August 2002
Hopefully you'll have been able to enjoy some R n' R (rest and relaxation or even Rock n' Roll!) over the summer break, not that the weather has been very accommodating if you, like us, are based in the UK.
At Alite, we've been reflecting on Thinking Skills, brought on by a new publication and some thought-provoking conferences. So we have devoted most of this month's newsletter to the subject of Thinking Skills. We also bring you a review of the 10th International Conference on Thinking, news about the success of AL practitioners throughout the UK, and a case study revealing how an action research project in Wakefield has shown a marked improvement in the students' positivity.
Why We Should Be Thinking About Thinking
Metacognition. Meta (of a higher order); cognition (faculty of understanding). What better (or more accurate) way to describe thinking about thinking? Could there be a more apt term that describes both the process of thinking about and understanding our own thought processes, whilst at the same time telling us the outcome, that it will lead us to a higher order of understanding?
It stands to reason that if we are to improve our thinking, then we must be prepared to think about it: How did I come to that decision? Why did I choose that option? Why don't I believe this piece of information? Did I find it useful to discuss these ideas? Such are the questions that need to be asked by pupils, prompted by their teachers. Furthermore, metacognition is gaining momentum in education, as it is at the heart (head?) of a growing movement - Thinking Skills.
Thinking Skills
Thinking Skills has been around for many years, but has recently moved to the forefront of educational debate. The term 'Thinking Skills' covers an array of approaches to teaching thinking. However, what they all have in common is that the emphasis is firmly on the processes and skills involved in learning. That is not to say that content is disregarded, although several critics have made this claim.
Supporters of the Thinking Skills movement state that what is important for society, in this age where knowledge is available at the click of a button, is that its denizens are able to process new information, to assess, decide and to create new knowledge. In short, they need the tools to adapt to an ever-changing world. If all they are expected to do is absorb 'received knowledge', then what happens when that information is not enough, needs applying in a different way, or is challenged by conflicting information? Like all information, 'knowledge' should be viewed critically. After all, the untested elixir of 'knowledge' could be a poisoned chalice.
Think of propaganda.
There are two main ways of applying Thinking Skills to the classroom. One is through bolt-on courses that are not related to any particular subject area, but teaches a set of skills to be used across the curriculum; the second is through infusion, where the skills are taught through subjects' content. There are champions of both approaches, but the learning must be emphasised at the end of each task in both types of lesson if the skills are going to be given their due importance and remembered. This 'debriefing' highlights the what and the how of the learning that has taken place.
For debriefing to be successful there must be a consistent approach to it across all thinking classrooms in the school. However, as in any other classroom activity, the strategies used should be varied and processing time should be allowed. If importance is placed on reflection in response to questions, then this thinking space will indicate a commitment to it. Naturally, pupils should be encouraged to expand on their answers and a 'Thinking Vocabulary' should be developed to enhance the communication in these sessions. Debriefing needs also to explore explicitly the potential for transfer. This third component of Thinking Skills should help to make the learning portable.
The transfer process illustrates where the skills that have been used during the lesson can be applied in other situations. Transfer can be divided into two types: near and far. Near transfer relates to situations where the skill can be used in similar situations, such as in that subject or a related one; far transfer, as the label suggests, is when the situation is far removed from that classroom.
Thinking Skills and Accelerated Learning
Moves towards Thinking Skills have not meant moves away from Accelerated Learning. The two co-exist and work in harmony in schools as far apart as Norfolk, Portsmouth and Northumberland. Thinking for Learning in the North East of England, for example, utilises the research from Accelerated Learning to provide the physical and emotional environment for learning in preparation for the thinking strategies. It also considers important information known about the brain and applies apposite techniques for effective learning (e.g. the use of VAK for presenting new information). Metacognitive processes are, of course, central to Brain Based Learning.
So metacognition is important in education. This conscious attempt to help pupils think about their thinking, to recognise what they are doing as they learn and how these processes help will be a valuable asset to them in a future of lifelong learners. Already, hundreds of schools are using it. It's worth thinking about.
