Lucy West Education Consultant email: [email protected] http://lucywestpd.com phone: 212-766- 2120 cell: 917-494- 1606
Dec 15, 2015
Lucy WestEducation Consultant
email: [email protected]://lucywestpd.com
phone: 212-766-2120phone: 212-766-2120
cell: 917-494-1606cell: 917-494-1606
Lucy [email protected]
Power Point Available Next Week on Web Site
Characteristics of the 21st CenturyEver-accelerating changeInformation continually multiplying and
simultaneously becoming obsoleteIdeas are continually restructured, retested, rethoughtOne cannot survive with simply one way of thinkingOne must continually adapt one’s thinking to the
thinking of otheresRespect the need for accuracy, precision,
meticulousnessJob skills must continually be upgraded, perfected
even transformed Richard Paul
Are we ready for the 21st Century?Education has never before had to prepare
students for such dynamic flux, unpredictability, complexity and for such ferment, tumult and disarray. Are we willing to fundamentally rethink our
methods of teaching? The way we manage our organizations?
Are we willing to learn new concepts and ideas?Are we willing to bring new rigor and discipline to
our own thinking in order to help our teachers and students bring that same rigor to theirs? Richard Paul
It’s what you can’t see
Results
Culture & Behavior
StrategyStructure
ContentProcess
What is thinking?How would you describe/define thinking?What evidence would you collect to convince
others that thinking was taking place in a given lesson?
What is the relationship between thinking and learning?
To what degree is it necessary to know what students are thinking in order to facilitate their learning?
How do we develop “disciplined” thinking in ourselves and our students?
3-Year-Olds Can!Critical thinking is not a set of skills that can
be deployed at any time, in any context. It is a type of thought that even 3-year-olds can engage in—and even trained scientists can fail in.
And it is very much dependent on domain knowledge and practice.
At it’s best it is a “disciplined” way of thinking that requires many kinds of questioning.
What doeach of the 6 C’s look, feel, and
sound like?
How committedare you to the
6 C’s?
What newskills, beliefs,
or pedagogy is needed to
incorporate the 6 C;s
Where do the 6 C’sfit into the
present curriculum?
What does thinking critically entail?Seeing both sides of an issueBeing open to new evidence that disconfirms
your ideasReasoning dispassionatelyDemanding that claims be backed by
evidenceDeducing and inferring conclusions from
available factsSolving problems
What questions might people who think critically habitually ask? How do you know that? What is your source? What is the source of
that source?What evidence do you have? What further
evidence do we need?How might I be wrong about this? What other perspectives might be valid here?What are the possible pitfalls? LWhat haven’t we yet considered?
What does it mean to think reflectively?To suspend judgment during further inquirySuspense is likely to be somewhat painfulAn attitude of suspended conclusionMastering various methods of searching for
new materials to corroborate or to refute the belief, hypothesis, claim
Maintaining the state of doubtTo carry on systematic and protracted
inquiryJohn Dewey, 1909
Specific Domains Require Particular Kinds of ThinkingThink like a mathematicianThink like a scientistThink like an historianThink like an art critiqueEach require a relatively deep knowledge of
the domain
Why can we thinking critically in one situation and not another?Thought processes are intertwined with what
is being through about.Experts see the underlying structure and
patterns, novices see the superficial structure.
The deep structure of a problem is harder to recognize.
Solve this ProblemTreasure hunter is going to explore a cave on
hill near a beach.Many paths inside cave and might get lost.—
No map.Has only a flashlight and a bag.What could he do to make sure he does not get
lost when trying to get back out of the cave?75% of westerners come up with some Hansel
and Gretel approach—our prior knowledge impacts our solution.
What kind of practice?It takes a good deal of practice with a
problem type to get know it well enough to immediately recognize its deep structure, irrespective of the surface structure.
Knowing to look for deep structure is part of critical thinking.
How often in class are we asking students to unpack the structure of a problem? To compare various situations that are related for structural cues?
