In-Depth Notes on Visible Thinking

The importance of making student thinking visible to enhance cognition and understanding.
Introduction of a thinking routine called think-puzzle-explore in classroom settings.

Learning and Thinking: Understanding content improves when students think critically about concepts and information.
Dispositions for Good Thinking: Good thinking depends not just on skills, but also on characteristics such as curiosity and open-mindedness.
Social Nature of Thinking: Learning is collaborative; students learn from each other in a classroom environment.
Making Thinking Visible: Externalizing thoughts through various methods (like writing/drawing) helps improve thinking.
Classroom Culture: Eight forces shape classroom culture, impacting the learning process and promoting thoughtful engagement.
Professional Development: The need for teacher study groups and discussions on thinking practices to create a culture of thinking among educators.

Example from Bialik College: Naomi Arrow's 5th grade students used the think-puzzle-explore routine to cultivate questioning about arthropods.
Roz Marks' 1st Grade Class: Exploring the Beaconsfield Mine incident through inquiry based on students' own puzzles and thoughts.
Classroom Interaction: Roz encourages students to support their thoughts with evidence, creating a culture where thinking is respected and shared.

Analyzing Conversations: Teachers observe student interactions to gain insights into their thinking and learning processes.
Use of Language: Phrasing questions carefully (e.g., "What makes you say that?") supports deeper reasoning and reflection among students.

Headlines: Summarizing ideas or events in a headline format to capture the essence of discussions.
Connect-Extend-Challenge: Facilitating connections between new and existing knowledge, pushing students' thinking forward, and addressing confusions.
See-Think-Wonder: Stimulating curiosity through art or imagery, prompting students to observe, interpret, and question.
Compass Points: Exploring different facets of an idea before forming a stance, encouraging thorough examination of topics.

Increased Participation: Students, including those with learning disabilities, become more engaged and contribute more actively.
Improved Learning Outcomes: Documented evidence suggests that students’ academic performance improves in schools that implement Visible Thinking principles.
Teacher Insights: Enhanced understanding of student thought processes enables better instructional strategies and curriculum planning.

The Visible Thinking approach is essential for personalizing learning, fostering critical thinking, and transforming classroom dynamics. It involves adopting a mindset that values questions and the process of exploring ideas, contributing to a culture that prioritizes learning over mere completion of tasks.