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How to Adapt Visible Thinking Routines to Maximize Student Engagement

These adapted classroom strategies encourage students to talk through and reflect on learning in meaningful ways.

Visible thinking routines—strategies and frameworks that help students verbalize and demonstrate their thought processes—benefit students and teachers alike, especially when integrated regularly into classroom routines. In fact, using such routines can preserve students’ cognitive resources, which are finite, according to research , because they don’t need to retain steps and directions for a new activity in order to engage with learning content. 

And there is a plethora of resources available regarding visible thinking routines, meaning that teachers of all ages and subjects can utilize the strategy. Some of my favorite resource repositories are Thinking Pathways , Inspiring Inquiry , and Harvard University’s Thinking Routines Toolbox . For educators who may be new to the visible thinking routines, I recommend think-pair-share .

I’ve found that many existing routines can be enhanced and adapted. To that end, I share below several visible thinking routines that I have altered and benefited from in my work with students.

PADLET WITH STEP INSIDE

The Step Inside visible thinking routine can expand students’ perspectives. In my English language and literature course, I have used this strategy to help my students take on the role of a character from our novel study. I adapted the activity by integrating technology and creating a Padlet that I shared with all students. I then edited three questions that encouraged students to step inside a character’s perspective—in our case, the perspective of Peter Wiggin from the novel Ender’s Game : What do I care about most? Do I love Ender? Why am I acting violently? Students justified their perspectives by providing citations from the text.

To enhance this routine, you can ask students to respond to another student’s writing by acting in the role of another character, a historical figure, or a scientist, as applicable. On Padlet, I like to use the comment feature for this enhancement. My students used the comments to respond from the perspectives of Colonel Hyrum Graff, another important character in the novel.

IDENTIFYING SIMILAR THINKING

Connect, Extend, Challenge —a thinking routine that asks students to consider how new learning has broadened their thinking—is well-suited for teachers to implement when students learn new concepts or ideas that connect to previously taught content. 

I revamped this routine to offer my grade-seven students an opportunity to collaborate. After students individually completed their “Connect, Extend, Challenge,” I printed their written responses. Each student then cut out their connections, extensions, and challenges, and I grouped students into pairs or trios, where they pasted their work onto poster board.

They then identified similarities between their and their group mates’ responses by drawing lines between ideas. Students explained their identified similarities on their lines, which provided evidence of students’ thinking. 

Some groups even created their own labeling system. I found that keeping such an option open to students promoted a sense of ownership between the groups. Due to the smaller group setting, my more introverted students were especially engaged by this enhancement to the thinking routine.

COLLABORATION, HEADLINES, AND AI

Headlines summarize and capture new learning in a catchy way. Students can create an interesting title for an online article, newspaper, magazine, or blog that summarizes new learning. I have found that headlines are an excellent springboard for student collaboration and interdisciplinary learning or for an interactive planning meeting between teachers. Educators can show colleagues exemplar headlines from content completed in their classes, and these headlines can kindle discussions on common topics or content being taught across subject groups. 

For example, a math teacher might bring a headline from one of her students that reads, “Discovering Ratios: The Power of Comparisons.” A music teacher might share, “Catchy Tunes that Make Music MUSIC.” From the headlines above, the math and music teachers can discuss how ratios and melodies relate.

Students can also exchange original headlines and write a 500-word response that fits their peer’s headline. And they might make further enhancements with AI—if your students are of age and meet your country’s requirements. Students can prompt AI to generate alternatives to their own headlines, and they can compare human versus AI-generated headlines to analyze the similarities, differences, and efficacies. 

You can try a subject-based approach to prompting AI—for example, “Hi ChatGPT, we have read/learned _____ in _____ (subject). Our teacher asked us to generate a headline to show our understanding of _____. Here is my headline: _____. Could you generate another headline for me?”

BONUS: 3,2,1 REFLECTION FROM THINKING PATHWAYS

The visible thinking routine 3, 2, 1 Bridge was adapted by Alice Vigors, creator of Thinking Pathways . Vigors’s adaptation, 3, 2, 1 Reflection, gives educators a quick method for reflecting with their students. In my practice, I have found that reflection can become worksheet-heavy. But an adapted 3, 2, 1 Reflection gives me a tool for diversifying engagement. 

Begin by printing the 3, 2, 1 reflection image on large paper, preferably in color. Post it on the bulletin board. After completing an activity (or a visible thinking routine), give each student a Post-it note. Ask students to write three things that they have learned from the activity on this note. 

Then, hand out another Post-it. Ask students to write two questions that surfaced from the activity. Give them one more note on which to pen a challenge that stemmed from the activity. Next, invite students to walk to the poster and attach their notes to the corresponding locations. This makes for excellent bulletin board material, and it gives students an opportunity to move during lessons.

EDUCATORS IMPACT POSTERITY

We educate because it is our calling. Every cohort of students is different; this is one of the many reasons why educating is an art and science. At the time of my writing this, there are 83 different visible thinking routines from which educators can select to best serve their students and educational contexts. This array preserves teachers’ professional autonomy, and each of these routines can be adapted or enhanced—as demonstrated above—to further suit learners’ needs.

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At the core of Visible Thinking are practices that help make thinking visible: Thinking Routines loosely guide learners' thought processes and encourage active processing.