Transforming TendenciesAt present, the work of teaching must not
only transform natural tendencies into trained habits of thought, but must also fortify the mind against irrational tendencies current in the social environment (e.g. prejudice), and help displace erroneous habits already produced (e.g. through family influence, media, advertising).Dewey
Reflective ThinkingIs always more or less troublesome because
it involves overcoming the inertia that inclines one to accept suggestions at their face value;
It involves willingness to endure a condition of mental unrest and disturbance.How We Think, John Dewey p.13
Thinking DeeplyThinking deeply involves a willingness to
persevere.
Talk MovesWhat specific moves did the teacher make to ensure
that students were listening to one another?What evidence is there that these students are used
to sharing their ideas and questioning each other’s thinking?
How close is this image to yours of effective mathematics instruction and learning?
Specifically what do you think is important in this exchange?
How might you foster the effective aspects of this exchange in the practice of the teachers at your school?
VideoTurkey Problem--24 lb. Turkey--15 minutes per
pound to cook--How long to cook the turkey?Grade 3—prior to any teaching of any
multiplication algorithmsSharing student work after students have solved
the problem.Teacher deliberately determines the order in
which selected partners will share.Is this an example of making student thinking
visible and/or effective feedback? What’s your evidence?
Excerpt 1-Focus on MeaningAmber: So um we kept doing it and then we got
here. Um, 360.D: And what is the 360?Amber: How long it…Vicky: 360D: 360, and what does that mean, Vicky?Vicky: That means that it is … you have to… you
have to let it cook for 360 minutes.D: 360 minutes. Who thinks they can explain how
Amber and Vicky figured this out? What did they do?
Excerpt 2-Connecting Explanation to EquationRafe: They counted by 15s all the way up to
360.D: Can you tell from there (the chart) how
many 15s? How many jumps of 15 they have to make?
Rafe: 24, because I can see the number sentence.
D: And what did the number sentence say?Rafe: 15 x 24 = 360.D: Equals 360.
Excerpt 3-Clues & QuestionsNellie: Yeah. I know what they did, but there’s one thing that they
didn’t figure out: how many hours 360 is.D: How many hours 360 is. Without telling Victoria and Amber
how many hours um 360 minutes is, can somebody give them a clue about how they might want to figure that out? How could they figure that out? Emma F?
Emma F.: I don’t know how to explain it, but….how did they know when to stop?
D: Well, that’s a great question.Vicky: Because…Amber: We counted 24 jumps. We counted 15, I mean 24 jumps.D: You counted 24 jumps. OK. Did you understand that, Emma?
How they did that … they counted each jump and they counted 24 times. (nod from Emma) Let’s get back to the clue.
Excerpt 4-Student to StudentMackenzie: You can count up to 60 minutes and then like
circle that and keep on circling 60 minutes and then that would be how many hours there is.
Amber: How do we know it’s 60 minutes? What do you mean?
Mackenzie: ‘Cause 60 minutes is an hour. Amber: I mean, what do we circle? Like…Mackenzie: You would get 10, 20, 30…Amber: We’re counting by 15s not ones.Mackenzie: I know, but…Vicky: How much 15s would we have to circle to make 60?Griffin: You circle up to the 60 and then … wait. You
circle up to the 60 and then you keep going like that.
Excerpt 5-Effort-Based Iterative ProcessVicky: I figured it out myself. I know how
much you have to circle. D: How much do you have to circle?Vicky: You circle 4 because if you circle 2 …Amber: She means how much circles—hours
—is 4.D: So you know what you have to do to
figure it out now, right? You know what you have to do. Great.
