Jean+Edwards


 * __Term 3 WHERETO NEXT__**

__WHAT WE SEE THAT WE NEED__ __1__. Tools and behavioural values - our objective is that students know when to apply/embed. (What ages/stages?) 2. ACTIVE learners engaged in meaningful/authentic tasks 3. Students must know anticipated outcomes 4. Establish Prior Knowledge 5. REFLECTION and TRANSFER 6. + HOM /values + Learning styles + Key Comps + AUTHENTIC TASKS + CC (Complexity/ Choice) +TRANSFER EGS Inquiry Group with Jean Edwards

UNDERSTANDING TOOLS meaningful/ authentic tasks Students must know anticipated outcomes Establish Prior Knowledge REFLECTION and TRANSFER HOM / values Learning styles Key Comps CC (Complexity/ Choice)

NEXT: explore: -learning styles -key underpinning teaching models -Bloomʼs - quick review -Questioning -ILC framework (Inquiry Learning Through Concepts) 

__Jean Edwards: Session One 2.3.2010__

Today Jean Edwards led us through a thinking activity to explore CREATIVE THINKING

We used (P.K) prior knowledge cards to discuss our ideas and summarized our key points as we went. This activity makes students (and teachers) look and talk about something from both sides.
 * We think Creativity is….**

-not prescribed -involves a certain attitude -making something new -skills is a sub set of creativity -creating something unique/original -skill building is a pre-rep for creativity that’s way its not random -have to make an idea before the product -involves critical thinking to evaluate/compare, analyse -involves risk taking -maths involves creativity because .. -involves problem solving -maybe creating something new -because you’ve got to think -ability to image past and future applications -creativity is fun, emotional and rewarding -involves prior knowledge -involve P.K and its relating things and building your knowledge and skills -taking what we know and applying it in a different way -no morals or ethics applied to creativity -creativity has to have social value  REFLECTION:

I learnt the importance of establishing prior knowledge and vocab to develop thinking- Sue I learnt it’s important to explore and unpack prior knowledge to create deep thinking- Justine I was introduced to a new tool- P.K cards- Kyra

SESSION 2 with Jean Edwards 9.3.10

Today we completed a thinking task called Nine Diamonds. This task made us justify and rank our thoughts about thinking. You can see that both of our groups attacked this task differently and they justified their card placements.



Jean also led us through a discussion on learning and she illustrates learning in three stages. The activities that we have be involved in so far have been 'immersion' tasks. We started looking at Bloom's Taxonomy and how that fits into stage two of the above model. (Please refer to the Bloom's Taxonomy page of this wiki).

How to teach thinking skills

Teaching Thinking Skills

by Jean Edwards, Nelson NZ Want to get more serious about teaching and encouraging thinking skills?

This page is offered freely for reproduction – we simply ask that you please acknowledge the work that went into this by quoting the source: “How To Teach Thinking Skills” by Jean Edwards ; ThinkShop: Resources for Thinking Ltd.

How do I teach Thinking Skills? We’ll assume you know the basic theory of Thinking Skills, that you know you want to teach them – but how to begin? What exactly to DO?

1 . You need to plan a schedule or time-frame for teaching the skills or tools of thinking first; running Thinking Skills sessions is an excellent idea. Start small and sensible. Focus on one or two particular skills or tools you want to address, such as creativity and analysis, and build up your repertoire from there. And remember to enjoy what you’re teaching!

2. The second step is to begin using the tools, transferring them into your regular lessons. Having a TOOLBOX column handy alongside your regular planning sheet may help you to focus on this transfer. Encouraging your students to use a specific Thinking Skills folder or book that they can refer to, may help them to recognise that they have a thinking toolbox ready at hand for transfer to other subjects or areas.

3. Limited budget or limited time? I’d suggest you invest initially in some of Edward de Bono’s Six Hats series.Follow this for older students with Book 1 of the CoRT Thinking series by Edward de Bono. These tailor-made lessons plus the further extension activities in the book How To Teach Thinking Skills by Jean Edwards, will get you well started. Meanwhile, you can be assimilating the information in How To Teach Thinking Skills and either making up your own resources from the ideas and examples provided, or if you’re already too busy (!), you can use the examples to help you to decide what thinking tools you want to teach and what resources to purchase.

4. A Tip: Don’t go for a ‘grab-bag of activities’. For a defensible thinking skills programme, you MUST have a specific aim in mind, an outcome you can see or measure (which is why quite a few of the resources in the above book have evaluation records for you). The skills or tools must be transferable! Slow and steady is a sensible rule. Share techniques and models with your students so that you – and they – can systematically incorporate thinking skills into your programme.

What are the main Thinking Skills? Thinking Skills can be divided into three main groups of skills (see diagram below ): • creative thinking • critical thinking, and when the two are combined, • creative problem-solving.

1. Creativity Basically, coming up with new, novel or original ideas and ways of doing things. (Edward de Bono’s green-hat thinking performs the same function.) Looking at things from a different perspective. Common process verbs: imagine, invent, change, design, create….

2. Critical thinking Analysing and evaluating or judging information or data to find the right answer. Common process verbs: analyse, break down, compare, categorise, list, sequence, rank…

3. Problem-solving Using both analytical and creative thinking to solve problems and situations. New or creative thinking is always needed to solve a problem – you canâ€™t rely on the same old thinking which got you into the problem, to get you out of it! Common process verbs: improve, design, refine, find, invent criteria to, combine…

“Where do I start’ What exactly do I DO?” There are many resources and strategiesd for teachers who know that they want to teach thinking skills, and probably have some idea of the underlying theories and value of teaching thinking, but who need some specifics. ThinkShop is one source: you’ll find tried-and-tested photocopiable activities, clear explanations both of the underpinnings and of the activities, and with sample student responses. The book “How To Teach Thinking Skills ” (NZ $45.95) is highly recommended for a complete overview of teaching techniques and examples, with photocopiable activities included to get you going. It can also help you to co-ordinate a school-wide approach to teaching thinking.


 * includes a ToolBox of step-by-step techniques and sample lessons, with just enough background theory to make it all meaningful.
 * addresses everything from Edward de Bono’s Six Hats through to philosophy and logic in the classroom.
 * useful lists of resources for different thinking skills
 * contains a 2-page scope & sequence chart for thinking skills, from Y1 through to Y13 (ages 5 to 18).
 * Schools are buying a copy of this for each syndicate, and some buying one for each teacher…. you really should check it out! Contact ThinkShop for your copy, on 10-day approval if you wish.

Tags: HOW TO TEACH THINKING