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Developing Critical Thinking

• Posted January 10, 2018
• By Iman Rastegari

In a time where deliberately false information is continually introduced into public discourse, and quickly spread through social media shares and likes, it is more important than ever for young people to develop their critical thinking. That skill, says Georgetown professor William T. Gormley, consists of three elements: a capacity to spot weakness in other arguments, a passion for good evidence, and a capacity to reflect on your own views and values with an eye to possibly change them. But are educators making the development of these skills a priority?

"Some teachers embrace critical thinking pedagogy with enthusiasm and they make it a high priority in their classrooms; other teachers do not," says Gormley, author of the recent Harvard Education Press release The Critical Advantage: Developing Critical Thinking Skills in School . "So if you are to assess the extent of critical-thinking instruction in U.S. classrooms, you’d find some very wide variations." Which is unfortunate, he says, since developing critical-thinking skills is vital not only to students' readiness for college and career, but to their civic readiness, as well.

"It's important to recognize that critical thinking is not just something that takes place in the classroom or in the workplace, it's something that takes place — and should take place — in our daily lives," says Gormley.

In this edition of the Harvard EdCast, Gormley looks at the value of teaching critical thinking, and explores how it can be an important solution to some of the problems that we face, including "fake news."

About the Harvard EdCast

The Harvard EdCast is a weekly series of podcasts, available on the Harvard University iT unes U page, that features a 15-20 minute conversation with thought leaders in the field of education from across the country and around the world. Hosted by Matt Weber and co-produced by Jill Anderson, the Harvard EdCast is a space for educational discourse and openness, focusing on the myriad issues and current events related to the field.

An education podcast that keeps the focus simple: what makes a difference for learners, educators, parents, and communities

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Thinking Skills Instructional Strategies: Teaching Students with Additional Needs to be Better Thinkers

• First Online: 01 December 2020

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• Toshiko Kamei 3  

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Thinking is a learnable skill that has been emphasised in curricula internationally. However, there are few resources available to teach thinking skills to students with additional needs. The aim of this study was to develop a measure of thinking skills to provide teachers with an integrated system of assessment, reporting, planning, and instructional advice.

This chapter describes a phase of the research in which teachers collaborated to propose and review a bank of thinking skills instructional advice for students with additional needs. Participants (n = 16) were leading teachers with experience teaching thinking skills to students with additional needs from specialist settings for school-age students (5–20 years) or mainstream primary schools. Teachers were provided with a partially completed individual learning plan (ILP) for one de-identified student representing one of eight learning levels of a thinking skills progression. Included in the partially completed ILPs were strategies assembled from a review of evidence-based instructional strategies for thinking skills that were matched to the case study student’s level of learning. The teachers reviewed and drafted learning goals and strategies. These reflections were collected in the form of annotated ILPs which were analysed for applicability and appropriateness for students in both mainstream and specialist settings. Next, the resulting intervention strategies were piloted with teachers from a mainstream primary school and a specialist setting to further establish the suitability of the proposed teaching strategies for use in the classroom. Ultimately, the aim of this phase of the study was to develop intervention strategies to further teacher understanding of how to teach the skills of thinking.

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Kamei, T. (2020). Thinking Skills Instructional Strategies: Teaching Students with Additional Needs to be Better Thinkers. In: Griffin, P., Woods, K. (eds) Understanding Students with Additional Needs as Learners. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-56596-1_12

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Thinking Hard Strategies

May 26, 2023

What exactly are 'Thinking Hard' strategies and how can we use them to promote deeper learning outcomes?

Main, P (2023, May 26). Thinking Hard Strategies. Retrieved from https://www.structural-learning.com/post/thinking-hard-strategies

What are Thinking Hard Strategies?

In the realm of education, the concept of 'thinking hard' strategies is gaining traction as a means to foster deeper cognitive engagement among students. These strategies are essentially classroom techniques designed to challenge students to engage in more complex tasks, thereby enhancing their critical thinking skills .

One of the key elements of these strategies is the use of difficult questions. Rather than simply asking students to recall information, these questions require them to apply, analyze, and synthesize the knowledge they've acquired. This approach aligns with the assertion of an educational expert who once said, "The quality of student thinking is directly proportional to the quality of the questions they are asked."

Another critical aspect of 'thinking hard' strategies is the emphasis on creating a classroom environment that encourages intellectual risk-taking. This involves cultivating a culture where students feel safe to tackle challenging problems, make mistakes, and learn from them. According to a recent study, classrooms that foster such an environment see a 20% increase in student engagement.

Incorporating these strategies into everyday teaching practice can be transformative. For instance, a teacher might present a complex task related to a topic being studied and then facilitate a class discussion where students are encouraged to ask key questions, propose solutions, and critique each other's ideas. This not only promotes critical thinking but also fosters a sense of intellectual curiosity and a love for learning.

'Thinking hard' strategies represent a powerful tool for educators seeking to enhance student engagement and learning outcomes. By challenging students with difficult questions and complex tasks, we can help them develop the critical thinking skills they need to thrive in an increasingly complex world .

Unlocking the Potential of Thinking Hard Strategies

As we delve deeper into the realm of 'thinking hard' strategies, we begin to see their potential as a key to unlocking a treasure chest of cognitive abilities. These strategies, when effectively implemented, can transform the classroom into a bustling marketplace of ideas, where students are the active traders of knowledge and critical thought.