Was there evidence of the following characteristics of an environment conducive to talk in Dana’s class?Dialogue requires a climate where it is
safe for learners (adults and students) to:Come up with ideas (incomplete, way
out)Think out loud (partial, confusion)Explain their reasoning
(misconceptions)Explore their understanding (dive
deeper)
Instructional Rounds in EducationCity, Elmore, Fiarman and Teitel
There are only three ways to improve student learning at scale:Increase the level of knowledge and skill that
the teacher brings to the instructional processChange the role of the student in the
instructional processIncrease the level and complexity of the content
that students are asked to learn
What’s so hard about increasing student discourse?Teacher habits, beliefs, pressuresStudent habits, beliefs, historyWorthiness of the task at hand
Instructional Rounds in EducationCity, Elmore, Fiarman and Teitel
There are only three ways to improve student learning at scale:Increase the level of knowledge and skill that
the teacher brings to the instructional processChange the role of the student in the
instructional processIncrease the level and complexity of the content
that students are asked to learn
Video8th Grade Class--not yet engaging in discourse28 students present--100% African American15 Coaches and Teacher leaders observe (PLC)6% School-wide passing rateClassroom Arrangement AlteredPartial Purpose, demonstrate how to get
reluctant learners to engage in dialogueConnected Mathematics—Bridge Problem—
Linear Algebra—Reading Issues
Directions for AssignmentRead pages 5 and 6 (CMP Unit-Thinking with
Mathematical Models, Invest. 2.1)Problem 1.1 A and B (Paper Bridges)Talk to a neighbor and explain what it is you
need to doCreate teams of 3 people
Penny counterBridge alignerData recorder
Directions for AssignmentFor each bridge thickness, predict the
number of pennies it will take to collapse your bridge.
Find out how many pennies it took to collapse your bridge for each thickness Make a table Make a graph Write statements about what you notice about the data
Put your team data on: Class table Class graph
You have 20 minutes to complete the work
Paper Bridges Data8th Grade Class, Baltimore, MD.
Classroom VideoSummary Discussion after group work
Discourse so far:Expectations to listen and be able to
paraphrase or ask questionCan be called on with or without volunteeringWill do most of the talkingExpected to make statements about data
Some of the data seems to double-examples examined One of the samples has the same data at levels 4 and 5
What are the teacher moves?Call on a student whether or not student
volunteersStay with student for several exchangesFocus the student on the specific question at handGive student “heads-up” that you will check in
againTurn and TalkGet another student to answer; paraphrase Return to studentI believe in you; I’m here for you; you can do it.
Talk, Task and FeedbackEffective feedback requires discourse that
makes students thinking visibleOne important variable in generating student
discourse is the richness of the taskIf the task is not rich enough, there is little
for students to think or talk aboutIf the teacher’s questions are focused on
right answers, it is unlikely the discourse will ever get beyond short responses by individual students
Student to Student DiscourseTo generate discourse that exposes and
deepens student thinking, teachers and students need to listen to and reflect on the ideas contributed by each student
To generate discourse, listening habits need to be cultivated and modeled by the teacher
To generate robust classroom discourse student voices must be given almost as much weight as teacher voices
Our Class This Year—2010-2011Special Education English Language
AcquisitionTruancy
57% 78% 52%
State Test Scores 75% Unsatisfactory
20% Partially Proficient0% Proficient0% Advanced
Observations Session 1Part-Time Coaches—retired teacher; teacher on staffCoaches did not have shared values, beliefs,
pedagogy, or shared practicesCulture—regular meetings without strong focus on
instruction and learning; teacher preference normKristen—Math Teacher, third year teachingMichelle—Special Needs, about 12 years teaching,
not comfortable with mathematics contentStudents unskilled at talking and listening;
engagement by a few students and expectations and evidence of student learning not clear
Session 2—Uh OhTrigonometry lessonConsultant’s content expertise is stretchedTeacher’s lesson plan is questionedLessons have been procedurally focusedEmotions and stress levels are highConsultant teaches the lesson Students reveal several misconceptions and
partial knowledgeStudents are challenged to talk and listen to
one another and to write down their ideas
Session ThreeLesson design is more conceptually basedHave been working on talk moves,
clear/higher expectationsKristen and Michelle teach the lesson (with a
bit of coaching from Lucy) Significant difference in student discourse
and engagementCoach worked with Kristen and Michelle 3-4
time between sessions with Lucy
Video Clip--Lesson Overview
The VideoLesson takes place in February 2011Unit on ProbabilityOne Week Into the Unit26 Students EnrolledTwo Teachers—Math Teacher, Special Ed.About mid-lesson—had done some simple
probabilities using area models, now into the investigation
This exchange is an organic response to student statement—not in plan
VideoAs you watch the video, listen for the things
the teacher is saying and watch the things she is doing to ensure students are talking and listening to each other.
Analyzing the Talk MovesRead the transcript and underline the “moves
” the teacher makes to ensure that kids are talking and listening to one another.
