is expanding
• Knowledge is accessible
• Knowledge is relative

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How teach thinking when...
There are an awful lot of theories around.
Robert Sternberg With so much
controversy in the air, its understandable that
only a few teachers and schools make the
attempt. -- David Perkins Mind Workers
Unite! -- Arthur Costa
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Approaches to Teaching Thinking

• The Main Question what is the foundational
  element of good thinking and how is it taught?
• Skills Approach
• Dispositions Approach
• Understanding Approach

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Some definitions
Skills means of thinking implemented rapidly and
precisely (e.g. heuristics, tools, organizers).
Neutral skills means of thinking that render
common cognitive processes more efficient (e.g.
classifying, grading, comparing, deciding,
etc.). Normative skills means of thinking that
create uncommon cognitive processes (e.g.
breaking patterns, devising problems, exposing
premises, discovering biases, etc.).
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Some definitions
Disposition intellectual trait that is
conciously chosen and justified. Thinking
dispositions traits with direct impact on
thinking. Disposition to think to engage and
be engaged in thinking.
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Some definitions
Understanding locating knowledge in relevant
and rich contexts and/or performance
intellectual moves with knowledge. Substantive
understanding understanding the substance of
thinking. Reflective understanding
understanding thinking or the conditions that
make it good thinking.
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Patterns of teaching thinking
Teaching education through knowledge Skills
Impartation Disposition Cultivation Understan
ding Construction
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The Approaches as Worldviews
Skills Good Thinker is efficient thinker
Dispositions Good Thinker is wise thinker
Understanding Good Thinker is learned thinker
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The approaches as lenses
Thinking Shortfalls Skills faults (lack of
thinking skills or their faulty
application) Dispositions weaknesses (character
flaws or weak ego) Understanding
misunderstandings Metacognition Intelligence Tran
sfer
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The Metaphorical Aspects The essence of metaphor
is understanding and experiencing one kind of
thing in terms of another. (Lakoff Johnson,
1980)
Skills thinking as a toolbox
Dispositions thinking as deep currents
Understanding thinking as a net
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The practical aspect the approaches in school
Skills standard deviation taming
Dispositions standard deviation preaching
Understandings standard deviation lecturing
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Two Essential Questions
1. What to believe why three?
2. What to do which approach is best?
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1. Three elements of good thinking correspond to
three components of thinking Thinking skills
Processes of thinking
Thinking disposition Qualities
of thinking Understanding
Contents of thinking
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2. Teach skills and dispositions within the
understanding approach and the pattern of
construction.
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