A cornerstone of these teaching strategies is metacognition, or the ability to think about one's own thinking. This self-reflective process allows students to monitor their understanding, identify areas of confusion, and adjust their learning strategies accordingly. A study by the Education Endowment Foundation found that metacognitive strategies can lead to an average gain of seven months' additional progress.

The Universal Thinking Framework is a powerful tool that can be used to foster metacognition. This framework provides a structured approach to thinking, helping students navigate complex tasks and reflective questions. It's like a roadmap for the mind, guiding students through the twists and turns of critical thought.

Graphic organisers are another effective learning strategy that can be used to support 'thinking hard' strategies. These visual tools help students organise their thoughts, making abstract ideas more concrete and manageable. According to Evidence-Based Education, the use of graphic organisers can increase student achievement by 29 percentile points.

Ultimately, the power of 'thinking hard' strategies lies in their ability to make the most of lesson time. By challenging students to engage deeply with the material, these strategies not only enhance learning outcomes but also foster a lifelong love for learning.

• Metacognition and self-regulated learning
• Graphic Organisers: A Review of Scientifically Based Research

Strategies for Enhancing Cognitive Effort

Building on the foundation of 'thinking hard' strategies, we can further enhance cognitive effort by incorporating a variety of techniques into the learning process. These strategies act as a toolbox, each tool designed to stimulate different aspects of cognitive effort and promote deep thinking.

• Structural Learning's Block Building Strategy : This innovative approach uses physical blocks to represent abstract ideas, making complex concepts tangible and easier to understand. It's like constructing a 3D model of your thoughts, providing a visual and tactile way to explore ideas.
• Alternative Methods : Encouraging students to explore different ways of solving a problem can stimulate higher-order thinking. This could involve brainstorming, mind mapping, or using graphic organizers to visually structure information.
• Graphic Organizers : As mentioned earlier, these visual tools can be incredibly effective in helping students organise their thoughts and understand complex ideas. They provide a visual roadmap , guiding students through the landscape of their own thinking.
• Problem-Based Learning : This approach presents students with real-world problems to solve, promoting active thinking and engagement with the material. It's like being a detective, using critical thinking strategies to piece together clues and solve the mystery.
• Active and Deep Thinking : Encouraging students to actively engage with the material, rather than passively receiving information, can enhance cognitive effort. This could involve discussions, debates, or reflective writing tasks.

By incorporating these strategies into the classroom, we can create an environment that not only promotes 'thinking hard', but also fosters a culture of curiosity and lifelong learning .

The Art of Critical Thinking: Techniques and Approaches

In the realm of 'thinking hard' strategies, critical thinking holds a special place. It's the art of analysing, evaluating, and creating, going beyond mere recall of facts to a deeper understanding of concepts. As we've seen with the Structural Learning's Block Building Strategy and the use of graphic organizers, visual thinking strategies can play a significant role in promoting critical thinking.

One such strategy is Dual Coding . This approach combines verbal and visual information to enhance understanding and recall. It's like having a conversation with a picture, where the image and words work together to tell a more complete story.

Thinking Maps , another visual tool, can also be used to promote critical thinking. These diagrams represent different cognitive processes and can be used to visually organise and connect ideas. They're like the blueprints of thought, providing a clear structure for complex thinking processes.

Oracy , the ability to express oneself fluently and grammatically in speech, is another critical aspect of critical thinking. It's about more than just speaking; it's about communicating effectively, presenting arguments, and engaging in meaningful discussions. Techniques such as talk partners and structured dialogues can be used to promote oracy in the classroom.

Finally, promoting independent learning  is a key aspect of effective teaching. By encouraging students to take ownership of their learning, we can foster a sense of curiosity and a desire to engage in higher-order thinking. This could involve setting challenging tasks, providing opportunities for self-reflection, or using alternative thinking strategies to explore different perspectives.

By integrating these techniques and approaches into our teaching strategies, we can help students not only think hard, but also think critically, creatively, and independently.

Boosting Problem-Solving Skills: The Role of Rigorous Thought

In the journey of fostering critical thinking, we must not overlook the importance of problem-solving skills. As we've seen with independent learning, students who are equipped with the ability to tackle problems head-on are more likely to succeed acadically and beyond.

One of the key classroom strategies to boost problem-solving skills is the use of rigorous thought, a concept championed by educators like Ron Berger and Doug Lemov. This involves pushing students to think deeply and critically about a topic, rather than simply accepting information at face value.

A unit of study, for example, might involve a series of factual questions that require students to apply their knowledge in new and challenging ways. This active strategy encourages students to engage with the material, rather than passively absorbing it.

Structural Learning's Block Building Strategy is a prime example of this approach. By physically manipulating blocks to represent different aspects of a problem, students are encouraged to think critically and creatively about the task at hand.

Moreover, alternate thinking strategies can also be employed to boost problem-solving skills. For instance, students might be encouraged to approach a problem from a different perspective or to use a different method to find a solution.

By integrating these strategies into our teaching, we can help students not only to think hard, but also to solve problems effectively and creatively.

The Science Behind Effective Thinking Strategies

Building on the power of rigorous thought and problem-solving skills , it's important to delve into the cognitive science that underpins these effective thinking strategies. The human brain is a complex organ, and understanding how it processes and retains information can greatly enhance our teaching methods.

