Creating Cultures of Thinking - Ron Ritchhart

Creating Cultures of Thinking: The 8 Forces We Must Marshal to Truly Transform Our Schools

EdisonLearning Leadership Development Academy, 2013 Thursday, July 11, 13

1998-2000

Spencer Why does school and Foundation classroom culture matter?

2000-2005

Stiftelsen How does culture act Carpe Vitam as a teacher?

What are the2005-2013 forces we must understand Bialik College and marshal to truly with the support of our Abe transform & Vera Dorevitch classrooms into cultures of thinking? 2007-2013

Dow Chemical Summer ELDA July 11, 2013

Thursday, July 11, 13

Oakland Schools

What do we want the children we teach to be like when they are adults? Thursday, July 11, 13

The Residuals of Education Curious Adventurous Skeptical Inventive Open-Minded Original Imaginative Creative Strategic Flexible Metacognitive Questioning Reflective Risk-Takers Truth Seekers Mindful Inquisitive Considerate Responsible Full of Wonder Independent Compassionate Listeners Balanced

21st Dispositions Century Skills


So...How do schools help them get there? Thursday, July 11, 13

ENCULTURATION Children grow into the intellectual life around them


Is a process of gradually internalizing the messages & values that we repeatedly experience through our interaction with the social environment. This internalization takes time as we identify the messages and values that are consistent and recurring in our environment.

The ENCULTURATION Story of Learning Thursday, July 11, 13

The Old Story What is the story of learning you were “told” when you were in school? What did you learn about learning? How it happens? Its purpose and value?

shift Thursday, July 11, 13

A Story of Work Howgoal longofdoes this is the completion of work done The school for someone else. have to be? How many points is this The larger purpose behind activities isn’t always worth? clear. Thus, assignments become ends in themselves.

Can I do extra credit to improve mythe grade? Grades are pay off/outcome for work. Do I have to show my on this? Doing school work is seen as work students‘

job.

Are we going to work be tested Good students do the they are assigned without on this? question. Thursday, July 11, 13

A Culture of Work The language of work

✓

Homework,seat work, class work, workbooks, work time…

Students’ perceptions

✓ Students predominately see their classrooms & schools as work oriented.

Grading Policies

✓ Reflect our tension around rewards & punishments based on work


A Story of Alienation School isn’t about me, my life, my culture. School isn’t about learning, it’s about having the answers. Some people are just smart and know how to do it, others (like me) can never get it. Rewards go to those who can guess what the teacher wants. You study by memorizing. Smart means being fast with the answer. Thursday, July 11, 13

A NewAStory New Story What messages What is the story of about learning are learning we truly What is the storywant students in this to tell andwe make a ofthe learning classroom reality for our truly want to tell receiving? students? and make a reality for our students? Thursday, July 11, 13

What’s the New Story?


Beginnings of a New Story Learning is a consequence of thinking. Learning and thinking are as much a collective enterprise as they are an individual endeavor. Learning involves uncovering complexity and delving deeply. Learning is often provisional and frequently changes with time. Learning is an active process and involves getting personally involved. Questions not only drive learning but also are outcomes of learning. Thursday, July 11, 13

cultures ofthinking

INTELLECTUAL CHARACTER

ARE PLACES IN WHICH A GROUP’S COLLECTIVE, AS WELL AS INDIVIDUAL, THINKING IS VALUED, VISIBLE, AND ACTIVELY PROMOTED AS PART OF THE REGULAR, DAY-TO-DAY EXPERIENCE OF ALL GROUP MEMBERS. Thursday, July 11, 13

Interactions & Relationships

Routines & Structures Opportunities

We Tell The Do Cultural Modeling How the Story Forces

Time

Environment Expectations Thursday, July 11, 13

Language

cultures ofthinking EXIST WHEN THE 8 Defining a CULTURAL FORCES OF A PLACE Culture ofARE Thinking MARSHALED TO Operationally CONSISTENTLY ENCOURAGE & SUPPORT GOOD THINKING FOR ALL GROUP MEMBERS Thursday, July 11, 13

Marshaling the Cultural Forces Routines & Structures Language

That scaffold thinking & learning

Expectations Opportunities Created Interactions & Relationships Physical Environment Modeling

For thinking & learning

Time Thursday, July 11, 13

That names, notices, & highlights thinking

For engaging in thinking That show respect for students’ thinking In which the process of thinking is made visible Of thinking For thinking

With a partner, pick 2 of the CULTURAL FORCES on which to focus in the next video How are those cultural forces being marshaled to encourage and support the learning and thinking in Kenna’s 9th Grade Algebra classroom? What messages and values are being conveyed through those 2 cultural forces in Kenna’s classroom? Thursday, July 11, 13


Discuss with your partner... How are those cultural forces being marshaled to encourage and support the learning and thinking in Kenna’s 9th Grade Algebra classroom? What messages and values are being conveyed through those 2 cultural forces in Kenna’s classroom? Thursday, July 11, 13

For classrooms to be cultures of thinking for students...

...schools must be cultures of thinking for educators Thursday, July 11, 13

Leading A Culture of Thinking Are we as a What messages school keeping am I sending our focus on the teachers about thinking and the what counts? learning over What’s most the work? important? What our school is What routines & structures about? can I put in place to support the best thinking of the adults in the building as we work together to build a culture of thinking? Thursday, July 11, 13

Leading A Culture of Thinking Are we as a What messages school keeping am I sending our focus on the teachers about thinking and the what counts? learning over What’s most the work? important? What our school is What routines & structures about? can I put in place to support the best thinking of the adults in the building as we work together to build a culture of thinking? Thursday, July 11, 13

To Truly Transform Our Schools into the places of learning our children need for success in the 21st century attention to instructional methods and curriculum alone won’t suffice. We must do more. We must also marshal the 8 Cultural Forces and leverage them to create Cultures of Thinking for all. Thursday, July 11, 13