A Workshop for the AST Annual Conference 2011 By Giles Freathy AST (RE)

Aims Introduction to two opposing viewpoints on the teaching of Thinking Skills Introduction to two opposing viewpoints on the teaching of Thinking Skills Activities to familiarize yourselves with the verbs from the revised Bloom’s Taxonomy and time to consider your own viewpoint Activities to familiarize yourselves with the verbs from the revised Bloom’s Taxonomy and time to consider your own viewpoint My concluding thoughts My concluding thoughts

Viewpoint 1: Thinking skills exist.

We can identify a wide range of distinct mental tasks, which, although may rely on the same sub-skills, have a character of their own: recall, recognition, explanation, inference, attribution, evaluation, comparison etc.

These patterns of thought are required in all subject areas and can be performed poorly or successfully.

If children don’t encounter these thought patterns, aren’t required to use them and not exposed to the corresponding language to go with them - they may never have these skills at their disposal.

Deep learning occurs when a student has to think something through. Thinking things through can be done well or badly. There are techniques which can be taught to ensure quality thinking. They should be taught, because they can be learnt.

Furthermore, if children can learn what type of thinking they are doing, then they will be able to use and apply the skill when engaging in new learning or when solving a new problem.

They will be equipped for the future – whatever that may be.

Simply a matter of alignment! Objectives – What are the children going to learn to do? (Skill plus subject matter) Instruction - How are they going to learn this? Assessment - How will we know that they have been successful?

Recognizing Producing Planning Recalling Generating InterpretingCritiquing Exemplifying Checking Classifying Attributing Summarizing Organizing Inferring Comparing Explaining Executing Implementing Differentiating

Viewpoint 2 Discrete thinking activities, if they can be identified, are not transferable between all subject areas.

Good quality thinking is the result of a number of factors: motivation; the need for thought and the necessary personal dispositions NOT someone having learnt a thinking skill.

Thinking may be enhanced or dependent on: a good vocabulary, collaboration skills, knowledge of where to look for more information, sufficient subject knowledge and structured/systematic approach.

Teaching Thinking Skills which focus on the procedure and not the outcome of the thinking can be dangerous – trading a high regard for truth with a high regard for the accurate adherence to thinking procedures. Hitting the target – Missing the point. ‘Thinking skills present dangers: the belittling of knowledge, the impersonalizing and neutralizing of thought, the neglect of truth, and the computerization of thought.’ Stephen Johnson in “Teaching Thinking Skills” ed. C. Winch 2010

The teaching of thinking skills should not come at the expense of a genuine dialogue with the children which goes towards shaping, not only the skills at their disposal, but also their value system and understanding of the world.

Your turn… Group the “thinking processes” using these processes: Remembering, Understanding, Applying, Analysing, Evaluating, Creating Group the “thinking processes” using these processes: Remembering, Understanding, Applying, Analysing, Evaluating, Creating Choose three to write definitions for Choose three to write definitions for What other activities could you plan for someone to do with these “thinking processes” cards? What other activities could you plan for someone to do with these “thinking processes” cards?

My conclusions so far… Higher Order Thinking Activities and Questions: Deepen understanding Deepen understanding Inspire and require higher order thinking Inspire and require higher order thinking Motivate pupils through challenge and intrigue Motivate pupils through challenge and intrigue Broaden awareness of the range of directions of thought and mental challenges available to learners Broaden awareness of the range of directions of thought and mental challenges available to learners Enculturation of children into reflective thought and self-regulating learning Enculturation of children into reflective thought and self-regulating learning

My conclusions so far… However, Don’t confuse the map with the territory Don’t confuse the map with the territory The primacy of interaction between the subject matter, the pupils and the teachers expertise rather than a new meta-curriculum. The primacy of interaction between the subject matter, the pupils and the teachers expertise rather than a new meta-curriculum. There are tools to enable pupils to think skilfully, but the idea of ‘thinking skills’ is dubious There are tools to enable pupils to think skilfully, but the idea of ‘thinking skills’ is dubious This is only my conclusion, and in the spirit of my philosophy to teaching and learning, I leave you to draw your own conclusions. This is only my conclusion, and in the spirit of my philosophy to teaching and learning, I leave you to draw your own conclusions. Can you meet your L.O. today? L.O. I can evaluate the legitimacy of the teaching of “Thinking Skills”

References: ‘A Taxonomy For Learning, Teaching and Assessing’ ed. L.W. Anderson and D.R. Krathwohl, Pearson Education ‘A Taxonomy For Learning, Teaching and Assessing’ ed. L.W. Anderson and D.R. Krathwohl, Pearson Education ‘Teaching Thinking Skills,’ Ed. C. Winch, Continuum ‘Teaching Thinking Skills,’ Ed. C. Winch, Continuum