One of the key concepts in cognitive science is the idea of a schema , a mental framework that helps us organize and interpret information. When we learn something new, we either assimilate it into an existing schema or accommodate it by adjusting our schema or creating a new one. This process of assimilation and accommodation is at the heart of deeper thinking and learning.

Metacognitive strategies, which involve thinking about one's own thinking, can also play a crucial role in effective learning. By reflecting on how they are learning, students can identify the optimal strategy for a given task and adjust their approach as needed.

Interleaved strategy, for example, involves switching between different types of tasks or topics in a single study session. This approach has been shown to improve long-term retention and transfer of skills. In fact, a study found that students who used interleaved practice performed 43% better on a post-test than those who used blocked practice.

Alternative strategies, such as using visual aids or real-world examples, can also be effective in helping students understand complex concepts. These strategies can be particularly useful in subjects like science and math, where abstract concepts can be difficult to grasp.

In conclusion, understanding the science behind effective thinking strategies can help us design more effective teaching methods and promote deeper, more lasting learning.

Cultivating a Mindset for Intensive Thinking: Practical Tips

Building on the science behind effective thinking strategies, let's explore some practical tips for cultivating a mindset for intensive thinking in the classroom. These strategies can be adapted for both primary and secondary school classrooms:

• Promote a Growth Mindset : Encourage students to view challenges as opportunities for growth rather than obstacles. This mindset can help students persevere when faced with difficult tasks.
• Use Visual Thinking Strategies : Visual aids can help students understand complex concepts. For example, thinking maps or graphic organizers can help students visualize relationships between ideas.
• Encourage Questioning : Foster a classroom environment where students feel comfortable asking questions. This can stimulate critical thinking and promote deeper understanding.
• Integrate Real-World Examples : Connect classroom learning to real-world scenarios. This can make learning more relevant and engaging for students.
• Teach Metacognitive Strategies : Help students develop an awareness of their own thinking processes. This can enable them to monitor and adjust their learning strategies as needed.
• Provide Opportunities for Collaborative Learning : Group work can promote critical thinking as students are required to negotiate meaning, explain their thinking , and listen to others.
• Model Intensive Thinking : Demonstrate your own thinking processes to students. This can provide a practical example of how to approach complex tasks.
• Provide Constructive Feedback : Regular, specific feedback can help students understand their strengths and areas for improvement. This can guide their approach to strategy formation and promote a growth mindset.

By implementing these strategies, teachers can foster a classroom environment that encourages intensive thinking and promotes deeper learning. For more insights, this article provides a comprehensive review of critical thinking strategies in the classroom.

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Developing Critical Numeracy Across the Curriculum

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Thinking Strategies

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• Teacher Experiences

Making the Four Resource Model for Critical Numeracy explicit

The Four Resource Model for Critical Numeracy can act as a checklist for both students and teachers in asking "What sort of thinking have we been doing?", "Do we need to explore other types of thinking?", "What happens if we ask analysing questions now?"

It is a simple model that students can use to make their thinking visible - and one that they can use in literacy as well as numeracy.

One teacher in The Action Research Project for Critical Numeracy said:

"We were having a great whole class discussion which I thought was going quite deep.  Later when I looked at the Critical Numeracy Model I realised that a lot of our discussion was around meaning-making - with some questions that related to analysing . I realised how important it was for me to practice critical thinking in all the quadrants myself. I tend to only consider a few aspects and this is now stretching me."

Thinking routines which support the Critical Numeracy Model

Thinking routines are regular thinking strategies you might use over time with which students become familiar. Students can use them in cross curriculum contexts. They are designed to be simple, memorable and to extend thinking beyond habitual limited patterns. Below we suggest thinking routines from the Harvard Project Zero Visible Thinking website, as well as some others which can support development of critical numeracy:

Developing student meta-cognition

During and after activities students can be asked to reflect on their thinking using such questions as:

• What surprised, intrigued, inspired or challenged you?
• How have your ideas or values changed as a result of this thinking process?
• What questions or strategies did you find most useful in developing your thinking?
• If you were to do this activity again how might you do it differently and why?
• What strategies might you use in the future to further develop your thinking skills?
• What mathematics would you like to know more about as a result of this investigation?

Page updated 2019

Classroom Q&A

With larry ferlazzo.

In this EdWeek blog, an experiment in knowledge-gathering, Ferlazzo will address readers’ questions on classroom management, ELL instruction, lesson planning, and other issues facing teachers. Send your questions to [email protected]. Read more from this blog.

4 Instructional Strategies Teachers Can Count On

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Today’s post is the latest in a series sharing effective instructional strategies that can be used across content areas.

‘The Spacing Effect’

Neven Holland is a Ph.D. student at the UCLA School of Education and Information Studies, a contributing writer for Edutopia , and has served as a tenured elementary teacher at Treadwell Elementary in the Memphis-Shelby County schools in Tennessee. He is also a 2022 Tennessee state finalist for the Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching:

Instructional strategies that improve student outcomes are the heartbeat of any classroom. Knowing when and when not to use specific strategies is part of the craft and precision of teaching. As a mathematics teacher, I have tried the same and different strategies depending on the students in my care each year to maximize their potential to engage with the practices for mathematical standards .

