Time To Think

1
TIME TO THINK TEACHING THINKING SKILLS
Slide 1
2
So what is thinking?
Thinking is the operating skill with which we use
our intelligence and perceptions.
Slide 2
3
Two Images of Intelligence
20th Century
21st Century
The glass ceiling
The iceberg
IQ theory limits human intelligence
Exciting possibilities of human potential
Slide 3
4
Learning is.
Not about the consumption of information it is
about the creation of meaning, value and action
on the part of the learner. Learning is not
something you absorb, it is something you create
for yourself literally and physiologically in
your total mind/body system.
Slide 4
5
The Three Storey Intellect
Evaluate, imagine, predict, apply a principle,
generalise, judge, speculate, If/then..,
hypothesise, forecast, idealise
Applying

Processing
Compare, sort, reason, contrast, explain (why),
classify, distinguish, infer, sequence, analyse,
synthesise, make analogies, reason
Gathering
Observe, describe, name, tell, list, count,
complete, define, identify, match, recite,
select, scan
Slide 5
6
What do you see?
Slide 6
7
Errors of Perception

• 90 of errors of thinking are errors of
  perception
• Edward de Bono

Slide 7
8
Race Against Time!
Arrange the 2 horses and jockey sheet so that the
2 jockeys are mounted on the 2 horses (in the
correct manner that jockeys ride horses!) All 3
sheets are face up, do not fold or bend the
sheets.
Slide 8
9
What do I see?

• Perception is based on experience and location in
  the classroom
• Perception is based on our mood, our needs of the
  moment, and on our thinking skills
• Perception is concerned with change
• How can we see the same thing in many different
  ways and establish the climate for others to do
  the same?

Slide 9
10
Thinking patterns in the brain

• Thinking is the operating skill with which we use
  our intelligence and perceptions
• The brain is not designed to be creative - it
  would be useless if it were!
• The brain is excellent at repeating history

Slide 10
11
Thinking patterns in the brain

• The excellence of the brain arises directly from
  its ability to make, organise use patterns
• These patterns form our perceptions
• Perception is used to see new ideas and make
  decisions

Slide 11
12

• What do you see?
• Resource
• Take A Closer Look
• Keith Kay
• Brinbo Books

Slide 12
13
Group Challenge!What have these objects got
in common?
Slide 13
14
Did you know.

• That colour and music can actually change the way
  your brain looks?
• The brain is made up mostly of water?
• Brains can be exercised? Exercise will help your
  learning?
• Only humans have the Cortex or thinking brain
• A whiff of peppermint oil stimulates the brain
  and may increase your capacity to retain facts
  and boost recall
• Human brains are getting bigger?
• Nearly 100 million pieces of data race up your
  spinal chord every minute?
• Brain messages can travel at speeds up to 360 mph?

Slide 14
15
Thinking For Learning

• Were off on a journey of discovery around your
  amazing brain!

Slide 15
16
1st Stop Reptilian Brain
The Reptilian brain controls our basic instincts.
Its main concern is our survival Regulating
breathing, blood pressure, heart beat etc. Under
stress it closes down our higher thinking to
focus on avoiding the danger or threat. Learning
under these circumstances is impossible.
Slide 16
17
Moving Up! Limbic System.
In this zone you will find emotions and memory -
all learning involves the emotions. The thalamus
scans information and compares it to past
experiences. The amygdala or Gatekeeper may then
trigger an emotional response Flight,
fight,flock or freeze.
Slide 17
18
Moving Up! The Cerebral Cortex

• If there is no match then information moves up
  to the third level you arrive at the Cerebral
  Cortex that controls the intellectual processes
  and is divided into two hemispheres. Imagine a
  maze of corridors
• Making the connections are 100 billion
  neurons. Making connections means learning and
  just like a muscle you can train your brain to
  become more active.

Slide 18
19
Right Hemisphere..
To the right is the right hemisphere. Learning in
this zone helps us to see the big picture and
fit the pieces together make good guesses
approach problems from new angles enjoy a puzzle
or challenge. Right brain thinkers are creative
and often rely on intuition for judgement. They
enjoy opportunities for imagination visioning
seeing patterns, rhythm, spatial manipulation,
images and pictures, musical appreciation,
dimension, tune of a song, making connections and
daydreaming. They tend to have a strong sense of
humour and often operate in messy environments.
Slide 19
20
Left Hemisphere
Moving across to the left hemisphere we
understand that learners who prefer to process
their learning in this zone prefer to do so in a
linear, sequential way, are systematic and learn
from the part to the whole. They like logic,
analysis, words of a song, number, formulae,
language, repetition and unrelated factual
information. This zone works hard to help you
solve problems systematically, to notice details
and do things step by step. Left brained
thinkers tend to be social and competitive, love
results, progress, and feedback. They tend to
operate in neat, methodical environments. They
are often more serious.
Slide 20
21
The Latest Attraction Prefrontal Cortex

• This is where the most sophisticated work in
  the brain occurs thinking, planning,
  conceptualising and appreciating emotion to
  choose appropriate social behaviour. This is the
  area we need to access to explore learning
  challenges.

