GLC TLG Creating Cultures of Thinking

glc tlg

- Teachers' Learning & Growth

Our proposal was accepted,

and none of us knew what challenges were awaiting us...

Despite being a school where different types of students attend, we believe every single student, independently of their families' income, needs to become critical and creative thinkers; and a culture of thinking is really needed to make sure students who could become leaders of their country, or any other type of leadership, can do a great job having developed their thinking skills to contribute to make a better country and a better world. In our school we also work with PBL, and global projects, and trying to implement TBL as well. This is why we believe taking this course could help us to spread cultures of thinking in the whole school and the community we belong to by sharing with the rest members of the school.

Ana Vivas, Mauricio Posada & Mar Cano

I used to think... Now I think

1st March 2020 #runandrant

Now that we are reaching the end of the #CCoT online course, these are my reflections on how my understanding of each of our throughline questions has shifted since the beginning of the course.

What role does classroom culture play in my students’ learning?

I used to think and i still think that classroom culture makes the difference in the students’ learning process and is the one that can set the ground for a positive atmosphere of learning where students feel safe to make mistakes and learn, grow, explore, think, create, share, etc

I used to think that, at the beginning of the school year, I start by creating the right atmosphere where learning can take place in a safe setting. To do that class agreements are co-created. Rather than rules, they are statements both students and teacher agree on as necessary to promote the best learning environments possible. At GLC I learned that they create the same type of agreements, but not only as class agreements, but also as agreements for leaders and teachers’ teams. That is what I consider as part of school culture. These agreements can be revised from time to time to see if we are all connected or if some changes need to be done.

Now I think it is not only about creating class agreements, which are definitely key, but also about the type of class agreements. I realised that the class agreements I used to focusing on with students had a lot of room for improvement in terms of making visible the importance of thinking. That means next year, as I set class agreements, I definitely need to bear in mind what class agreements I can put on the table so that students feel thinking as a core essence in our classes. Moreover, in our classes and to take away with them to transfer to any other environments, even out of the class and the school.

I used to think that my aim is to develop thinking skills and dispositions of the mind as they learn English alongside, so that they can learn a language and at the same time become autonomous, reflective creative and critical thinkers. I want them to challenge what I say, to look for information from reliable sources, to find alternative solutions to solve problems, to follow visible thinking routines and thinking skills which allow them to get deeper in their knowledge and expand their thoughts and beliefs on the global world from an ethical approach.

Today I still believe my aim is to develop thinking, thinking skills and dispositions of the mind as they learn English alongside, and I would also like them to learn a language and at the same time become autonomous, reflective creative and critical thinkers. And I would add that needs to be aligned with my big rocks.

I used to think that, personally, I would love to see how students grow immersed in a school culture which offers them those chances to grow and develop as lifetime learners in many different ways and with diverse educators and school leaders. What if all the teachers and educators were lifetime learners themselves?

Now I think that 'what if all the teachers and educators were lifetime learners themselves'. That it’s never too late learn how to offer opportunities for students to grow immersed in a school culture which offers them those chances to grow and develop as lifetime learners and thinkers in many different ways and with diverse educators and school leaders.

How do I understand, assess, and shape classroom and school culture?

As a team, when started the course we wanted to gain pedagogical practice and reflective insights to develop different types of thinking (critical and creative mainly) in a way it can spread beyond our classrooms to the whole community.

I used to think our school is currently living an important transformation to a new thinking culture in which the students have the opportunity to explore and create solutions to current problems that they encounter in their environment. We consider that this is a first step in the transition to a real culture of thinking, because we are having the chance to go beyond the curriculum and give our students the possibility to share and develop their expectations and goals about learning.
PBL, is the strategy that allows the transition from a single and monotonous learning environment, to one that is open and multifaceted in which students have infinite possibilities, but specially they have voice and choice, and a meaningful role in their education. This process is helping us to understand new educational horizons and giving us the chance to explore innovative perspectives about what, when, why and how to teach.

Now I think that to understand, assess and shape classroom and school culture, it does not really matter if we do it using PBL methodology or any other.

I think that applying the 8 forces to transform schools

and its communities of thinkers and learners should be done independently of the methodology applied.

Obviously, true PBL -in PBLWorks terms- can boost students’ voice and choice. What I want to say is that a culture of thinking should come first, and definitely active methodologies can contribute to that. What makes me think is that, in the end, a powerful shift of the educators’ mindset needs to be nurtured in the first place.

I still think that the questions we came up with in session 2, still need to be tackled to ensure how to move on to shape classroom and school culture:

How could we create a culture that promotes the transition from a memorizing to a thinking culture?
How could we help students to understand the real concept of 'active learning and to put it into practice in our/their classes?
How could we create a culture in which teachers and parents allow children to express ideas?
How could we create a culture in which students can be positive and proactive?
How could we create a class atmosphere where students can feel free to develop their ideas and work with their passions?
How can we succeed in unfolding the old stories about learning and schooling, and in transforming the current stories into new stories at a community level?

