Creating Cultures of Thinking Through Teacher Language ECET2 #OneCityUnited September 19, 2015 Denise Rawding
Creating Cultures of Thinking Through Teacher
LanguageECET2
#OneCityUnitedSeptember 19, 2015
Denise Rawding
Creating a Culture of Thinking: 8 Cultural Forces• The modeling of the
group leader.• The way time is
allocated.• The way language
and conversation are used.
• The interactions and relationships that unfold.
• The expectations that are communicated.
• The opportunities that are created.
• The routines and structures that are put into place.
• The way the environment is set-up and utilized.
Agenda• Key language moves that can facilitate
the creation of a culture of thinking. The language of:−Thinking−Community−Identity−Initiative−Mindfulness−Praise and Feedback−Listening
Do Now • With your table group, identify
words that describe thinking and write them on the chart paper.
Language of Thinking
• Defines processes, products, epistemic stances (attitudes), and states and allows us to communicate with others
Why is This Important?
• Cue actions and provide a means to regulate our activity
• Creates a “strategic narrative”• Assists metacognition for reflection and
planning
How do we help students develop a language of thinking?
• Noticing and naming
Agenda• Key language moves that can facilitate
the creation of a culture of thinking. The language of:−Thinking−Community−Identity−Initiative−Mindfulness−Praise and Feedback−Listening
Language of Community• Speaker’s use of pronouns tells listener’s
where the speaker is focusing.• “We” must include the teacher as a
participant in the learning process.• Use of “they” – What kind of answer are
they looking for in this problem?−Places control of the learning outside of the
classroom−Put the focus back on the learner – What
kind of answer do you think fits this problem?
Agenda• Key language moves that can facilitate
the creation of a culture of thinking. The language of:−Thinking−Community−Identity−Initiative−Mindfulness−Praise and Feedback−Listening
Language of Identity• “Aboutitis” – teaching students about
the subjects rather than engaging students as members of it.
• Treat students as members of the discipline: readers, writers, authors, etc.
Using the Language of Identity to Frame or Set-Up a Lesson
Today we are going to learn about chemical reactions.
Today as scientists we are going to be investigating how chemicals react under various circumstances.
Ritchhart, p. 75
Language of Identity• Conveys our intentions and cues
behaviors• Places students in a specific role
with an attendant set of behaviors• Rejects the role of the teacher as
the deliverer of information and students as passive receivers
Agenda• Key language moves that can facilitate
the creation of a culture of thinking. The language of:−Thinking−Community−Identity−Initiative−Mindfulness−Praise and Feedback−Listening
Language of Initiative
“A generation of bored and challenge-avoidant young adults is not going to be prepared to deal with the mounting complexity of life and take on the emerging challenges of the 21st century.”
Reed W. Larson, 2000, p. 170
Language of Initiative• Ability to be motivated from within to
direct attention and effort toward a challenging goal
• How does language help?−Helps students identify their reasoning and
makes their thinking visible−Asks learners to identify explicit strategies−Can be used to frame situations and make
explicit causal relationships and possible contingencies
• Who is doing the thinking?
Agenda• Key language moves that can facilitate
the creation of a culture of thinking. The language of:−Thinking−Community−Identity−Initiative−Mindfulness−Praise and Feedback−Listening
Language of Mindfulness
• Conditional v. Absolute Language• Conditional Language –
−Keeps the mind open and flexible−Allows students to access prior
knowledge and build understanding of a subject
−Encourages critical thinking
Agenda• Key language moves that can facilitate
the creation of a culture of thinking. The language of:−Thinking−Community−Identity−Initiative−Mindfulness−Praise and Feedback−Listening
Language of Praise and Feedback
Jigsaw Activity• Five Reasons to Stop Saying “Good Job”
by Alfie Kohn• Naming What Children Can Do• The Perils and Promises of Praise by
Carol Dweck
Language of Praise and Feedback
• Praise is not feedback.• Effective Feedback
−Specific and related to the learning task−Received−Actionable
Agenda• Key language moves that can facilitate
the creation of a culture of thinking. The language of:−Thinking−Community−Identity−Initiative−Mindfulness−Praise and Feedback−Listening
Language of Listening
Language of Listening• Wait time• Ask authentic questions to clarify• Threading – making connections to
other’s ideas• Conversation is facilitated through
listening.• Challenge ideas in an exploratory sense• Extend the conversation by inviting
others in
Leveraging Language• Becoming aware or our language and
striving to align it with our intentions• Audiotape yourself teaching a lesson• Plan the key thinking moves you want
students to make to help you notice and name them during the lesson.
• Listen to your students• Other Ideas?
Connect/Extend/Challenge
• How do the ideas presented today connect to the work that I am already doing?
• What new ideas have surfaced that extend or push my thinking in new directions as a result of today’s session?
• What are some challenges involved in taking these ideas back to my classroom and school? What questions or puzzles do I have now?
Further Resources• Creating Cultures of Thinking: The 8 Forces We Must
Master to Truly Transform Our Schools by Ron Ritchhart• The Power of Our Words: Teacher Language that Helps
Children Learn by Paula Denton, EdD• The Language of Learning: Teaching Students Core
Thinking, Listening, and Speaking Skills by Margart Berry Wilson
• Choice Words: How Our Language Affects Children’s Learning by Peter H. Johnston
• Toward a Psychology of Positive Youth Development by Reed H. Larson, American Psychologist, January 2000.