Students were then asked to think of the big ideas and important themes in what they had just read, seen, or heard. They chose a COLOR that they think best represents the essence of that idea. Then a SYMBOL that best represents the essence of that idea. Lastly, they sketched an IMAGE that best captures the essence of that idea.
In honor and remembrance of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Dolsen Third Graders and Ms. Schueneman's Second graders read "The Other Side" by Jaqueline Woodson and My Uncle Martin's Big Heart by Angela Farris Watkins. Students then thought about and discussed Dr. Martin Luther King's life's work, persistence, and empathy towards others.
Students were then asked to think of the big ideas and important themes in what they had just read, seen, or heard. They chose a COLOR that they think best represents the essence of that idea. Then a SYMBOL that best represents the essence of that idea. Lastly, they sketched an IMAGE that best captures the essence of that idea.
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Many issues that arise within a community have opposing sides. By using the Tug of War routine, students can identify "tugs" for both sides of a dilemma. As fifth graders began their Persuasive Writing Unit and examined different topics, they noticed evidence for and against an issue. Students read numerous article about zoos. They had to display their thinking for both sides of the argument "Should there be zoos?" Students then had a whole-class debate where students used their reasons to pick a side. In science, we are working on our trees unit. One of the key concepts expected of students is to compare the details and properties of leaves. Students were given an assortment of leaves to first observe and discuss with other students. Then the leaves were displayed on the SmartBoard zoomed in so students could notice small details in the leaves.
This was the first time my kindergarten students participated in the See, Think, Wonder thinking routine, so I didn’t know what to expect from them. I was very surprised by students’ responses during the “What do you see?” portion of the routine. None of my students said anything about it being a leaf. Instead, they focused on the color, shape, and parts of a leaf. Students also began making connections during the “Think” portion of the routine to what students saw in the beginning. One student said, “I know that someone said there are lines in the leaves. I think those are the veins.” It was great to see all of my students sharing their thinking with a partner and then the amount of them that wanted to share their ideas with the whole class. Kindergarten students sure know how to make their thinking visible using the See, Think, Wonder thinking routine! In reader's workshop, first grade thinkers have been learning how to make mental images of what is happening within a text. We have practiced noticing the pictures of fiction books, to make movies in our minds of how the stories will go. We have also been activating prior knowledge before reading informational text by identifying what we already know (or think we know) about the book subject. We have been discussing that sometimes the movies we make in our minds have to change once we read the text. Strong readers change their thinking based on what the words say! To help students identify how their thinking changes while reading, I had my class use the "I Used to Think...Now I Think" routine. I modeled how my thinking changed after reading an informational book about frogs, and recorded my thinking on a sticky note. As students read independently, they recorded how their thinking changed on their own sticky notes. During our share after Read-to-Self, students got to share their thinking with their reading partner, and then we shared out as a whole group.
I like using this routine during reading because it really makes students think about their thinking! As they read, they are tracking the adjustments they automatically make (or should be making). During the share, students were also very engaged and excited to share that their thinking changed. We have such great first grade thinkers! :) The Step Inside thinking routine allows students to explore different perspectives and viewpoints as they take on the role of different characters or objects. Students will try to imagine things, events, or problems in a different way. They are asked to try and see things from a different perspective and think creatively/imaginatively.
When reading Molly Lou Melon, students were asked to stop at three points in the story. At this time, they stepped inside the character of Molly Lou to discuss what she was thinking and feeling. The three different colored stick notes represent the three times that we stopped in the book. Although I wrote out students' thinking, these were completely their own responses that they shared with their peers through turn and talk and a whole group discussion. I noticed right away that my students embraced the character of Molly You and thought deeply about how she was thinking and feeling at certain points in the book. It being so early in the school year, i wasn't sure how much participation I would get, but I was excited to see that most of my students wanted to share out their answers. Overall, I was VERY surprised by my students' responses, especially because they have never done this routine before! They really made their thinking visible, both orally and on our recording sheet. Imagine this. You are a fourth grade student. You are participating in a lesson on leadership. Your teacher asks you to close your eyes. She asks you, "if you could chose a color to represent 'leadership,' what would you chose?" Now open your eyes. What color came to mind? What makes you say that? Since we have embarked on a building a culture of thinking at our school, students are routinely asked to think metaphorically and to justify their thinking. Students are asked to represent big ideas and important themes in something they read, saw, or heard by choosing a color, symbol, and image that represents the essence of the idea. In Making Thinking Visible, Ron RItchhart says "metaphors are a major vehicle for developing our understanding of ideas as we connect something new to something we already know by identifying similarities and making comparison." This thinking routine is called a Color-Symbol-Image (C-S-I) and is great for helping students build comprehension and begin to develop the skill of thinking metaphorically.
When facilitating thinking routines like a C-S-I, I am always amazed at the depth of some students' thinking. Today I was amazed at one of of my student's response: When I think of leadership, I think of the color green. I think of the color green because green is a color that is a mix of two colors: blue and yellow. I think of a leader as being yellow, always bright and sunny and positive. This leader comes across someone that is sad or "blue" and he or she helps them feel better. The resulting color of the "mix" is green. Leadership isn't a solo endeavor. It really is about taking care of others, as well as, taking care of ourselves! Wow. It’s that time of year again… the start of school! As students and their parents are out school shopping teachers eagerly return to their classrooms with fresh ideas from the summer. This year, as a result of our Culture of Thinking Journey I spent my summer considering my students thinking, how I can value it and how I can foster learning though my language. Ron Ritchhart speaks of 8 cultural forces at play within a school or learning community, one cultural force being language. A school or a classroom is in itself a little community and language can drastically affect how it functions. As I prepared my classroom this year I focused on how to help students realize their opinions. thoughts and ideas were valued. Thus, my door sign where students are not just students, but mathematicians, friends, scientists, creative etc. This shows students that they are valued and sets the tone for those that walk through my door. I want students to do the thinking as I interact with them. Hopefully my door sign will empower students to see themselves as more than learners and take their journey to a deeper level. Upon further reflection on Ron Ritchhart words, I might make one subtle change to my door if I were to do it again. Instead of each line saying “YOU ARE,” I would change it to “WE ARE” thus further strengthening our community. With one slight wording change I would take this door from students working individually to what I really want in my classroom, which is group learning. One word changes the whole community and promotes students working together in a cooperative effort instead of a competitive one. But that’s the life of a teacher, always reflecting, changing and growing! This page will be used by teachers to "talk" about the thinking happening in their classroom and at Dolsen. It may be about a thinking routine students used or it might be an observation about a cultural force at work in their classroom. To see further discussion about thinking routines and the 8 cultural forces that must be mastered to truly transform our school into a culture of thinking, click on the appropriate links below.
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Teacher TalkThis space will be used by Dolsen teachers to "talk" about the thinking happening in their classroom and at Dolsen. I hope you stop by often and learn about all the student thinking occurring in our building. Archives
January 2016
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