Creating a Cultures of Thinking
Increasingly, we are recognizing the importance of the culture of the classroom as foundational for learning. And yet, we often don’t give teachers many tools for or understanding of how to create group culture that can foster deep learning and build understanding. During the workshop, we will focus on the practical and concrete ways educators can create a culture of thinking in their schools and classrooms, foster the kinds of thinking opportunities that lead to deep understanding of content, and develop our skills of how to look for evidence of student thinking and understanding. This workshop offers a unique opportunity to explore the cultural forces of: interactions, modeling, environment, routines, language, opportunities, time, and expectations. Throughout the workshop, participants will use a variety of thinking routines to facilitate their own learning and explore how each of these can be used to create more thoughtful classrooms.
Participants will explore and build their understanding around:
AGENDA AND WORKSHOP OVERVIEW
SESSION 1: January 20, 2021
A New Vision of Education
SESSION 2: February 24, 2021
Unpacking Culture
SESSION 3: March 17. 2021
The Cultural Force of Language
SESSION 4: April 14, 2021
Creating Powerful Learning Opportunities
Ron Ritchhart is a world-renowned educator, researcher, and author. For over 25 years, Ron served as a Senior Research Associate and Principal Investigator at Project Zero at the Harvard Graduate School of Education where his research focused on understanding how to develop, nurture, and sustain thoughtful learning environments for both students and teachers. Ron’s interest in creating cultures of thinking has led him to conduct research in such areas as intellectual character, mindfulness, thinking dispositions, teaching for understanding, creativity in teaching, how teachers’ beliefs and values shape their practice and the development of communities of practice. Ron believes that teaching is a complex art and science that must be understood in context. Consequently, a strong theme of learning from best practice runs throughout all of Ron’s research and writing.
After leaving Harvard in 2021, Ron has continued his classroom and school-based research and writing to further the ideas of visible thinking and the creation of schools as cultures of thinking.
Ron is a sought-after speaker for his ability to connect with and engage fellow educators in these powerful, big-picture ideas, while simultaneously providing useful insights into and practical ideas for advancing the complex world of teaching and learning. This is no doubt due to Ron’s diverse experience, which includes teaching elementary school, art, and secondary mathematics. Upon Ron’s retirement, Howard Gardner commented, “Of all of us at Harvard Project Zero, you have had the most influence on what teachers around the world do in their classrooms and how to talk and think about it.”
Ron’s ability to seamlessly merge theory, research, practice, and application together in a highly accessible and engaging manner has made him a best-selling author of numerous books including Intellectual Character, Making Thinking Visible, Creating Cultures of Thinking, and his latest, The Power of Making Thinking Visible.
Registration Fee:
$100.00
Registration Notes:
It is strongly recommended that each participant has a copy of Ron Ritchart's book "Cultures of Thinking".