Slide 21
22
Processing Thinking StationsClaiming the
knowledge for myself by selecting one of the
following stations
Slide 22
23
Applying The Learning

• What implications might this have for planning?

Slide 23
24

• Reptilian Brain
• Raise the heartbeat and get good supplies of
  oxygen pumped around the brain with stretch
  breaks movement brain gym etc
• Encourage students to eat well drink water keep
  fit
• The Limbic System
• Avoid stress which can close down the learning
  brain. Help students to stay positive, collecting
  feelings of success and using them again to
  attach to new challenges. Be encouraging
• Get students to contribute their own ideas and
  feelings
• Consider how they get feedback from
  themselves/other students/the teacher
• Take opportunities for pair and group work

Slide 24
25

• The Right Hemisphere
• Take opportunities to engage feelings,
  imagination
• Help students to visualise situations, to see the
  big picture not just a small item of target
  information
• Encourage use of colour for underlining,
  highlighting
• If we are summarising, are we including
  non-linear notes eg mind maps?
• Music can assist concentration, establish/change
  mood and work in conjunction with language
• The Left Hemisphere
• Will the students recognise a logical progression
  in this session? Have I got the timing right?
• Explain why its useful and provide opportunities
  for open and closed questions
• Allow time for structured practice

Slide 25
26

• Connecting Up
• Provide opportunities for students to claim the
  new knowledge for themselves
• Encourage experimentation to find out how the new
  understanding works eg role play, tasks etc
• Build in activities that require students to use
  both hemispheres of the brain
• Review the learning
• Pre Frontal Cortex
• Develop students capacity to stick at difficult
  problems, working them out over time and in
  different ways
• Delay the rescue but scaffold support

Slide 26
27
You Can Make Your Brain Smarter Its Up To You!

• You can change your brain structure, create new
  connections and get rid of others
• Learn as many new and different things as you can
• Think positive thoughts and expect to do well

Slide 27
28
Thinking Classrooms
Teaching for Thinking Setting the
Climate Emotions Enriched Environment
Teaching of Thinking Skills Types of
Skills Development of Skills
Teaching with Thinking Structuring
Interaction Active Learning Experiential Learning
Teaching about Thinking Metacognition Reflection A
ssessment
Slide 28
29
Slide 29
30
Use a PMI to reflect on the existing culture
Minus
Interesting
Plus
Slide 30
31
The Story So Far..Our Strengths Our Shared
Values
What do we want to acknowledge, celebrate and
build on? What have you done well lately? Where
have you made progress? What good things have
you accomplished? What obstacles have you
overcome? Give yourself a pat on the back. Now
go out and earn another one!
Slide 31
32
The Story So Far..Our Self Defeating Habits
What do we have a chance to eliminate? There is a
saying that Frederick the Great (1712 1786) lost
the Battle of Jena (1806) meaning that for 20
years after his death, the army perpetuated his
successful organisation instead of adapting to
meet the changes in the art of war. Many rules
outlive the purpose for which they were intended.
What behaviours may be limiting you now? What
can you eliminate?
Slide 32
33
10 Key Strategies For Creating A Thinking
Classroom

• Understanding dominant preferences and their
  impact on thinking
• High challenge, low stress
• Releasing helpful brain chemicals
• Emotions creating positive energy.
• State breaks movement, music, colour etc.
• Higher order questions
• Acknowledge and celebrate multiple intelligences
• Nurture the attributes of a learner
• Thoughtful lead-ins
• Allow thinking time