One strategy that stands out is the spacing effect, which applies across multiple content areas and grades. There is a temptation among school leaders, district leaders, education consultants, and other stakeholders to put tremendous amounts of pressure on educators to elevate student achievement and knowledge in a short amount of time.

Understanding spacing has been a hallmark of helping my students remember and understand the content. With spacing, researchers define this as “studying information across two or more sessions that are separated (i.e., spaced apart or distributed) in time.” They found that students remember more and are likely prepared for their final assessment when information is strategically revisited throughout the school year. The Edutopia article “Why Students Forget—and What You Can Do About It” was helpful with additional strategies to support student retention of knowledge.

I can help my students retain and grasp information with proficiency before they enter the next grade. I saw that students could understand more challenging concepts like multidigit division or how to break down multistep word problems when they had multiple opportunities to practice the content and see how it related to other standards and concepts.

Apart from just preparing for an end-of-year assessment, students can take in the content when they do not feel pressure to master something in a couple of days or within a week. Sometimes, educators must ask themselves how many things they have mastered in a few days. I suspect most people will find very few things in their arsenal that they can perform with 100 percent proficiency and accuracy. But we expect that students will somehow be able to do this.

Suppose students struggle to integrate and evaluate literacy content in diverse media and formats, the differences between force and motion, or the American Revolution. Mastery, then, is a marathon, not a sprint. Some students will understand it immediately, but others may need more productive struggle and more opportunities to review the content over the semester, quarter, or year. Just because we taught it in October within our instructional unit, students likely still need a refresher in February, for example, on how this connects to the bigger picture concerning the state standards. Students naturally forget like adults, and relying on the fact that we have already taught it is not enough.

Spacing can also be cleverly executed if a curriculum links prior lessons to the current one, where students can see relationships between the more significant ideas and see how lessons build on each other in complexity. As researchers on the spacing effect found, many curricula do not offer this opportunity for spacing with an embedded review for each lesson, so teachers may need to supplement from previous lessons where they find time during morning meetings, warm-up activities, Do Nows, academic support periods, small groups, or during review days or weeks.

Spacing is one instructional strategy that left me less worried and stressed if students were not grasping the content immediately. Understanding that I may need to space out and revisit some standards periodically gave me hope that genuine, deeper learning is not a microwave process.

‘Speed Dating’

For 16 years, Diana Laufenberg taught grades 7-12 students social studies in Wisconsin, Kansas, Arizona, and Pennsylvania. In 2013, she partnered with Chris Lehmann to start Inquiry Schools , a nonprofit working to create and support student-centered learning environments that are inquiry-driven, project-based, and utilize modern technology. She currently serves as the executive director and lead teacher for Inquiry Schools:

I love the function of speed learning (speed dating knockoff) for a number of reasons. It is incredibly simple, fast, and requires all students to actively participate. Tips for setting up speed dating:

• It is best to use this strategy when students have something unique to share. This could be the first day of a research project where they are all spitballing ideas for research, it could be mid-project when they are needing feedback. Perhaps each student was required to review a unique current event, and they would share their takeaways or each student identified a particular moment in the text that was evidence of x or that resonated with them or they use it to discuss the solution to a unique math problem, or, or, or. The most important piece is that each student has something unique to share.
• I often lined up desks or had students sit across from each other at tables. The best situation is a classroom configuration of seats that allows for relatively easy movement.
• Only one side of the desks or tables is in motion and always in the same direction. One trick is to encourage students to sit next to their friends (not across from), which will then set them up not to actually talk to said friends during the activity.
• Create a graphic organizer or something that can collect some takeaways for the students. If this is used for project feedback, students could use the rubric to give specific suggestions and feedback for each person.
• Set a timer. Do not just wing it here. Keeping a nice pace and regular movement is important. I would often have students chat for no more than five minutes (often less) and then shift.
• Set a limit. Students will do this with a decent amount of intention for about 4-5 switches, then (at least my students) started to lose interest.

I love this as a strategy because it forces each student to engage in 1:1 conversation with a range of classmates. There is nowhere to hide in this activity, but it isn’t “public” so the potential for students to participate is high. I wouldn’t recommend doing this more than once a month (or so) as it can feel overly formulaic if used too frequently.

Keisha Rembert is a lifelong learner, equity advocate, and award-winning educator. She is the author of The Antiracist English Language Arts Classroom , a doctoral student, and an assistant professor/DEI coordinator for teacher preparation at National Louis University. Prior to entering teacher education, Keisha spent more than 15 years teaching middle school English and U.S. history:

Every lesson, every part of my lessons are tied to visuals. In a highly visual world, I am constantly leveraging and fortifying students’ visual thinking and literacy. I realize that being able to process and understand images is something this generation of students has been doing since birth. While not an easy skill, it is one that is second nature for them, so I am using this skill to connect visuals in all their forms—pictures, art, media, etc.—to concepts as referents and scaffolds for the learning to come. In our classroom, visuals become the frame through which we explore learning.

I have witnessed the transformative impact of visual imagery across various subjects. When teaching writing, visuals serve as powerful prompts, inspiring students’ imagination and helping them generate ideas. In my history class, visuals bring historical events to life, enabling students to empathize with the past and make connections to the present. When paired with complex literary texts, visuals provide contextual cues and enhance comprehension for students who may struggle with language or comprehension difficulties.

