Establishing Routines and Strategies for Collaboration and Conversation

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These shoes work well together. You can see the difference in each pair while recognizing that they seem to complement each other. To me, THIS is collaboration - unique, diverse students who complement each other with thinking... and students who are able to work well together.

As part of best practice, teachers develop routines and structures within the classroom, including those that support effective collaboration. When these routines and structures are established, students are given daily opportunities to interact verbally, share ideas, collaborate, and think "out loud". It's critical that students have opportunities to talk with peers about their learning. Why? Consider research connected to: 

• students as social learners,
• the need for students to engage in "oral rehearsal", and 
• the need for students to formulate thinking. 

These conversational experiences lead to deeper understanding and greater clarity in student thinking and understanding. In the end, students might also find themselves transferring ideas from conversations into writing (experiences we connect with writing-to-learn). To support students in their development as collaborators, we might provide opportunities for them to evaluate themselves (self-evaluation) and consider possibilities for change.

Establishing routines for students to talk about their learning supports the 21st Century Skills of Collaboration and Critical Thinking and Reasoning. As you establish these routines, expectations, and strategies, consider these additional tools:

• Video - Think Time and Collaboration (2:19) from the Teaching Channel
• Strategy - Using Partner Talk to Strengthen Student Collaboration and Understanding from ReadWriteThink
• Video (Strategy) - Organizing Desks into "Four Corners" (1:18) from the Teaching Channel
• Video (Strategy) - The Four Tribes: Agreements for Learning Together (2:31) from the Teaching Channel
• Blog Post with Strategies - How to Foster Collaboration and Team Spirit from MindShift
• Blog Post with Strategies - Nurturing Collaboration: 5 Strategies from Edutopia
• Best Practices - 20 Collaborative Learning Tips and Strategies from Global Digital Citizen
• Strategy for Using Academic Language with ALL Learners - Discussion Chips (example is in math)

Critical Thinking and the Development of Disciplined Minds

One of the most difficult things is escaping tradition.  In education, we have strong traditions influenced by our past...one of those involves memorizing information to regurgitate it on a test.  While developing factual content knowledge is still a significant component of student learning, there is SOOOOOO much more to a 21st century education.

In the 2008 ASCD edition of Educational Leadership, this notion is challenged in an article on Disciplining the Mind.  

Students need more than a large information base to understand their ever-changing world. They need to master disciplinary thinking. 

(Source: Boix Mansilla, Veronica, and Howard Gardner. "Disciplining the Mind." Educational Leadership. 65.5 (2008): 14-19. Print. <http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/feb08/vol65/num05/Disciplining-the-Mind.asp&xgt)

But, what is disciplinary thinking? Disciplinary thinking is directly connected to the fundamental shift in how we look at our role as educators in the 21st century. Shift happens...and shift MUST happen if we are to prepare students for their future (and NOT our past).

• We don't teach students writing, we teach them to be writers.
• We don't teach students reading, we teach them to be readers.
• We don't teach students art, we teach them to be artists.
• We don't teach students music, we teach them to be musicians.
• We don't teach students science, we teach them to be scientists (biologists, physicists, chemists).  
• We don't teach students social studies, we teach them to be social scientists (historians, geographers, economists, and informed/engaged citizens).

As educators, when we embrace this shift, then we start to utilize instructional practice that teaches students to have disciplined, engaged minds. This is precisely what it means for students to practice the 21st century skill of CRITICAL THINKING and REASONING.

The first part of developing the disciplined mind involves incorporating the most common cross-content critical thinking skills and strategies in EVERY content area.  While our tradition might involve learning and practicing these skills and strategies as part of reading instruction, they are crucial to the thinking that takes place as students engage with information and resources in EVERY content area.  Students must transfer and reapply these skills all the time. (To remind yourself about cross-content critical thinking skills and strategies, take a gander at this list.) The image you see shows thinking skills at the top and shows how those skills are transferred and reapplied every day in every content area.