Slide 33
34
Understanding Dominant Preferences and Their
Impact on Thinking
R L
REFERENCE The Dominance Factor by Carla Hannaford
Slide 34
35
Challenging Assumptions
Slide 35
36
The groups were identified by the labels as used
by the schools Group A Gifted and Talented.
Excelled academically, had high SAT scores, thus
succeeded at language and maths skills Group B
Average. Children doing OK in the mainstream
classroom Group C Remedial. Children with
specific reading difficulties Group D School
Redirection. An alternative school for children
who had dropped out or been suspended from
previous schools Group E Special Education.
These included emotionally handicapped children
labelled with learning disabilities and ADHD
Slide 36
37
Understanding the Difference Between Stretch and
Stress
Each individual in the class will be stretched to
lesser or greater extents, and the stretch can be
experienced as either a good or a bad thing.
Slide 37
38
High Challenge, Low Stress
Stress Excess of demands over resources
Resources Energy, Skills etc
Increase resources or reduce demands
Peak performance
Demand seen as challenge
Anxiety
Poor concentration
Nervous tension
Difficulty in making decisions
Increasing motivation
Fatigue
Exhaustion
Burn out
Boredom
Demands
Low High
Slide 38
39
Finding things difficult is where you want to
be - because thats where growth occurs
Guy Claxton Author of Wise Up
Slide 39
40
Managing Feelings Anchoring
The power of positive thinking..
STEP 4 CHALLENGE
STEP 3 PERSON
STEP 2 PLACE
STEP 1 MOMENT
Slide 40
41
Whole Brain Warm Up
A B C D E F G H I
J l t r r t
t l l r t K L M
N O P Q R S T t
r l l t t t
r t r U V W X Y
Z r t l l l
r
Brain Gym Dr Paul and Gail Dennison
Slide 41
42
There are many ways of being smart!
Slide 42
43
Nurturing the Attributes of Learning
Perseverance
Resourcefulness
ASK!
Reflectiveness
Interdependence
Resilience
Curiosity
Independence
Slide 43
44
Stephen Green, Group CEO, HSBC (HSBC employs
215,000 people across the globe) We dont look
so much at what or where people have studied but
rather at their drive, initiative, cultural
sensitivity, and readiness to see the world as
their oyster. Whether theyve studied
classics, economics, history or languages is
irrelevant. What matters are the skills and
qualities necessary to be good, well rounded
people in a highly international institution
operating in a diverse set of communities.
Slide 44
45
Learning for the 21st century We cant work out
the answer and tell everyone what to do anymore.
Instead, the speed of change and student
expectations requires everyone in the school to
be improving the learning experience
continually. A teacher today has a very
different task to the 1970s. He or she must
balance survival, relationship, best practice,
school and community values.
Slide 45
46
A changing context
A child starting school at the age of five in
September 2005 and going on to higher education
will not complete his/her education until the
year 2022 at the earliest! What is more, that
child could be working with technologies that
have not as yet been invented in an organization
that has yet to be created!
Slide 46
47
A Challenge!
The Capacity Gap Research in the workplace
suggests that 60 of positions require a range of
multiple intelligences that less than 30 of the
population possess. Even the best educated are
over their heads..We have a responsibility to
redesign our schooling..We can design for
transformation. We have done it before at the
dawn of the industrial age. Will we show the
courage to do so again. International Futures
Forum 2003 What do you think?
Slide 47
48
Impact on Learning

• Better thinking
• Increased creativity
• Enhanced learning
• Improved self esteem/motivation
• Increased independence/interdependence

Slide 48
49
Redressing the balanceKeep the ball in the
learners court

• By the age of 11 most pupils believe that the
  lions share of responsibility for their learning
  lies with the teacher!

Slide 49
50
Thinking Skills
Slide 50
51
Slide 51
52
Not only do we have preferred learning styles, we
also have favourite thinking styles.
Slide 52
53
The Toolbox

• If a person knows how to use a map or
  navigational tool of some sort, extensive travel
  will not only be more successful, it also becomes
  more likely.

Slide 53
54
Thinking Tools for StudentsKey Stage 3 to Key
Stage 5

• Multi Sensory/Experiential Learning
• Brain Patterning
• Perception
• Listening Skills
• A Language for Thinking Edward de Bonos Six
  Thinking Hats more to come here!
• Developing Emotional Intelligence
• Questioning Skills
• Thinking Frames

Slide 54
55
Changing Patterns Of Behaviour

• The more often you do something in the same way,
  the more difficult it is to think about doing it
  in another way. If youre not failing every now
  and again, its a sign youre not doing anything
  innovative. Woody Allen.
• Flex your risk muscles and make changes.

How can you whack your thinking?
Slide 55
56
Processing Thinking METACOGNITIVELY

• Are students required to plan, monitor and
  evaluate their own behaviour?
• Am I asking questions that lead students into
  reflective thinking?
• what did you do well?
• what would you do differently?
• Am I making students thinking patterns visible
  through discussion strategies and teaching
  techniques?

Slide 56
57
TEACH THINKING!
Teach thinking by modelling demonstrate and
label critical and creative thinking as it
occurs Expect all students to think skilfully be
aware of implied messages Ask questions that
cause something to go on inside the students
head Create cooperative groups and
thinking/pair/share partners for processing
information invite student-to-student
interaction Help students process strategies
metacognitively help them think about their
learning and thinking by planning, monitoring and
evaluating with them.
Slide 57
58
Tolerate noise, movement and failures a
thinking classroom is a busy place Have fun! Your
enthusiasm is contagious! Invite multiple
responses to carefully designed divergent
questions as how and why questions. Nurture
thinking by arranging your classroom to encourage
intense, involved student interactions. Keep
silent! Use wait-time a 3-10 second pause after
asking a question. Insist on intelligent
behaviours by guiding students to make their own
decisions and solve their own problems. Never
stop moving teacher mobility has a positive
impact on student interaction. Give the students
responsibility dont tell them involve them.
Slide 57