Naming the MovesAsks student to take a standGives him space, but promises to come backRestates expectations re: listeningInsists speakers speaks loudly enoughRevoices—infusing new languageFeigns confustionHighlights a specific part for clarificationRevoices/clarifiesGets students to rephrase/summarize
Balentine: Carlos, did you believe that this was mutually exclusive or that it is not mutually exclusive?
Carlos: I don’t know, I was busy doing work.Balentine: So you were on another problem.
Ok, can somebody help out Carlos and then I’m going to come back to you.
Guillermo:I didn’t say.Balentine: You didn’t say. Do I have a volunteer
to help us out before I call on someone else?
Balentine: Brooke. Remember we’re listening because I’m going to go back to Carlos and then I’m going to ask at least one more person to rephrase.
Brooke: Not mutually exclusive because….Guillermo: Can you repeat that?Balentine Yes, because I ’m going to need you
to be way louder because I can barely hear you.
Guillermo: It’s not mutually exclusive because she can own black shoes and white shoes.
Balentine So it’s not mutually exclusive because she can own black shoes and white shoes.
Balentine Susana, can you rephrase why this is not mutually exclusive one more time because I’m not understanding the difference between mutually exclusive and not
Susana: Because you can own them both black and white shoes.
Balentine: So what does mutually exclusive actually mean?
Susana: They could not happen.Balentine So it is not possible?Susana: YeahBalentine So you’re saying that, this is
possible?
Brooke : It isBalentine: So it’s not mutually exclusive. Balentine: Gerardo, can you rephrase Brooke
and Susana’s thinking one more time before Carlos sums it all up for us?
Gerardo: That it’s impossibleBalentine: This is impossible
Balentine: Carlos in your own words, why is this not mutually exclusive?
Carlos: Um not mutually exclusive…Balentine Just a second, I’m so sorry I couldn’t hear
him because somebody was talking. Carlos nice and loud, why is this not mutually exclusive?
Carlos: Not, because she can own both of the shoes at once.
Balentine: Excellent. Does anybody have any questions on mutually exclusive?
Analyzing VideoScaffolds for the student’s success and then
returns to the student as promisedTeacher is scripting students’ ideas on boardWriting important terms on the board as they
come upUses popsicle sticks with students names on
them to determine who to call on when no one is volunteering
Calls on students whether or not their hands are raised
Advice from KristenUse your first day of school lesson to
introduce accountable talk.Have the students turn and talk to a
partner and tell them to be prepared to share out their responses.
Remind the students to use names when speaking to each other.
Plan with othersCollaboration makes a huge
differenceConcentrate on big ideas—
Hone in on the focusIdentify student misconceptions;
confusionScaffold for students
Planning Is Important
During this turn and talk……I should see you facing your assigned partner…I should hear math talk about the question asked
While others are sharing out……you are looking at the person speaking…you are listening …you are prepared to explain, rephrase, clarify, or add on
Daily Expectations
Think/Pair/Share (Turn and Talk)
Pre-write
Let them know ahead of time
Give Them Time
1. Tell the student that you will come back to them.1. Learn how to listen and learn from classmates2. Teacher stance is, “You can do this. I will help.”3. Clear/high expectations to participate.
3. Have 1-3 students speak.4. Go back to the student.5. If they still don’t have a response—turn and talk
—revoice—don’t give up—go back to student again
Always Come Back
This skill takes time to developPatience with students a mustThis is not natural for anyone—
students/adultsNot an easy processNot always a valued part of our
culture
Listening is a Learned Skill
This is making a difference in the classroom.Student to student questioning has improved
within and beyond the whole class discussions.
Students are not afraid to make mistakes.
Students are no longer satisfied with just an answer.Why do you think that? How do you know?
Improved mathematical writing.Different from copying off the board.Teacher scripting and recording vocabulary in use
gives ELL kids entry
Kids are coming to class.
