THERE IS A NO DEAD END TO THINKING

Who Are We? rr

OUR GOALS With the introduction of ICT, Digital Media, and Visible Thinking Routines into our classrooms we have been working towards developing a 'culture of thinking' in a learning environment that encourages students to become independent, life-long learners. In this presentation, we would like to offer our own experience of how these tools, have enhanced our teaching and learning, and made it possible for thinking to be open- ended and valued in its own right.

THE THREE NEW TRENDS IN TEACHING & LEARNING COLLABORATIVE TECH-POWERED BLENDED

Sharing information and connecting with others,whether we know them personally or not, has proven to be a powerful tool in education. COLLABORATIVE

Media permeates our lives The more students are able to create and communicate with media, the better connected they will be to global events and to the working world. TECH-POWERED

Simply stated, blended learning is combining computers with traditional teaching. Students conduct research, watch videos, participate in collaborative online discussions, at home and at school. BLENDED

Teacher/Student relationships are changing, as they learn from each other. Teachers roles are shifting from owners of information to ‘facilitators’ and ‘guides’ to learning. Educators are finding different ways of using class time. Different approaches to teaching are being used in the same class. Students are getting a global perspective. IN OTHER WORDS…

The second part of the session, we would like you to try out some of the tools we have applied in our class by visiting the different stations provided on the tables.

There are 4 stations. You can visit any station and in any order. We have provided materials for each engagement. The directions are provided on the table. All materials & resources will be placed on our wiki. (

REFLECTING AND SHARING Please, Wrap up your station and join us for a whole group discussion.

What new learnings came your way? Did you connect any of the tasks to your own experiences? Did the tasks extend your thinking? Were your ideas/ thoughts challenged in any way?

Station 1/Carpet Boy’s Gift Communication & Collaboration Learners need to be immersed in a non- threatening environment where’ thinking’ is valued and not judged. Allow learners to engage in oral discussion in the classroom for reflection and thought. Lifelong skills need to be modeled, encouraged, nourished, valued but mostly allowed.

Use educational practices that would allow for originality and creativity. Encourage learners to become producers- free thinking caring adults able to make informed choices and critically evaluate information. Life-long learning tools empower students with thinking skills such as the ability to reason, to make informed judgments, to critically evaluate information and “to think both creatively and caringly”.Hence, learners need to be engaged in authentic learning situations. Station 2A & 2B/Cartoon Images Creativity and Innovation

Station 3/Bateau Critical Thinking, Problem Solving, Decision Making Promoting independent learning through an inquiry based approach. The focus is on: a.looking and thinking ‘outside the box’ in order to find a solution. b.more importantly on the process and journey involved towards that end.

While watching the film try to find evidence of the three trends in teaching and learning. -collaborative -tech-powered -blended I SEE-T IN ACTION

As the learner assumes ownership and uses strategies independently the teacher gradually relinquishes control to the student. THE STUDENT BECOMES AN INDEPENDENT LIFELONG LEARNER. Lifelong skills need to be modeled, encouraged, nourished, valued but mostly allowed.

Your students use a variety of sources for their research projects( blogs, podcasts, wikis and interviews conducted via Skype). Your students work on collaborative projects with students in Thailand. You give weekly class updates to parents…via your blog or wiki. Your students participate in class…by tweeting their questions and comments. Are you a 21st Century Teacher? Find out! Help us add to our list.

ARE YOU A 21ST CENTURY TEACHER? FIND OUT! HELP US ADD TO OUR LIST. Your classroom budget is tight…but it doesn’t matter because there are so many free resources on the web you can use. You realize the importance of professional development…and you read blogs, join online communities, & tweet for self development. You share lesson plans with your teacher friends…from around the globe. You tweet this presentation, blog about it, “like” it, or it to someone else.

"As educators, it is our task to teach students how to make responsible decisions, think critically, solve problems and communicate effectively in order to succeed in society." Principal Sheninger Thank you for attending our presentation Reem & Roula

10 ways to create a culture of thinking… by Ed Said Creating a Culture of Thinking. Wesley College by Ron Ritchhart The Beginner’s Guide to 21 st Century Teaching and Learning by Learning Today Thinking Education A Classroom Culture of Thinking.mht by Thinking Education We are not cookie-cut teachers. Teaching and learning in the digital age International College, Beirut, Lebanon