The second part of developing a disciplined mind involves looking at skills, or what students should be able to do.  Today, teachers are engaging with planning documents that consistently call out skills, or what students should be able to do.  As educators, we must challenge ourselves to look at these goals and ask ourselves, "How do these skills ask students to think like the practitioners of these disciplines?"  To build your thinking about disciplinary thinking, check out this collection of quotes that I gathered. In the image below, you see how cross-content skills are transferred and reapplied in every content area. It also shows how students apply discipline-specific thinking. This is the type of thinking that takes place within a particular content. For example, how does a geographer think? How does an economist think? How does an astronomer think? If we are to bring education into the 21st century, we must USE knowledge and resources to help students THINK like PRACTITiONERS of a DISCIPLINE.

It's easy to hold on to traditions, especially the tradition of knowing as much information as possible. I challenge you to let go of that tradition, and embrace instruction that highlights THINKING.  When you do, you'll begin to see the thinking minds of students like never before.  When we (as educators) open our minds to new ways of thinking and new ways of approaching our work, our students and the larger society are the ones who benefit.  WE ALL BENEFIT!

Establishing a Common Process for Analysis

Analysis is a complex skill.  Analysis balances the acquisition of content knowledge with critical thinking. Analysis is used to empower students as thinkers so they effectively develop deeper, more complex understanding.  Often, the skill of analysis is applied to a variety of sources (including charts, graphs, maps, or a myriad of primary sources).  As we create learning experiences that engage students in 21st century skills, analysis has the potential to elevate critical thinking and reasoning and information literacy.

To effectively apply this skill, students need opportunities to 1) see the skill modeled, 2) practice the skill with the class, 3) practice the skill with a peer, and 4) practice the skill independently.  Along the way, students need clear feedback that reinforces their effort and provides recognition. Students need direction that points them farther down their path towards independent analysis.

Jeffco's Critical Thinking Guide describes analysis as:

If we know that analysis is a complex process, and we know that complex processes must be broken down into smaller parts...then maybe it would be helpful to break down the process of analysis into smaller parts.  By creating a common process for analysis, we empower students to bring their own thinking to the process of analysis, which allows every learner to develop deeper understanding.  In the end, it's the thinking that matters.

A Sample Process for Analysis

View this sample process for analysis

Overall, teachers are encouraged to see this as a place to begin when analyzing different sources with students.  While this is presented as a linear process, students will find that independent practice involves all three steps often taking place at once. Using steps in the process is considered a scaffold until students "own" the skill of analysis. Over time, it's important to model and elevate the nuances of analysis to raise the level of rigor that we expect out of students. What ideas do you have about effective analysis? Please comment and share your thinking. 

• Additional Analytical Tools
• Library of Congress: Teacher's Guides and Analysis Tool
• iPad Apps - Explain Everything, EduCreate

The BEST First Step: Modeling and Think Alouds

     If I could go back in time to the start of my teaching career, there are many things I would change.  I'm sure many teachers would do the same thing.  We learn so much through the years about teaching and learning, and the process of reflection always reveals how we might do things differently.  As reflective practitioners, we are constantly refining and adjusting.  As reflective practitioners, we constantly revisit our mission for education: the achievement of ALL students.  As reflective practitioners, we embrace the idea that there are always ways to improve.  As reflective practitioners, we know that assigning tasks without instructional support is simply keeping students busy...but with instructional support, students are empowered as thinkers.

I wish I could go back and improve my instructional support by including, as much as possible, modeling and think alouds.

 

What evidence do I have to back up my claim?

I'm going to pull all of my thinking from Douglas Fisher and Nancy Frey's book Better Learning Through Structured Teaching: A Framework for the Gradual Release of Responsibility (2008).

