Figure 2: Phases of teaching thinking skills
From the first session in CPD, I learned that all students have their own gift for learning with their own curiosity to find out about something they always want to know. As teachers we need to understand our students need and use variety ways of activities to enhance students thinking skills.
In “How to Create and Develop a Thinking Classroom“, Mike Fleetham (2009) writes:
“In our evolving world, the ability to think is fast becoming more desirable than any fixed set of skills or knowledge. We need problem solvers, decision makers and innovators. And to produce them, we need new ways to teach and learn. We need to prepare our children for their future, not for our past.” This explains clearly that new strategies should be introduced to students to ensure we develop individuals who think critically in order to solve problems.
Since I am a Grade 1 Homeroom, I find it a little challenging to encourage students to practice this. However, these could be the possible ways I would want to introduce in my lessons. As a first grade student, they definitely require higher attention in order to process the information and think. As a start I think this activity would help students to capture attention,
eg: TALK strategy – This strategy teaches students to manage their ‘ talking and listening’ process to promote students understanding which then leads to an effective lesson. (http://www.brainboxx.co.uk/a3_aspects/pages/ThinkingTALK.htm) – Please click here for more activities on thinking skills
Activity name : Listening triangle
Objective: This activity helps to develop speaking and listening skills and raises students’ awareness of what constitutes both a clear explanation and active listening.
Students work together in groups of three.
The SPEAKER explains the topic (or expresses their opinion on an issue) as directed by the teacher.
The QUESTIONER listens carefully and asks for clarification or further detail.
The NOTE-TAKER observes this process and provides feedback to both “speaker” and “questioner”.
A “numbered heads” approach can be used to allocate roles – and these roles can be rotated (either now or subsequently).
As for a start in my first grade classroom I would encourage my students take the first step by exposing to the ‘tools to use’ as I have mentioned earlier this helps students to pay closer attention and be a good listener/observer. Once they achieve the first goal, then I may slowly begin with the ‘questioning technique’ which allows them to find out the answer or to solve a problem. I personally think the phases of teaching thinking skills (figure 2) can be used as great tool for teachers in making questions.
Nevertheless, I find that Six Thinking Hats which I think will perfectly fit in English lessons – Debate, but I think this may be best to use in higher primary level. Choose a topic and six different groups with six different hats, different opinion, different ideas, sounds cool!
Lastly, I personally think that schools should use the ‘Blooms Taxonomy’ by making their own rubrics for each grade level since some grade level students may not know the use of it. This will give a good flow in transition, as they move to the next grade the vocabulary/instruction/questioning technique gets more complex and challenging.