Integrating visual imagery and thinking into my lessons makes the content more relatable, accessible, and enjoyable for students. I also find it naturally acts as a bridge for technology integration and for students to bring other texts and connections into the lessons.

Some of my favorite visual-literacy strategies are:

• Sketch to write
• Beauty and Truth
• Visual Thinking Strategy
• OPTIC strategy

In a world of where YouTube is the second largest search, NFT’s (non-fungible tokens) hold more value than homes, and AI can generate images and tell stories in a matter of seconds, visual thinking cannot be ancillary to learning—it is integral to it. I find that visual-thinking and -literacy strategies lead to more active engagement; innovative, critical, and collaborative thinking; enhance inquiry and communication skills; and enable students to make connections among concepts and the complex visual landscape they encounter daily. Visual thinking not only enhances the learning experience in the classroom but also equips students with vital skills for the future.

Arts Integration

Kelly Mancini Becker, Ed.D., is an educator, researcher, and performing artist, currently teaching preservice teachers at the University of Vermont how to integrate the arts into classroom instruction. She is the author of Learning Through Movement in the K-6 Classroom: Integrating Theater and Dance Across the Curriculum :

In a 6 th grade science class, students enter the room and are greeted with a statement on the board: “Do you know that the water you drink today could be the same water that dinosaurs drank 65 million years ago? How might this be?” Then students are tasked with exploring how this could be possible through a creative process. Students are put into groups of five or six, given a visual model of the water cycle with a basic definition of each stage, and provided time and space to create a movement piece that models this process. Students get right to work! Students are fully engaged using their bodies to show, for example, rain and discussing the various ways they can show precipitation. One group is discussing evaporation and after reviewing the definition, decides that they need someone to act as the sun in their model.

In all cases, students are active, discussing ideas, and using scientific terminology as they work through the challenge. After about 10 minutes, students are invited to present their work. As they do, the rest of the students act as observers and are asked to identify what they are seeing, responding to prompts such as: “How does this group show precipitation?” or “What did this group add to their model that was different from the previous group?” As each performance is discussed, it is a chance to repeat terminology, clarify meaning, and engage students in meaningful dialogue about the subject area. This acts to reinforce ideas, acknowledge and celebrate student work, and improve long-term retention. At the end of this process, the initial question is revisited, and students are invited to share their thoughts on how water today could be the same as in prehistoric times.

This is an example of an arts-integrated lesson, a type of instructional strategy that utilizes the arts as a vehicle for learning. It is the best instructional strategy that I use in my classroom and can be applied to any content area. The Kennedy Center, a leader in the field, defines arts integration as “an approach to teaching in which students construct and demonstrate understanding through an art form. Students engage in a creative process which connects an art form and another subject area and meets evolving objectives in both” (kennedy-center.org) . Other examples of arts-integrated lessons are creating a song based on the moon cycle, a pioneer musical about Westward Expansion, photo journals about the elements of a story, or a math dance that explores shapes through movement. Why do I think it’s the best instructional strategy?

Because it is:

• Student-centered: Students get to approach the creative process or challenge in their own way, often focusing on the part of the content that most interests them.
• Engaging : Students are on their feet and fully active in the learning process, doing and creating rather than listening and consuming information.
• Fun : Students get to collaborate with their peers and perform.
• Inclusive: It provides an opportunity for all students to succeed, allowing for varied students to shine because a nontraditional method is being utilized, and students get to bring their whole selves to the learning process.
• Increases retention : Students are using a multimodal approach, which is known to improve long-term retention.
• Improves learning : It makes complex concepts more tangible or understandable, and students have to grapple with concepts not just consume information.
• Allows for movement: Using theater and dance gives students a chance to move their bodies, which is good for their bodies, minds, and well-being.
• Results in deeper learning: Students are making things that are real world and relevant, which requires creativity, collaboration, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills.

If you do not have a lot of experience working with the arts, it may seem daunting to integrate them into lessons. However, once you gain a few key concepts and skills in this practice (i.e., using gestures, creating movement pieces based on key ideas of a subject area, or having students create scripts based on their learning about any given content), you can adapt it to any content area or lesson. The Kennedy Center has lots of resources on their education site.

Thanks to Neven, Diana, Keisha, and Kelly for contributing to today’s post.

Guests answered this question:

What is the best instructional strategy that you have used that can be applied across multiple content areas?

In Part One , Abeer Ramadan-Shinnawi, Donna L. Shrum, Kanako Suwa, and Cindy Garcia shared their answers.

Consider contributing a question to be answered in a future post. You can send one to me at [email protected] . When you send it in, let me know if I can use your real name if it’s selected or if you’d prefer remaining anonymous and have a pseudonym in mind.

You can also contact me on Twitter at @Larryferlazzo .

Just a reminder; you can subscribe and receive updates from this blog via email . And if you missed any of the highlights from the first 12 years of this blog, you can see a categorized list here .

The opinions expressed in Classroom Q&A With Larry Ferlazzo are strictly those of the author(s) and do not reflect the opinions or endorsement of Editorial Projects in Education, or any of its publications.

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Cultivating Critical Thinking Skills: Montessori vs. Traditional Education

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At both Montessori schools or traditional schools fostering critical thinking skills is one of the keystones of each child’s school experience. But how educators develop their students’ critical thinking skills differs when each program is compared.

