Creating Cultures of Thinking Through Teacher

LanguageECET2

#OneCityUnitedSeptember 19, 2015

Denise Rawding

Creating a Culture of Thinking: 8 Cultural Forces• The modeling of the

group leader.• The way time is

allocated.• The way language

and conversation are used.

• The interactions and relationships that unfold.

• The expectations that are communicated.

• The opportunities that are created.

• The routines and structures that are put into place.

• The way the environment is set-up and utilized.

Agenda• Key language moves that can facilitate

the creation of a culture of thinking. The language of:−Thinking−Community−Identity−Initiative−Mindfulness−Praise and Feedback−Listening

Do Now • With your table group, identify

words that describe thinking and write them on the chart paper.

Language of Thinking

• Defines processes, products, epistemic stances (attitudes), and states and allows us to communicate with others

Why is This Important?

• Cue actions and provide a means to regulate our activity

• Creates a “strategic narrative”• Assists metacognition for reflection and

planning

How do we help students develop a language of thinking?

• Noticing and naming

Agenda• Key language moves that can facilitate

the creation of a culture of thinking. The language of:−Thinking−Community−Identity−Initiative−Mindfulness−Praise and Feedback−Listening

Language of Community• Speaker’s use of pronouns tells listener’s

where the speaker is focusing.• “We” must include the teacher as a

participant in the learning process.• Use of “they” – What kind of answer are

they looking for in this problem?−Places control of the learning outside of the

classroom−Put the focus back on the learner – What

kind of answer do you think fits this problem?

Agenda• Key language moves that can facilitate

the creation of a culture of thinking. The language of:−Thinking−Community−Identity−Initiative−Mindfulness−Praise and Feedback−Listening

Language of Identity• “Aboutitis” – teaching students about

the subjects rather than engaging students as members of it.

• Treat students as members of the discipline: readers, writers, authors, etc.

Using the Language of Identity to Frame or Set-Up a Lesson

Today we are going to learn about chemical reactions.

Today as scientists we are going to be investigating how chemicals react under various circumstances.

Ritchhart, p. 75

Language of Identity• Conveys our intentions and cues

behaviors• Places students in a specific role

with an attendant set of behaviors• Rejects the role of the teacher as

the deliverer of information and students as passive receivers

Agenda• Key language moves that can facilitate

the creation of a culture of thinking. The language of:−Thinking−Community−Identity−Initiative−Mindfulness−Praise and Feedback−Listening

Language of Initiative

“A generation of bored and challenge-avoidant young adults is not going to be prepared to deal with the mounting complexity of life and take on the emerging challenges of the 21st century.”

Reed W. Larson, 2000, p. 170

Language of Initiative• Ability to be motivated from within to

direct attention and effort toward a challenging goal

• How does language help?−Helps students identify their reasoning and

makes their thinking visible−Asks learners to identify explicit strategies−Can be used to frame situations and make

explicit causal relationships and possible contingencies

• Who is doing the thinking?

Agenda• Key language moves that can facilitate

the creation of a culture of thinking. The language of:−Thinking−Community−Identity−Initiative−Mindfulness−Praise and Feedback−Listening

Language of Mindfulness

• Conditional v. Absolute Language• Conditional Language –

−Keeps the mind open and flexible−Allows students to access prior

knowledge and build understanding of a subject

−Encourages critical thinking

Agenda• Key language moves that can facilitate

the creation of a culture of thinking. The language of:−Thinking−Community−Identity−Initiative−Mindfulness−Praise and Feedback−Listening

Language of Praise and Feedback

Jigsaw Activity• Five Reasons to Stop Saying “Good Job”

by Alfie Kohn• Naming What Children Can Do• The Perils and Promises of Praise by

Carol Dweck

Language of Praise and Feedback

• Praise is not feedback.• Effective Feedback

−Specific and related to the learning task−Received−Actionable

Agenda• Key language moves that can facilitate

the creation of a culture of thinking. The language of:−Thinking−Community−Identity−Initiative−Mindfulness−Praise and Feedback−Listening

Language of Listening

Language of Listening• Wait time• Ask authentic questions to clarify• Threading – making connections to

other’s ideas• Conversation is facilitated through

listening.• Challenge ideas in an exploratory sense• Extend the conversation by inviting

others in

Leveraging Language• Becoming aware or our language and

striving to align it with our intentions• Audiotape yourself teaching a lesson• Plan the key thinking moves you want

students to make to help you notice and name them during the lesson.

• Listen to your students• Other Ideas?

Connect/Extend/Challenge

• How do the ideas presented today connect to the work that I am already doing?

• What new ideas have surfaced that extend or push my thinking in new directions as a result of today’s session?

• What are some challenges involved in taking these ideas back to my classroom and school? What questions or puzzles do I have now?

Further Resources• Creating Cultures of Thinking: The 8 Forces We Must

Master to Truly Transform Our Schools by Ron Ritchhart• The Power of Our Words: Teacher Language that Helps

Children Learn by Paula Denton, EdD• The Language of Learning: Teaching Students Core

Thinking, Listening, and Speaking Skills by Margart Berry Wilson

• Choice Words: How Our Language Affects Children’s Learning by Peter H. Johnston

• Toward a Psychology of Positive Youth Development by Reed H. Larson, American Psychologist, January 2000.