Cultural Forces
In Creating Cultures of Thinking, the 8 Forces We Must Master to Truly Transform our Schools, Ron Ritchhart states "I believe that culture is the hidden tool for transforming our schools and offering our students the best learning possible" (p. 6).
He also states that "if culture is the key to transformation, then we must understand how group culture is created, sustained, and enhanced" (p. 6).
At Dolsen, we are working to understand these cultural forces in order to transform our school into a culture of thinking. During the 2015-2016 school year, teachers are embarking on a year long study of Ritchhart's new book and the 8 cultural forces through a reading-discussion-action-reflection process.
More detailed explanations of the cultural forces can be accessed below or by clicking on the button:
He also states that "if culture is the key to transformation, then we must understand how group culture is created, sustained, and enhanced" (p. 6).
At Dolsen, we are working to understand these cultural forces in order to transform our school into a culture of thinking. During the 2015-2016 school year, teachers are embarking on a year long study of Ritchhart's new book and the 8 cultural forces through a reading-discussion-action-reflection process.
More detailed explanations of the cultural forces can be accessed below or by clicking on the button:
- Time: Allocating time for thinking by providing time for exploring topics more in depth as well as time to formulate thoughtful responses.
- Opportunities: Providing purposeful activities that require students to engage in thinking and the development of understanding as part of their ongoing experience of the classroom.
- Routines & Structures: Scaffolding students’ thinking in the moment as well as providing tools and patterns of thinking that can be used independently.
- Language: Using a language of thinking that provides students with the vocabulary for describing and reflecting on thinking.
- Modeling: Modeling of who we are as thinkers and learners so that the process of our thinking is discussed, shared, and made visible.
- Interactions & Relationships: Showing a respect for and valuing of one another’s contributions of ideas and thinking in a spirit of ongoing collaborative inquiry.
- Physical Environment: Making thinking visible by displaying the process of thinking and development of ideas. Arranging the space to facilitate thoughtful interactions.
- Expectations Setting an agenda of understanding and conveying clear expectations. Focusing on the value for thinking and learning as outcomes as opposed to mere completion of “work.”
Source: www.ronritchhart.com