• "The gradual release of responsibility model of instruction suggests that the cognitive load should shift slowly and purposefully from teacher-as-model, to joint responsibility, to independent practice and application by the learning." (p. 2)  When I think of this quote, I realize that modeling and think alouds are the best first step in shifting the cognitive load to students.  Too often, we begin learning activities by simply assigning tasks.  We use phrases such as 1) you're going to do this, or 2) remember to do this next, or 3) you need to make sure that...  We want students to succeed, but we forget that a crucial scaffold for their success involves inviting students into our brains to see how we think.  Consider how phrases within a think aloud or model differ from what I just mentioned.  In modeling or a think aloud, we use phrases such as 1) I notice that, or 2) when I see this, it causes me to think about, or 3) as I think, I also ask this question. The shift in language is important because it shows students what is going on inside our heads when we use "I" versus assigning a task using "You are going to."  The modeling and think aloud experiences are used intentionally to support students as we (teachers) shift the cognitive load to students. 
• "In the gradual release of responsibility model, the focus lesson is the modeling phase. For a focus lesson to be effective, teachers must clearly establish a purpose and model their own thinking." (p. 4) The purpose for a lesson may involve a variety of goals, including skill goals, conceptual goals, language goals, and/or social goals.  All students succeed better when they know what the thinking or work looks like.  When we model or engage in a think aloud connected to the goals, we have set a clear purpose and provided the proper scaffolding for students.  As we move through the classroom to formatively assess their ability to implement the stated goal(s), we can start to determine what students need more support in the application of a skill or the application of conceptual thinking.  If we don't spend time at the beginning intentionally modeling or doing a think aloud, it's possible that we'll see far more students who need support with our intended goals. Thus, we might have a skewed vision of who needs support because we never took the time to model the thinking in the first place.  Modeling and think alouds prepare students for their tasks and allow teachers to see, with greater accuracy, just who is having difficulty with the thinking that's needed in their work.
• "Focus lessons are not intended as a time to ask students questions. During the focus lesson, the teacher should model his or her thinking and not interrogate students about their thinking.  As such, the teacher should use a number of 'I' statements, such as 'I think...' or 'I wonder...' or 'I predict...' ...Of course, the teacher asks students to talk with a partner to practice the skill or strategy of the focus lesson following the teacher modeling. The important thing to remember is that students need modeling - examples - that they can incorporate into their habits." (p. 18)  We must stop assigning tasks and asking students to play the game of, "Guess how you're supposed to think."  We want students to think, therefore we must constantly show them how we think.  Consider this, would you ever put an 18-year old in a car and ask them to drive without modeling the proper skills and thought processes that are needed?  NO, because that's insane.  That is DANGEROUS!  What if we thought of teaching that way?  What if we don't show students the thought processes that are needed for the skill tasks and conceptual tasks we ask them to do?  While it may not feel dangerous, it definitely doesn't prepare them appropriately.  

Since I can't go back in time, I'm asking you to do it for me based on everything I now understand about teaching and learning.  Change just one thing...be more effective and consistent in your use of modeling and think alouds. 

What is "writing to learn"? What expectations might I need to establish and model?

Today, we know a lot more about teaching and learning than we did just ten years ago.  One key strategy we must use continually is writing to learn.  It's easy to say that writing takes place in all contents, the question is...Are you incorporating WRITING TO LEARN with INTENTIONALITY?  Writing to learn allows students to explore thinking and to comprehend deeply.  Writing to learn allows students to keep track of their thinking and to effectively share clear thinking .

Take a peek at this video from the Teaching Channel to see more informal writing to learn in action. 

Writing to Learn - The More Formal Type

Sometimes we incorporate formal opportunities for writing to learn.  With students, teachers establish expectations and model the thinking that's needed for more formal writing to learn experiences.  More formal writing to learn experiences are probably planned in advance.  So students are successful, teachers may find that they need to revisit expectations and continue to model how thinkers pull together their ideas for more formal writing to learn experiences. Some examples of expectations that might need to be established and modeled for more formal writing to learn experiences include:

1) Choose words wisely (use accurate, precise language)

2) Use content-specific, academic vocabulary

3) Consider your purpose and audience

     -to describe an object or event

     -to support a position or opinion

     - to explain a process or sequence

     - to summarize ideas

4)  Summarize ideas effectively

     -create a main/central idea statement when appropriate

     - capture the "big ideas"

