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It’s about the learning, not the tools…
Frankly I’m tired of tools. Exhausted from experimenting. Weary of web 2.0 options popping up on a daily basis… Well not entirely At one point, I was excited to keep trying out new tools, figure out...
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10 ways to encourage students to take responsibility for their learning…
1. Don’t make all the decisions Allow choice. Encourage students to make decisions about how they learn best. Create opportunities for them to pursue their own interests and practise skills in a...
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10 ways to create a culture of thinking…
Ron Ritchhart, in his book Intellectual Character, as well as his work with Visible Thinking through Harvard’s Project Zero, describes the forces that comprise a ‘culture of thinking‘ in the classroom....
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10 ways to encourage good questions…
According to my wise 11 year old students, there are no good questions. When I asked, some of them pointed out the difference between ‘skinny’ and ‘fat’ questions, others said the best questions are...
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Making thinking visible…
A recent tweet of mine kept reappearing over a period of days as it was picked up by others. Someone had asked for tips for the new year and this was mine: Reading Ron Ritchhart’s latest book...
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Making Thinking Visible: Chapter Two
Cross-posted (almost) from Inquire Within, a blog about inquiry. We’re laughing as we shift the tables to include the screen in our circle. Someone has offered to give her chair to the expected guest,...
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Generating ideas about thinking…
I’m lucky to work at a school where most (but not all) of the teachers love to learn and will voluntarily turn up for a bit of professional learning before school or during their lunchtime. Almost the...
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Do you waste learning time?
‘I used to think… Now I think‘ is one of the most powerful thinking tools (Visible Thinking routines). It allows you to grow, without having to have been wrong. It allows me to develop my ideas, change...
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Looking closely and exploring complexity…
A fan, a mobile phone, an umbrella, a computer monitor, a toaster… We ask the kids to engage in the Parts, Purposes, Complexities thinking routine. Examine the object carefully and record the...
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A colleague of mine has three daughters. One says when school shuts, she will follow her daily schedule and stick to the school routines. Another says she will finally have time to work on her personal...
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