Four Thinking Strategies to Help Develop Metacognition
1) Venn Diagrams
Venn Diagrams are used to clarify relationships between issues/events and for classification. They require the student to place statements either entirely within one category, or partially within two or three, as can be seen below. How they arrived at these decisions can be sought and made explicit as a means of developing metacognition.
2) Diamond Ranking
Diamond Ranking is used to encourage debate and reasoning about the relative importance of certain factors. It demands that participants rank those factors, stating their single most important and least important considerations. However, it allows for more circumspection in the middle order, as can be seen below.
3) Odd One Out
Odd One Out is used to classify and explore relationships between a number of factors. It requires students to justify the reasons for their choice of the odd one out and can be extended by asking them to make further suggestions for the categories they have put forward. There does not necessarily have to be a 'right' answer; the main focus could be the individual's reasoning.
4) Mysteries
This is a problem-solving activity where the clues are provided on separate pieces of paper to represent the different sources from where information can be derived. Students need to examine each clue before attempting to answer. Mysteries can be used simply for sequencing to help consider the order of events or, alternatively, pupils can be asked to explain the rationale behind their deductions and to justify speculations. Events leading to wars, studies of characters and motives, and scientific problems can all make interesting mysteries.
Eight to Contemplate
- De Bono, E. (1976) Teaching Thinking, Harmondsworth: Penguin
- Fisher, R. (1991) Teaching Children to Think, London: Stanley Thornes
- Higgins, S. (2001) Thinking through Primary Teaching, Cambridge: Chris Kington Publishing
- Leat, D. (ed) (1998) Thinking through Geography, Cambridge: Chris Kington Publishing
- Bowkett, S. (2001) alps StoryMaker, Stafford: Network Educational Press
- McGuiness, C. (1999) From Thinking Skills to Thinking Classrooms, London: DfEE
- Rockett, M. and Percival, S. (2002) Thinking for Learning, Stafford: Network Educational Press
- Swartz, R. and Parks, S. (1994) Infusing the Teaching of Critical and Creative Thinking into Content Instruction, Pacific Grove, CA: Critical Thinking Books and Software
The 10th International Conference on Thinking
A review by Simon Percival
Thinking need not be a solitary affair. Most years you can meet up with other like-minded individuals who are interested in discussing the progress towards a society of thinkers. This year it was England's turn to play host.
Between the 15th and the 19th of June many eminent researchers and practitioners descended on Harrogate, North Yorkshire to participate in the 10th International Conference on Thinking. This was the first time that it had been held in Europe; previous hosts include Fiji, New Zealand and Singapore. The conference discussed issues relating to thinking in its widest sense and its broadest application, which included social, cultural and economic matters.
Amongst the presenters were Howard Gardner, Robert Swartz, Carol McGuinness, Robert Sternberg, Art Costa, Robert Fisher and Guy Claxton. The list goes on, and reads like a meeting of the great minds behind teaching thinking. It was the teaching aspect that interested me particularly, so I took the opportunity to immerse my brain and share current thoughts.
Presentations by renowned researchers battled formy attention with exciting-sounding symposiums given by people I had never heard of. The choice overawed me. Several that I attended inspired me, but I was particularly taken with Lane Clark, who gave an energetic hour on 'Preparing Learners for their Future', and John Edwards' entertaining, no-nonsense talk on 'Releasing Human Potential in Yourself and Your Organisation', the secret of which he claims lies in the views people hold about the world. He drew on his own experiences and a series of models to expand on this point. Robert Fisher also sparked my imagination with his thoughts that creativity can be learned. Through outlining what creativity is and the dispositions that creative people have, he was able to craft an argument for how this can be done.
What struck me about the range of presentations, symposiums and workshops that were on offer was the number of teachers taking part. One symposium in particular springs to mind. Two primary school teachers, together with a secondary teacher and a polytechnic lecturer ran it; two of them had travelled from the other side of the world to be there. All gave sparkling insights into their application of Thinking Skills. The enthusiasm was palpable and left me in no doubt as to their belief that teaching thinking was an asset to their pupils. This type of commitment showed itself repeatedly during my time at the conference.