How can we cope with the forces of resistance to change within the community to craft a new story?

From the 5 set of expectations, I have chosen developing a growth mindset as the opening door for the rest of them. If students have an open mind to grow and learn, they should be more open to learn in different ways independently, to focus on understanding, as well as on deeper learning strategies.

Although it was hard to choose an expectation that may shape classroom and school culture, even if we chose one for a school year, I wonder if, when we are in front of a new generation of students the following school year, we should better evaluate the students’ characteristics first, and according to those traits we may reconsider what expectation(s) that group of students could benefit more. Even more, could it be that we should think about personalised key expectations as every student is a unique world?

Who are my students becoming as thinkers and learners as a result of their time with me?

First, as we said some time ago we would like our students to be happy, resilient, empathetic, sustainable, ethical, glocal, broad-minded, creative, innovative, critical thinkers, analytic, respectful, emotionally intelligent, flexible, collaborative, trustful, balanced, passionate, long-life learner, persistence, problem-solver and grow as adults who care about their surrounding environment, being responsible for their actions and able to reflect on what they have done. Also being able to move on, to continue growing each day, to go further. To believe that even the hardest things are possible, working hard and dreaming big.

However, one thing is the ideal we aim at, another thing is the real one, and that could be answered using the circle of viewpoints. In my view, I think that I am planting seeds for my students to gradually become thinkers and more independent learners with a growth mindset, a deeper understanding, putting the emphasis in that understanding rather in knowledge; though sometimes I feel it’s hard to row against the system, and that implies finding allies like Ana and Mauricio to multiply that effect and make a bigger impact.

I used to think I was promoting thinking in my classrooms…, but after analysing my educational practice (and my colleagues’) a bit closer and deeper from the perspective of the 8 forces, I realised there’s plenty to do for my students to become critical, ethical an effective thinkers and learners, as I show in the self-assessment tool that I attach here.

I just want to think that it can done...

7th Grade English Class Agreements

one step at a time.

Think- Puzzle Explore

Final reflections

What do you now THINK you know about creating a culture of thinking?

I think that the change in education revolves around thinking and creating cultures of thinking, rather than classrooms where thinking could be present. To implement a culture of thinking, a whole team and the whole learning community needs to be aligned. It’s all about a mindful change of mindset.

I learned about the 8 forces and the 5 key expectations, and how to implement them through particular actions.

I think I also learned that VTR cannot be presented as activities, but as thinking strategic processes to boost thinking in order to get a deeper understanding of a topic.

What still PUZZLES you about creating a culture of thinking?

What still puzzles me is how the power of old stories can determine the role of thinking in our classroom, schools and learning communities. Changing those stories are a real challenge that needs to be tackled by the whole community.
Another puzzle is the interconnection between the 8 forces, as they must work together. Besides, I was puzzled to see how little moves can make such a big impact to encourage our students’ thinking.
That first question we were asked to think about, “Who are my students becoming as thinkers and learners as a result of their time with me?” is still lingering in my mind, together with ‘Who is making the thinking?’.
Another striking question has to do with the big rocks. What are my big rocks in education? It struck me how those big rocks, in my case particularly values, can shape the way we teach and understand a culture of learning and thinking. Even if we are not aware of them, they are guiding every single action we take and every single decision we make.
Another puzzle has to do with the amount of actions which are necessary to be put into practice to ensure that the adequate moves for the 8 forces are taking place and enhancing the creation of cultures of thinking.

Which one of these puzzles are you individually most interested in exploring? What actions might you take to further EXPLORE this puzzle?

I would personally like to explore more puzzles 1 and 5:

1. What still puzzles me is how the power of old stories can determine the role of thinking in our classroom, schools and learning communities. Changing those stories are a real challenge that needs to be tackled by the whole community.

This would imply, first, to uncover those old stories which students, teachers and families (the whole community) may have, and then to embark on a journey to realize a common vision of learning and thinking, with the purpose to co-create a new story together.

5. Another puzzle has to do with the amount of actions which are necessary to be put into practice to ensure that the adequate moves for the 8 forces are taking place and enhancing the creation of cultures of thinking.

I’d like to think about an action to implement for each of the 8 forces:

1. Expectations:

Focused on the expectation I chose, developing a growth mindset, first, I would like to explore students’ mindsets at the very beginning of the school year when we start to know each other, if that is the first time we meet. The idea would be to start asking questions, like ‘When do you feel smart?’, and collecting data.

Include at least one of each key expectations in the class agreements at the beginning of the school year, for example, “Looking for understanding rather than knowledge.”