TruancyKids are Coming to Class
Gerardo 126 total absences only 4 for our class
Yesenia 70 total absences only 3 for our class
Devante’ 66 total absences only 5 for our class
Gabriel 142 total absences only 12 for our class
Student Testimonials“I know what to write about because the class said it five times.” -Guillermo
“I like to tell the class what I know.” - Brooke
“It helps me when other students say it before me.”- Gerardo
“It (accountable talk) makes me pay attention even when I don’t want to.” - Susanna
This is making a difference at our school.Share your work with other teachers.Visit each other’s classes.Get your coaches or department chairs
involved in what you want to work on.Volunteer for initiatives; coaching support,
etc.
Welcome To Day 2We invite you to take a few minutes to engage
individually and reflectively in this minds on activity:
3 things from yesterday that resonate with you about thinking and how we can make it visible with colleagues and students.
2 things you want to take back and go more deeply with in your practice with colleagues and students.
1 thing you will try, starting Monday, with colleagues and/or students around talk moves.
Make Public Your CommitmentPlease do a quick round robin at your table
during which each person reads aloud the two things they want to think more deeply about and the one thing they are committed to doing on Monday in terms of talk moves.
Were there any themes? If so, post the themes so we can learn what wants to emerge.
KaizenWhat is the smallest step you can take to
begin to achieve your goal?If you take that step for 21-30 days, you will
create a new habit and will be ready to take the next step.
Summarizing Key Points from Yesterday
Learn To LearnThe number one characteristic of people who
will be successful in the 21st century are those who know how to learn.FriedmanThe World Is Flat
Learning At LevelsIndividualIn the classroom, the faculty room, the
principal’s office, the boardroom.Transform schools into learning
organizations in which everyone has something to learn and something to contribute to the learning of others and the profession.
Agents of Change: How Content Coaching Transforms Teaching and Learning
What is a learning organization?An organization that is continually curious
about what is and isn’t working and making incremental adjustments aligned with its primary purpose
The players at every level inhabit an inquiry stance and practice asking difficult, challenging questions
Influencers Attend to 6 Variables
Accountable talk includes:Accountable to the communityAccountable to the contentAccountable to the reasoning employed in
that domain
3 Basic Essential Talk MovesTurn and Talk—has the potential to get 100% of
the students engaged and willing to take a standTell me more…OR Why do you think that?—puts
the emphasis on finding out what others think and how they came to the conclusion they did. (Develops awareness, capacity to think about one’s thinking, reasoning, precision)
Who can repeat/paraphrase what was just said? (Establishes clear expectation to listen; hones capacity to reflect on ideas, construct viable arguments)
When to use turn and talk:When lots of hands are raisedWhen no one seems ready to speak whole groupStudents need time think something throughDecide where you stand (agree/disagree/not sure)Explain an idea under discussionClarify Opportunity to explore and participate in order to
listen/engage in whole groupArticle available on web site: www.lucywestpd.com
Talk Matters A LotThe environment in successful high
poverty schools is more conversational and less interrogational
Interactions invited conversationTeachers worked to get kids to think
aloud and modeled thinking aloudWhen classes are conversational the
achievement gains are twice as large Richard Allington
Learning from other countries:Instruction between teacher and individual student
is often sustained over a sequence of several question-answer exchanges
Questions are designed to encourage reasoning and speculation, not just elicit right answers
Teacher feedback provides information and diagnosis on which the child can build, rather than judgment alone
Teaching has pace, but without the clock watching pressure—cognitive pace verses organizational pace
Alexander, 2010
Learning from other countries:Talk tends to display greater attention to
discrimination and precision in vocabulary, grammar and syntax, to volume, clarity and expressiveness, and to the development of the distinctive registers required for different subjects (the oral equivalent of writing genres)
The culture of classroom talk is more public and confident. Children talk loudly and clearly. They listen and expect to be listened to. And the making of mistakes in front of other children is intrinsic to learning rather than shameful or embarrassing.Alexander, 2010
Learning from other countries:Oracy is regarded as no less important than literacyRelationship between talking, reading and writing is
clearly articulated—talk intrinsic to literacySustained oral work in most lessonsSome formal assessments are oralPurpose of classroom talk is mainly cognitive
rather than about developing confidence—focuses on developing thinking
Teachers model talk at its best. Alexander, 2010
Why the focus on discourse?John Hattie’s 750+ meta analyses to identify
major influences on achievement—50,000 studies involving 200 million students-
Effect size: .72Average effect size of interventions that
matter .40
Achievement Strategies Related to DiscourseStrategies No. of Studies No. of Effects Effect Size
Feedback 1276 1928 .72
Questioning 214 312 .49
Challenging Goals
454 671 .56
Metacognitive Strategies
43 123 .67
Teaching Students Self-Verbalization
92 1061 .67
Cooperative Learning
2285 1519 .49
What doeach of the 6 C’s look, feel, and
sound like?