Commonly, traditional preschools and elementary schools encourage memorization skills to develop critical thinking and problem-solving. In the Montessori pedagogy, the focus is on open-ended questions that encourage students to analyze and think through the possible end results.

Let’s look a little closer at the differences.

Traditional teaching is based on teacher-led instruction in a structured curriculum. Standardized testing is used for assessing student learning. Pre-defined timelines are utilized to move students through concepts, and students generally learn in large groups.

The teacher is an authoritative figure responsible for delivering content, managing the class and assessing student performance. Goals are geared to academic achievement, performance on standardized tests and meeting benchmarks. Although this system is consistent and familiar, sometimes a child might not grasp the material and feels lost when they must move on to more challenging concepts in the next lesson. For student academic success, memorization plays a critical role.

In contrast, the Montessori method focuses on the whole child and the development of their academic, social, emotional and practical skills. Goals include fostering independence, critical thinking and a love of learning throughout life. Teachers in Montessori education observe and support each child’s interests, providing guidance and assistance when needed. Their mission also includes ensuring children’s safety during activities.

Montessori education promotes individualized learning, self-discipline, and creativity. The ability to evaluate and analyze a problem leads to solutions, which is why at Country Montessori School in Poway, our curriculum is designed to develop students’ art of thinking as early as preschool.

The Montessori curriculum embraces critical thinking as the foundation for problem-solving, analysis, and decision-making. These skills are developed so that children learn how to access and self-correct after making mistakes.

At CMS, it is common to hear teachers ask open-ended questions that promote thinking, such as “What would happen if…?” To strengthen critical thinking skills, children might be asked to predict an ending to a story, discuss other choices a character in a story could have made or imagine how the characters feel.

For more than 100 years, the Montessori Method of teaching has cultivated environments to encourage independent thinking in children and built upon each child’s natural curiosity. To learn more about how the Montessori teaching method can foster learning and curiosity in your child, Country Montessori School can be reached at (858) 673-1756.

Country Montessori School offers programs for children beginning at age 2.5 and continuing through the age of 11 through Early Childhood (Preschool and Kindergarten), for Lower Elementary (ages 6-9) and Upper Elementary (ages 9-12) programs.

Country Montessori School is located at 12642 Monte Vista Road, Poway, CA, 92064. Check out our informational video at

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4 Jobs for People Who Like Problem-Solving

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Picture these scenarios: An attorney strives to represent their client in court but must prepare a thorough and persuasive brief to do so. A data analyst seeks to improve a business’s customer base but first needs to use data collection software to measure audience engagement. A middle school principal sets goals to improve next year’s standardized test scores but has to assess teacher performance and curriculums beforehand.

What do these jobs have in common? Even though the settings and duties differ for each, all three roles involve critical thinking and problem-solving abilities to achieve a positive outcome.

If you consider yourself a goal-oriented, problem-solving enthusiast, you might feel overwhelmed at the sheer number of careers that provide opportunities for overcoming complex challenges. This blog discusses four jobs that are ideal for people who like problem-solving and seeking concrete results. Read on to learn about these jobs and how you can find a career that rewards your problem-solving skills.

Top Problem-Solving Jobs in Today’s Market

While many—if not all—careers demand some form of problem-solving, some industries may call for more extensive and straightforward attention to detail than others. The jobs listed below belong to the fields of business, information technology (IT), and healthcare. Each job includes a description of day-to-day responsibilities and common examples of problem-solving abilities where critical thinking and analytical skills are key to success.

Software Engineer

Software engineers —sometimes called software developers—have become invaluable as digital technology has advanced over the last several decades. These professionals create and optimize software programs, applications, and operating systems for consumers, businesses, and other organizations.

Software engineers usually concept and ideate on a vision before collaborating with other developers and programmers to build it out for a specific purpose. For example, a software engineer may design an account management program for an insurance company or develop a word processing program for individual use. Common tasks for software engineers include the following:

• Assessing software needs for users
• Creating and maintaining software and underlying operating systems
• Writing, testing, and debugging program code
• Communicating with IT teams, organization leaders, and stakeholders
• Implementing security features into software

Questions such as “What do users need in a program?” and “How can I make software accessible for users?” are important for software engineers to ponder. Since so many people rely on computers for business, communication, banking, and more, software engineers need to be agile, logical, and collaborative, keeping speed and scalability in mind as they develop software solutions tailored to user needs.

Financial Planner

Managing finances includes more than just being thrifty or saving money. Entire careers—like those of financial advisors and financial planners—are dedicated to helping individuals and organizations achieve their financial goals. Financial planners provide expert advice on various financial matters like spending, saving, investing, paying taxes, and more.

Daily job duties of financial planners include:

• Consulting with clients to establish expectations and answer questions
• Discussing financial goals with clients
• Forecasting financial trends for clients
• Reviewing and optimizing client budgets
• Making recommendations based on client income and spending habits

If clients have questions about retirement funds, mortgages, insurance premiums, or any number of similar financial subjects, a financial planner can clarify and help them navigate their concerns. This means that financial planners need to communicate effectively and actively listen. They consider all available solutions, then choose the one that best meets a client’s needs based on their unique circumstances.

Data Analyst

According to the data aggregator site Statista.com, the total amount of data created and consumed in the world reached about 64.2 zettabytes in 2020. That figure is forecasted to increase to 180 zettabytes by 2025. For reference, one zettabyte is equal to one trillion gigabytes.