2. Language

Create a visible mind map with the different types of language and questions and useful expressions to develop each of them. In this way, students and myself, or even, whoever that enters that space, will be able to refer to it at any time.

3. Time

Investing time at the beginning of the school year to share what our classroom will be like, and what teaching and learning will be like, as Nathan did (2015:90).

Count the seconds after a question.

4. Modeling

Find my own models, like the ones in the videos shared in this course, and analyse the way they model students’ thinking to, then, be able to apply it. From there, ask for a colleague’s coaching to give feedback on how I’m doing my modeling in order to get some insights for improvement.

5. Opportunities

Create learning and thinking opportunities starting from the planning to make them present from the very first moment and become aware of them, and finally to evaluate how they eventually proved to be after the class.

6. Routines

Analyse the VTR applied the previous year and think what needs to be improved to implement in the school year.

Making VTR cards on wall chart papers or on the walls, to make them visible in the class.

7. Interactions

Be mindful when I listen in on groups, and stop before inserting myself into the process, allowing them to act more independently. This could be directly connected with the time given to students after a question or an intervention.

8. Environment

Show displays in the classroom which inspire learning in my subject area, ESL/EFL, and connect students to the larger world of ideas by sharing positive messages about learning and thinking, as for example in the class agreements, to start with.

ESP+I: Experience, Struggles, Puzzles plus Insights

I decided to use this visible thinking routine as it allowed me to reflect on my learning process by identifying key areas that moved my learning and understanding forward as well as the questions and struggles that still remain.

This routine can be “used to structure and enhance reflection after an extended process of inquiry or investigation”, as it is this case once this course is getting to its end. I believe it can be applied to this course as it is “specifically designed for reflection over an extended course of action that would include multiple steps, revisions, and adjustments over time”. In this case, the course started on February 23rd and I started carrying out this reflection on May 29th , as it is coming to its end on 7th June.

My final reflections...

Experience

One of the very helpful actions that helped me change my thinking was sharing and interacting with other peers: first, with my GLC colleagues, Ana and Mauricio, who decided to embark on this learning experience with me and with whom I’ve shared hours and hours of discussion which implied connecting over and over again endless times in ZOOM, saying ‘Guys, another 40 minutes have just passed…’; and second, with the other members of group 7 and our coach Nigel Coutts.

Another useful action was the result of being interpellated by different texts: first, with the book Creating Cultures of Thinking. The 8 Forces We Must Master to Truly Transform our Schools; second, with everyone’s written reflections and replies which were result of team work and built upon each other’s reflections; and third, with the reflections shared by the instructors Cameron Paterson and Erika Lusky after each session.

One more useful action was the analysis of my own teaching practice and my colleagues’. Being lockdown, working remotely doing virtual classes and recording them has been a bless. It has given us an amazing opportunity! Observing a live class wouldn’t have given to us the chance to stop and rewind and watch again a specific meaningful moment, whereas recording the virtual classes in ZOOM has. In that sense we were lucky to have those video recorded classes which allowed us to go deeper and deeper in our analysis of small details that could go unnoticed, yet those can make a big difference.

In any case, even if it had happened on live, as my colleague Mauricio said, it was an enriching experience to open our (virtual) classes as we already shared a common goal concerning this course and we had created some bonds previously to feel eager to open that door. What makes me think this could also be a way of modeling for our students as a way for teachers to learn, that they could also apply. Why not?

Another remarkable thing could be my growth mindset. Even I have some background knowledge on thinking form different perspectives, I was quite open to learn more and to revise that knowledge and my educational practices. That has allowed me to grow by realising what things I need to keep, readjust, improve, etc. And that gives me and my colleagues room from improvement, as we all agreed on that need as part of our professional development to enhance the creation of a culture of thinking.

Struggles

Honestly, one of the hardest challenges has been to find the time to read, to think, to meet, to share, to write… In the end we always found that time sooner or later. In fact, we were more concerned about the quality of our thinking and sharing time, and taking profit of the course as much as possible, even meeting on Friday evening being half dead from an exhausting week.

I truly believe this was an invested time which served its purpose: to plant one more seed to learn more about how to create cultures of thinking, to get a deeper analysis and to start making some conscious moves, or even some unconscious ones... Yet, this reinforces the fact that thinking needs time and, after my experience in different educational contexts, the way the school systems work don’t allow that much time for THINKING. Most of the time is used to do things, but thinking is not included in that time as it may be perceived as invisible…. And I think that is one the changes any educational community needs to reconsider. I wonder what would happen if we had free slots of time and spaces for thinking… How transformational would that be? What impacts could that have in our educational institutions?

