Teachers: invent your thinking routines using the command terms of questions.
Educators globally are familiar with Harvard University's Project Zero, designed to guide teachers toward optimal practices for enhancing learning effectiveness. One notable outcome of this initiative is the "visible thinking" program, which relies on activities facilitating students' visualization of their cognitive processes during learning, employing tools known as thinking routines.
Thinking routines are sets of instructions that break down a task into manageable components, enabling a gradual and efficient approach to its completion. As students engage in activities, they are encouraged to exhibit their progress, fostering increased participation in the learning process and promoting self-reflection to enhance their learning capabilities.
Numerous thinking routines have been developed and tested, offering educators a variety of options based on specific learning objectives. A comprehensive list of these routines can be found at: https://pz.harvard.edu/thinking-routines-all
In instances where a teacher cannot find a suitable routine for a given task, they are encouraged to create one. This can be achieved by employing command terms associated with questioning.
Command terms are expressions that precisely instruct students on how to respond to a question. Examples include define, determine, discuss, evaluate, justify, and describe, each with a specific meaning guiding students on the required response.
Teachers can invent thinking routines by compiling a list of command terms and strategically combining them to suit the desired learning outcome. This process involves conceptualizing the task, breaking it down into steps, and crafting instructions for each step using the appropriate command term.
For instance, a teacher may create a thinking routine for a lesson on the steps of protein synthesis using the command terms
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Describe-Organize-Justify
According the international? baccalaureate education system,
Describe means give a detailed account.
Organize means put ideas and information into a proper or systematic order.
Justify means provide evidence to support or defend a choice, decision, strategy or course of action.
To implement this routine, the teacher may prepare a set of images depicting various stages of the protein synthesis process. Students, presented with these images in random order, would then describe the events depicted, organize them in a logical sequence, and justify their chosen order through thoughtful discussion and debate. This student-driven approach promotes active engagement and a deeper understanding of the subject matter, deviating from traditional methods of teacher-led instruction.