{"id":455,"date":"2017-11-10T23:51:07","date_gmt":"2017-11-11T04:51:07","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/sites.miamioh.edu\/edt431-531\/?p=455"},"modified":"2017-11-10T23:51:55","modified_gmt":"2017-11-11T04:51:55","slug":"an-interesting-perspective-the-importance-of-windows","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sites.miamioh.edu\/exemplary-science-teaching\/2017\/11\/an-interesting-perspective-the-importance-of-windows\/","title":{"rendered":"An Interesting Perspective: The Importance of Windows"},"content":{"rendered":"

Howdy bloggers,<\/p>\n

I apologize for the gap in my posts, but today marks the sixth installment of An Interesting Perspective. In this post, we will discuss some of the aspects presented in Ron Ritchhart’s Making Thinking Visible<\/em>.<\/p>\n

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Imagine this. You’re on a trip of a lifetime sailing the seas of the Alaskan coast. You can’t wait to see the coastal landscape, and maybe even catch a glimpse of some marvelous humpback whales. But, when you show up to your charter boat, there are no windows to be seen and the boat is made of solid metal. At this point, you’re probably pretty disappointed that you spent all this time preparing and planning for this trip, but won’t get to experience it the way you had hoped.<\/p>\n

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The same thing can be said about the classroom if teachers don’t make their students’ thinking visible. This idea of making thinking visible allows students to understand the processes behind the conclusions they draw. If students are unable to see the way in which they think, they will likely struggle to understand concepts. This can lead to disinterest in the topic, and, ultimately, disappointment in the class, just like the disappointment you experienced along the Alaskan coast.<\/p>\n

So, how do we make thinking visible?<\/em><\/p>\n

As an educator, you need to be able to construct windows into your students’ minds so they can make their own thinking visible. Here are a few strategies that you can use to build those windows.<\/p>\n

1. Chalk Talk<\/strong><\/p>\n

This is a method in which students have a pseudo debate. You start with some sort of prompt, either a word or a phrase and write them on either the board or on large papers around the room. You then ask the students to write their reaction to the prompts on the board or on the paper anonymously. Students then move around the classroom writing their responses to the other prompts, or writing reactions to their peers’ comments. Make sure that students draw boxes around their original comments or draw circles around their reactions to their peers’ comments with an arrow connecting them.<\/p>\n

An example of this in your own classroom could look like this. You start with two posters hanging on either end of the classroom. The one at the front has a prompt of, “GMOs should not be produced commercially,” and the second has a prompt of, “Global warming isn’t influenced by humans.” You then allow students to move around the classroom to respond to the prompt, and have a silent debate with their peers through the anonymous comments. Make sure to give adequate time for students to engage in the anonymous discussion on each of the two posters.<\/p>\n

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A post shared by I.S. 75 (@is75paulo)<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n