How committedare you to the
6 C’s?
What newskills, beliefs,
or pedagogy is needed to
incorporate the 6 C;s
Where do the 6 C’sfit into the
present curriculum?
Turning Our Attention to Assessment
Like Role SeatingOnly one or two people from the same boards
at a table. Fill up each table-- 10 to a table.Sit with people who do the same work you do:
Left back quadrant—Support folks from Boards (e.g. Superintendents, Instructional Consultants, Coaches)
Right back quadrant—Building level instructional leaders and administrators (e.g. principals, assistant principals, coaches)
Left front quadrant—Secondary teachersRight front quadrant—Elementary teachers
Practice Taking a Learning StanceMindset: I wonder what I can learn from folks who
do the same work I do in places outside my board?Commitment: To LISTEN well to the ideas and
concerns of others and to INQUIRE more deeply into their thinking, experience and beliefs.
Self-awareness: To notice when I’m open and willing to learn from others, what role I’m playing in the group, how I’m choosing to engage, when I’m acting like I already know, when I’m judging others, when I’m thinking critically and deeply, and so forth.
InvitationIndependently and individually take a moment to
think of a time when you gathered really useful information in an informal or unusual way that helped to guide your instruction, your coaching, your supervision and be willing to share this strategy with your colleagues.
In a round robin fashion spending no more than 1-2 minutes per person, share the example you came up with. If you were unable to come up with an example, either pass or pose a question. (Do not answer the question during this first round please.)
Invitation--Round 2What were one or two ideas that came up that you
want to hear more about?Feel free to sit break into partnerships, triads,
quads, whatever so you get to hear more details from the person who shared an idea that has you thinking.
If no one had an idea you want to probe further, then make a list of questions and challenges you have regarding assessment independently or with a partner and be prepared to share you questions with the group.
You have 5 minutes for this part of the work.
Video ClipsClip 4—Dave—preconferenceClips 1 and 2—Dave—lessonClips of conferring with individual students
AssessmentWhat constitutes assessment?What are the purposes of assessment?In what ways are evaluation and assessment
the same things?What is the difference between assessment
for, as amd of learning and how would the tools used for each kind of assessment differ?
How to both informally assess often and regularly AND grade with numbers, letters, etc. on report cards and so forth?
Purposes of AssessmentAssessing student prior knowledge to guide
instructionAssessing student present thinking to guide
instruction either individually or collectivelyAssessing student interests and learning
preferences to differentiate instruction, provide choice
Student/adult self-assessment to development next steps, metacognitive habits of mind, social/emotional awareness and skills
Shared reflection on the learning process
Stance of AssessorVisible listening—notes, slides, videos to
understand student’s path’s, processes, thinking
Pedagogy of listening throughout a lesson (e.g. classroom discourse, stop and jot, inviting questions)
Inquisitive and responsive—tell me more, show us what you mean, give an example, draw, write, describe, explain, help me understand, convince me
What question are you seeking to answer? Why?What do I (you) know about…How do I (you) know I (you) know that?How deeply do I (you) understand the content
under study? Under what circumstances can I (you) apply the
knowledge in question?What misconceptions, partial knowledge,
questions do (I) you have? How might we address these?
How can I (you) support further learning?What learning strategies work for (me) you?
When and How Do We AssessAssessment through conversationAssessment through the use of videoAssessment through student work samplesAssessment through stop and jot momentsAssessment through exit ticketsSelf, peer, teacher, coach, authentic audience
assessmentBefore, during, at the end and after through
reflection
What do you want next time?When we meet in the Spring, what do you
want to go deeper in?Think individually Round RobinEach table submit 1-3 themes for next time.Please list table numbers when you respond
so we can intentionally seat tables together based on interest.