SIMON BROOKS EDUCATION

Why might highly effective teachers in a culture of thinking make Reasoning with Evidence a BIG ROCK in their schools and classrooms? This Blog entry is part three of an eight-part series exploring 7 Big Rocks for Educators keen to build a culture of thinking in their classrooms. When I reflect on 2016, one of the most thrilling lessons I’ve observed was a Year 10 Science class on Mendelian inheritance and Punnett squares taught by a wonderful Science teacher called Jenny Ste

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO THE PODCAST What are thinking routines? How are they different to activities? What's the difference between management, instructional and thinking routines? And how might the use of thinking routines support the growth of a culture of thinking? Cultures of Thinking is an educational framework arising from the work of Dr. Ron Ritchhart and colleagues at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. For many years, I have enjoyed a close affiliation with th

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO THE PODCAST How might the replacement of low-level tasks with purposeful thinking opportunities be the single most productive and low-cost way of bumping up learning in schools? What would it be like if there were no more worksheets to keep children busy? How do great teachers create powerful learning opportunities, rich in thinking, and in service of developing deep, lasting understanding? Cultures of Thinking is an educational framework arising from

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO THE PODCAST As teachers, how do we model who we are as thinkers and learners? What is the difference between a dispositional and a cognitive apprenticeship? And what impact might this have on helping students grow as critical and creative thinkers? Cultures of Thinking is an educational framework arising from the work of Dr. Ron Ritchhart and colleagues at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. For many years, I have enjoyed a close affiliation wit

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO THE PODCAST Most teachers feel that there just isn't enough time in the school day. This pressure makes it hard for some teachers to allow time for thinking, but making time for students to think actually facilitates faster coverage of the curriculum, since students develop more lasting understanding of content and become more engaged in their learning. How might we become the master of time rather than its victim? Cultures of Thinking is an education

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO THE PODCAST In 1978, educator Lev Vygotsky explored the idea that children make sense of the world around them not only through their eyes but also through their speech. In other words, 'it is not just seeing but acting that becomes informed by words.' As educators, how might the LANGUAGE we use help children develop the disposition to be critical and creative thinkers? Cultures of Thinking is an educational framework arising from the work of Dr. Ron

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO THE PODCAST How do our EXPECTATIONS for children, rather than expectations of them, help shape a culture of thinking in our classrooms and schools? Cultures of Thinking is an educational framework arising from the work of Dr. Ron Ritchhart and colleagues at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. For many years, I have enjoyed a close affiliation with this team, and now work with educators around the world interested in building cultures of thinking