For me, the whole experience had strengthened my belief in Thinking Skills and provided plenty for me to reflect on as I drove home.
Simon Percival
Alite colleague, Simon Percival, is co-author of the book Thinking for Learning. Hailed as a "valuable asset to thinking about thinking", the book describes several practical approaches as well as giving classroom tips. You can order the book through the Alite website.
You Can't See Mrs Wood for the Knees!
Edinburgh Deputy Headteacher and Alite colleague Carol Wood is a woman of many talents. After setting up a media project and encouraging Primary pupils to make their own campaigning radio programmes, she has now attracted Scottish Arts Council monies for a dance and digital imaging project for 1300 children and their families.
North Lincolnshire Shine Out
Congratulations to North Lincolnshire on achieving Beacon Authority status and for their work on spreading the Accelerated Learning message across the authority.
Beginnings, Middles and Ends
Leigh City Technology College in Kent reports a drop in staff sick leave and a rise in pupil performance after trialling a six-term year. The school works on six-week teaching blocks. Staff chose the six-term in favour of five terms and although parental resistance was high at first it soon evaporated. As far as learning is concerned it makes very good sense.
Free Fruit in Fulwood
Archbishop Temple School in Fulwood, Preston is giving it away. This 11-16 Catholic Comprehensive provides free fruit for pupils at morning break. Teachers report no incidence of banana skins in corridors, but pupils are apparently more attentive.
Positive Talk, Positive Thinking
Jill Brookling and Anne Morritt, Throstle Farm, Knottingley
"I can't do it"
"I'm thick!"
"What's the point?"
Sound familiar? Many classrooms throughout the country have heard these or similar cries as pupils give up too easily on their work. This is often symptomatic of low expectations and a lack of self-esteem. Whatever approach is used in pupils' learning, if they are not emotionally prepared for the classroom, then these individuals could be missing out.
Jill Brookling of Throstle Farm School was encountering such problems, specifically with three children, in her class of 35 Year 4/5 pupils. Circumstances in some of the children's homes had hardened attitudes, so that "My Dad doesn't work" had translated into an acceptance that the same would happen to them. They didn't see the choices that education could give them. Naturally, Jill wanted to help. Together with Anne Morritt, a Wakefield EAZ teacher and co-ordinator, she embarked on an action research project to see if she could raise the confidence of the children by using positive talk, and so open them up to the benefits of education.
Jill and Anne began by talking to the class in small groups to encourage full participation. They discussed positive language with each group and how getting stuck was okay, not an indication that they had failed. "I can't do this" was reframed to "I can't do this yet." Asking for help, rather than simply giving up, was encouraged. ICT was then used to make a classroom display, to remind them of the use of positive language. This in itself delighted the children, as they took pride in the perfect, neat copy that they produced of what was discussed. They enjoyed making positive/negative labels as well, where a piece of card folded horizontally had one of their negative comments on one side and its reframed, positive comment on the other. The class were also encouraged to think of themselves as learners. What made a good learner? What kind of things could help their learning? Positive language began to take hold.
Attitudes changed. As Jill said, "They began to understand that they could do things well and they began to believe in themselves."
Follow up work included the class writing their own CVs. Not only did this start them thinking about the workplace and the process of getting a job, but Jill and Anne were also able to see written down the shift in beliefs that they had previously witnessed. The children now wrote positively about their personal qualities.
Confidence in Jill's class has now increased, with the children using more positive language and having a more positive outlook. The three children who were the research's main focus have benefited too in that they are more cheerful and interested in school. It's easier to continue to be positive about your pupils when they can see the worth in themselves.
Train the Trainer
The first Alite Train the Trainer programme will be taking place in October in Cookham, Berkshire. The spaces filled up very quickly for what we hope will be a ground breaking development. To meet the demand, we have scheduled a second programme from 11-13 November in Great Missenden, Bucks. If you would like details, please visit the website or contact Melanie Hill on 01494 67144, or via email: office@alite.co.uk