     - support claims with evidence

     - support thinking with clear reasons

     - eliminate small details

     - include your lingering questions

5) Use drawing, charts, graphs, and tables to support your ideas

  

Writing to Learn - The More Informal Type

Frequently, teachers offer more informal opportunities for students to use writing to learn.  These experiences potentially take place on a daily basis and may be planned or impromptu.  Students might need informal write to learn opportunities to jot down their thinking related to an essential question, to write an exit slip from class, to collect ideas/information related to a topic, or to explain how their thinking has changed related to a skill or process.  These are just a few ways that informal writing to learn takes place in class, yet all opportunities are grounded in the thinking that we are asking students to do. These more informal opportunities allow teachers to see into the thinking of students while allowing students to pull their thoughts together, clarify their own thinking, and connect the dots in their learning. With students, teachers establish expectations for this type of writing and model what it might look like.  Expectations are established so the informal opportunities support a student's ability to be organized and their ability to communicate effectively with writing while continuing to elevate academic vocabulary. Some examples of expectations that might need to be established and modeled for more informal writing to learn experiences include:

1) Choose words wisely (use accurate, precise language)

2) Use content-specific, academic vocabulary

3) Consider how information is organized or how ideas are shared

     - use graphic organizers

     - use titles, headings and subheadings

     - use bulleted or numbered lists

     - use charts and tables

     - determine how to effectively show cause and effect

     - determine how to effectively compare and contrast

4) Determine if words, phrases or sentences are necessary

Questions as Part of "Assignments" (...and their Connection to Information Literacy and Critical Thinking)

They say experience is the best teacher.  This week, I was engaged in an experience that taught me a great deal about the use of questions with students.  It caused me to ask, "How do questions change the way students mentally interact with text? How might questions drive critical thinking vs surface-level comprehension?"

What was the assignment?
As an adult learner, I was given a text and a set of discussion questions.  For an 11-page article, I had nine questions.  For a six-page article, I was given six questions.  At first glance, the questions looked like they caused me to think deeply about the content...but my experience changed as I was reading.  I found myself reading the question and then hunting for the answer. It was apparent the questions were written based on specific statements that would appear chronologically throughout the text.  While I would never use this scan and locate strategy as a reader in real life, I found myself  focused on answering all the questions (because there were quite a few). Sadly, I also found that I really didn't understand the article even though I was able to complete the assignment.

What did I learn?
As teachers, we must always consider how our decisions impact student learning.  It might make sense to ask several questions of students because educational traditions allow us to interpret a series of correct answers as, "This student understood the text.  This student receives an A." But, in some traditional experiences where students answer a series of questions, it can be argued that students are not truly understanding the content. From the student perspective, my comprehension of the entire text was non-existent.  The list of questions, while created with positive intentions, completely impeded my understanding of the more significant conceptual ideas within the text.

If I had been given one or two open-ended questions, I would have approached my reading of the text in an entirely different way.  If I had been given one or two questions grounded in the significant concepts, I would have approached my reading of the text in an entirely different way. In the end, I would have developed a richer understanding of the text one grounded in the more enduring, braoder conceptual ideas within the text.

From a student's perspective, a few guiding questions instead of a list of questions would have had a far more significant impact on my learning and conceptual understanding.  As teachers, we are continually developing assignments that utilize questions as a tool to assess how students engage with, and understand,  text.  From a teacher's perspective, ask yourself, "Are my questions causing students to think deeply about the significant concepts OR are my questions created in a way that asks students to locate information to complete the assignment?"

What's the connection to 21st century skills?
In an age where our goal is to embrace the 21st century skills of Information Literacy and Critical Thinking, we must reflect on the creation of our assignments from a student perspective and ask, "Are my students being asked to think deeply about important concepts? Are my students being asked to use facts and details to support their conceptual understanding (claims and evidence)?"  The details within text are important, especially when they are used to support rich understanding of more significant ideas and concepts.