How is it Possible to Manage This Much Data and Harness it For Use?

Data analysts are trained to collect, analyze, and parse all kinds of data to glean actionable information. These specialists use computer programs and machine learning technologies to spot patterns in raw data that could—after proper interpretation—benefit individual or organizational decision-making. Data analysis requires logical reasoning, critical thinking, and inference skills—all of which are common traits of problem-solvers.

Many data analysts work to research market trends, enhance business goals, assess demographic behaviors, and more. Others work as actuaries with an emphasis on risk analysis. The empirical evidence produced through iterative data analysis can then be used to support myriad organizational initiatives, programs, or campaigns.

Registered Nurse

Registered nurses compose the backbone of functional healthcare systems. A registered nurse (RN) is a licensed healthcare professional that cares for and educates patients of all ages. Whether it involves measuring patient vitals, administering treatment, or consulting with physicians and therapists, nurses help patients on their path to healthy, happy lifestyles.

Regarding their day-to-day job responsibilities, nurses maintain a balanced skill set in interpersonal communication, medical knowledge, and technical problem-solving. Common tasks include the following:

• Working in tandem with doctors to treat patients
• Collecting and recording patient medical histories
• Conducting diagnostic tests on patients
• Using and maintaining medical equipment
• Establishing treatment plans based on patient diagnoses

It’s important for nurses to practice empathy toward their patients, including helping them understand the nature of their illness or injury. Many patients may not know how to manage their condition upon being diagnosed. To overcome this challenge, RNs should answer a patient’s questions as accurately as possible and provide encouragement as needed.

Building a Career in Critical Thinking and Problem-Solving

To determine whether you’d thrive in a role oriented to problem-solving, consider reflecting on your professional skills and workplace attitude. Do you enjoy the challenges inherent in business , IT , healthcare, or other dynamic, growing fields? Do you like being the go-to person that people come to when they have an issue? Could you see yourself finding fulfillment in solving work-related problems five or 10 years from now? Are you willing to gain the education or credentials you need for the job?

Answering questions like these can help you feel more confident as you search for jobs that align with your interests.

As you prepare for the problem-solving career of your dreams, look to WGU. We offer more than 75 online, accredited bachelor’s and master’s programs in IT, business, education, and healthcare. Each program is designed with input from industry experts, granting you the skills that employers love to see. Additionally, WGU’s competency-based education model means that you advance through coursework as quickly as you show mastery of the material, so you can potentially graduate faster and save money. Get started today.

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Palouse-Clearwater Environmental Institute

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Mission The mission of the Palouse-Clearwater Environmental Institute (PCEI) is to increase citizen involvement in decisions that affect our region’s environment. Our goals are: To encourage sustainable living, provide experiential learning, and offer opportunities for serving in our community, while actively protecting and restoring our natural resources To promote the ecological health and social welfare of the Palouse-Clearwater region. To actively participate in the conservation, preservation, and restoration of environmentally sensitive lands, natural areas, and unique ecosystems. To provide forums for the free exchange of views in matters of concern to the public. To inform and educate the public on issues of importance to the sustainable future of the Palouse-Clearwater region thus promoting a well-informed, active and concerned citizenry Read More

• About Us We connect people, place and community. Our programs encourage sustainable living, provide experiential learning, and offer opportunities for serving in our community, while actively protecting and restoring our natural resources. Visit Our Nature Center and enjoy trails, wetlands, outdoor art, Bikes for Tikes and more. PCEI has four main program areas: Restoration, Education, Nature Center, and AmeriCorps. The Restoration Program is dedicated to increasing public education about watershed conservation and increasing public involvement in watershed decisions. The Restoration Program works to preserve, protect and restore ecosystems in the Palouse-Clearwater region. This work includes riparian and wetland restoration, Palouse Prairie rehabilitation, watershed planning, water quality protection, biological monitoring, and a focus on native plants and wildlife. Projects are collaborative in nature and are always science-based and community- centered. PCEI offers a variety of quality educational programs to schools, community groups, and adults. We focus on increasing awareness and knowledge of issues important to Palouse watersheds and ecosystems, developing critical thinking skills and engaging participants in service projects that restore or enhance current watershed conditions. Our programs are highly interactive, place-based and promote hands-on exploration of the natural world. The PCEI AmeriCorps program places AmeriCorps members to complete projects that engage members of their communities in Sustainable Community Planning and Conservation. The overall project goal is to increase citizen behavior that leads to conservation of natural resources and sustainable community planning. Members will engage citizens of all ages, in an effort to ensure buy-in, ownership and an ethic of environmental stewardship. Visitors are always welcome at the PCEI Nature Center! Located in Moscow, Idaho, our 17.4-acre Nature Center is open dawn to dusk 7 days a week. Enjoy many unique features such as: nature trails, universally accessibly pathway, wetlands, outdoor art, sustainable living projects (check out the Jim LaFortune Memorial “Groover” and the Nancy Taylor Stage and Pavilion), Bikes for Tikes and more!
• Our Impact Our work is to try to turn our on the ground projects into a community building exercise as well. In the long run, because we use volunteers, and get people involved on an emotional level, it has the long-term benefit of being a more sustainable project. People become invested in the work.

Palouse-Clearwater Environmental Institute AmeriCorps Positions Palouse-Clearwater Environmental Institute ...

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