Cultures of Thinking in Action 10 Mindsets to Transform our Teaching and Students Learning

by Ritchhart, Ron

• ISBN13: 9781119901068
• ISBN10: 1119901065
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2023-06-27
• Publisher: Jossey-Bass

Summary

From leading educational researcher Ron Ritchhart, a deep dive that illuminates what the foundational mindsets needed to create cultures of thinking really looks like in action.

Building on the framework presented in the best-selling Creating Cultures of Thinking, Ron Ritchhart’s new book, Cultures of Thinking in Action, takes the next step in helping readers not only understand how a culture of thinking looks and feels, but also how to create it for themselves and their learners. Arguing that no set of practices or techniques alone is sufficient to create a culture of thinking in and of itself, Ritchhart explores the underlying beliefs that motivate the creation of cultures of thinking, presenting key mindsets every educator and leader needs to embrace if they are serious about creating powerful thinkers and learners.

Much more than just an instructional guide, Cultures of Thinking in Action offers readers a reflective journey into their own teaching, leading, and parentingwhile providing the foundation and concrete strategies needed to create and develop a culture of thinking for all learners.

This book:

• Presents ten foundational mindsets of a culture of thinking
• Includes the latest research of the Cultures of Thinking Project
• Includes questions, exercises, and discussion prompts to inspire reflection by individuals and teams
• Provides case studies and best practice scenarios to exemplify each mindset
• Provides useful data collection tools to inform one’s teaching practice

Author Biography

Ron Ritchhart is an award-winning, retired Senior Research Associate at Harvard Project Zero and current Fellow at the University of Melbourne, Australia. His research is focused on developing intellectual character, making thinking visible, and enhancing school and classroom culture to promote deep learning. He is the author of the bestselling Making Thinking Visible, The Power of Making Thinking Visible, and Creating Cultures of Thinking.

Table of Contents

List of Figures

Dedication

Acknowledgments

About the Author

Introduction

Mindset 1: For Classrooms to Be Cultures of Thinking for Students, Schools Must Be Cultures of Thinking for Teachers

What the Research Says: Why Does It Matter?

Transformative Power of Inquiry

Institutional Mirroring

Visions and Reflections: How Might It Look?

Constructing Our Vision

Contemplating Pictures of Practice

Reflecting on Current Practice

Data, Principles, and Practices: What Actions Can We Take?

Collecting Street Data

Stating the Mindset as Principles for Action

Possible Actions

Fitting New Actions with Current Realities

Conclusion: Our Theory of Action

Mindset 2: We Can’t Directly Teach Dispositions; We Must Enculturate Them

What the Research Says: Why Does It Matter?

The Case for Curiosity

The Case for Metacognition

Developing Dispositions

Visions and Reflections: How Might It Look?

Constructing Our Vision

Contemplating Pictures of Practice

Reflecting on Current Practice

Data, Principles, and Practices: What Actions Can We Take?

Collecting Street Data

Stating the Mindset as Principles for Action

Possible Actions

Fitting New Actions with Current Realities

Conclusion: Our Theory of Action

Mindset 3: To Create a New Story of Learning, We Must Change the Role of the Student and the Teacher

What the Research Says: Why Does It Matter?

On Supporting Agency

On Teacher and Student Talk

On Initiative and Reliance

On Identity

Visions and Reflections: How Might It Look?

Constructing Our Vision

Contemplating Pictures of Practice

Reflecting on Current Practice

Data, Principles, and Practices: What Actions Can We Take?

Collecting Street Data

Stating the Mindset as Principles for Action

Possible Actions

Fitting New Actions with Current Realities

Conclusion: Our Theory of Action

Mindset 4: Students Learn Best When They Feel Known, Valued, and Respected by Both the Adults in the School and Their Peers

What the Research Says: Why Does It Matter?

Belonging

Relationships

Value, Fairness, and Respect

Visions and Reflections: How Might It Look?

Constructing Our Vision

Contemplating Pictures of Practice

Reflecting on Current Practice

Data, Principles, and Practices: What Actions Can We Take?

Collecting Street Data

Stating the Belief as Principles for Action

Possible Actions

Fitting New Actions with Current Realities

Conclusion: Our Theory of Action

Mindset 5: Learning Is a Consequence of Thinking

What the Research Says: Why Does It Matter?

Beware the Fluency Trap

Identifying Types of Thinking

Visions and Reflections: How Might It Look?

Constructing Our Vision

Contemplating Pictures of Practice

Reflecting on Current Practice

Data, Principles, and Practices: What Actions Can We Take?

Collecting Street Data

Stating the Mindset as Principles for Action

Possible Actions

Fitting New Actions with Current Realities

Conclusion: Our Theory of Action

Mindset 6: Learning and Thinking Are as Much a Collective Enterprise as They Are an Individual Endeavor

What the Research Says: Why Does It Matter?

Intellectual Development

Social Development

Academic Development

Professional Learning

Visions and Reflections: How Might It Look?

Constructing Our Vision

Contemplating Pictures of Practice

Reflecting on Current Practice

Data, Principles, and Practices: What Actions Can We Take?

Collecting Street Data

Stating the Belief as Principles for Action

Possible Actions

Fitting New Actions with Current Realities

Conclusion: Our Theory of Action

Mindset 7: Learning Occurs at the Point of Challenge

What the Research Says: Why Does It Matter?

Productive Struggle and Failure

Desirable Difficulties

Growth Mindset

Desire for Challenge

Visions and Reflections: How Might It Look?

Constructing Our Vision

Contemplating Pictures of Practice

Reflecting on Current Practice

Data, Principles, and Practices: What Actions Can We Take?

Collecting Street Data

Stating the Mindset as Principles for Action

Possible Actions

Fitting New Actions with Current Realities

Conclusion: Our Theory of Action

Mindset 8: Questions Drive Thinking and Learning

What the Research Says: Why Does It Matter?

Student Questions

Listening

Visions and Reflections: How Might It Look?

Constructing Our Vision

Contemplating Pictures of Practice

Reflecting on Current Practice

Data, Principles, and Practices: What Actions Can We Take?

Collecting Street Data

Stating the Belief as Principles for Action

Possible Actions

Fitting New Actions with Current Realities

Conclusion: Our Theory of Action

Mindset 9: The Opportunities We Create for Our Students Matter to Their Engagement, Empowerment, and Learning

What the Research Says: Why Does It Matter?

Qualities of Powerful Learning Opportunities

Engagement

Empowerment

Visions and Reflections: How Might It Look?

Constructing Our Vision

Contemplating Pictures of Practice

Reflecting on Current Practice

Data, Principles, and Practices: What Actions Can We Take?

Collecting Street Data

Stating the Mindset as Principles for Action

Possible Actions

Fitting New Actions with Current Realities

Conclusion: Our Theory of Action

Mindset 10: We Make Thinking and Learning Visible to Demystify, Inform, and Illuminate These Processes

What the Research Says: Why Does It Matter?

Developing Effective Learners

Enhancing Expertise and Deeper Learning

Academic Achievement

Principles and Practices: How Might It Look?

Constructing Our Vision

Contemplating Pictures of Practice

Reflecting on Current Practice

Data, Principles, and Practices: What Actions Can We Take?

Collecting Street Data

Stating the Belief as Principles for Action

Possible Actions

Fitting New Actions with Current Realities

Conclusion: Our Theory of Action

Epilogue

Appendix A

Appendix B

Appendix C

Appendix D

Appendix E

Appendix F

Appendix G

Appendix H

Appendix I

Endnotes

References