Another challenge I faced was to be able to cover all the contents and get a deep understanding of all of them. Obviously, some forces have resonated more than others and I tried to capture some key ideas in my sketch notes to make that visible and be able to use it in my virtual classes. Particularly, an idea came to mind when I was in extracurricular English support class with one my 6th graders students. As she struggles to communicate orally in the English language as a second language, I told her to take advantage of virtual classes. Therefore, I encouraged her to use sticky notes with useful expressions for a classroom environment and to stick them around the monitor of her PC. So, when she was in a class, she could use those expressions which were always visible for her. Taking that as an example, I said to myself that, if I wanted to use specific language, I needed to have it visible at all times so that I could go back every now and then and use it repeatedly until I interiorized it. In that way I could scaffold the use of specific language for different purposes to enhance a culture of thinking through this force.

One more challenge I faced was to focus primarily on the key expectation chosen: developing a growth mindset. I found it hard to put all the attention on that one, as, in the end, all of them are interconnected. However, if I focused on one at a time, I could get more specific actions to develop that one in particular, as my colleague Ana did.

Puzzles

To begin with, that first question “Who are my students becoming as thinkers and learners as a result of their time with me?” struck me and left my in shock, as I had never stopped to think about it, and I have actually been lingering on that question during the whole course….

After that, another striking question was about the big rocks: "What are my big rocks in education?" From my experience in several educational contexts and in different countries in my eighteen years of teaching experience, I was not surprised to realise that, for me, values come first. Long time ago I learned that, even if I am a language teacher, respect and many other values come first as humanized persons; then, we can focus on learning English as ESL or EFL learners; and this is something I like telling my students. Moreover, I am shaping the role of thinking in these core values.

Another question that keeps me revolving around is how I am going to manage to successfully put those 8 forces into action after the course is over. This is why I would like to create an effective action plan following Kolb’s experiential learning cycle and nurture the habit which leads me to be a true reflective practitioner.

"To reflect is to look back over to what has been done and so as to extract the net meanings which are the capital stock for intelligent dealings with further experiences. It is the heart of intellectual organization and of the disciplined mind." (Dewey, 1938: 110)

After having discussed with the team, I came with this action plan to start implementing at the beginning of next school year:

1. Expectations:

Include at least one of each key expectations in the class agreements at the beginning of the school year, for example, “Looking for understanding rather than knowledge.”

2. Language

3. Time

Investing time at the beginning of the school year to share what our classroom will be like, and what teaching and learning will be like, as Nathan did (2015:90).

Count the seconds after a question.

4. Modeling

5. Opportunities

6. Routines

Analyse the VTR applied the previous year and think what needs to be improved to implement in the school year.

Making VTR cards on wall chart papers or on the walls, to make them visible in the class so that the students can identify what type of VTR we need to develop and enhance all together.

7. Interactions

8. Environment

Show displays in the classroom which inspire learning in my subject area (ESL/EFL) and connect students to the larger world of ideas by sharing positive messages about learning and thinking reinforcing it as a natural practice in their daily lives. These positive messages about learning and thinking would need to go together with an environment, not only physical but mindful, in which they can feel safe, trusted, and curious to ask questions and to build upon each other’s ideas in the mode of the ‘ice-cream coning’ metaphor. And obviously, we need to be mindful when it comes to the way they are shared, as they may differ depending on the environment, either physical or virtual, we may be immersed in.

Insights

To start with, I learned that I am still very ignorant about this topic, even if I started learning about thinking, visible thinking and thinking skills and habits of mind many years ago. Every time I get deeper into the topic I realise that there is more and more to learn, and improve.

Additionally, I reinforced my belief that

the change in education revolves around thinking and creating cultures of thinking,

rather than classrooms where thinking could be present.

I learned about these 8 forces, although now I have the challenge to bring and keep them all alive. Yet, I am positive about it since I already created that action plan to get started with. However, as my colleague Ana reminded me, first, we have to start by identifying the needs of the school, class and students.

I learned that as a teacher of English as a Second or Foreign Language, maybe I could start rethinking how to boost language as one of the essential forces to transform schools and, in the end, societies.

I learned and I want to have a coach or a peer who gives me feedback on how I am implementing and making those moves towards a culture of thinking.

I reinforced my belief in the power of the community being on the same boat, rowing in the same direction in terms of creating cultures of thinking that can make a meaningful impact in our students rather than creating islands of thinking that are hard to fight against those rooted and traditional beliefs where memorization and grades are at the core. And here is the challenge: while one tries to give specific, concise and meaningful feedback to students; I continuously receive messages that you have to keep uploading grades every now and then. Therefore, I feel in a constant battle since time is time, how to balance feedback time with grading. And how to reinforce the message that grades aren’t important but the whole process. This is why I find myself reminding my students that if they focus on the thinking, deeper understanding and learning will come, and, consequently, the result will directly transform into those good grades our old story has still the focus on.

Mª del Mar Cano Mesa

360 Learner, Educator, Communicator and Researcher

Aprendiz 360º, Docente, Comunicadora e Investigadora