Primary Years Programme (PYP)
Thinking
I recently had the pleasure of attending a professional development seminar facilitated by Dr Ron Ritchart; a principle investigator and senior research associate at Project Zero, Harvard.
The seminar focused on exploring the key areas related to developing a culture of thinking, using a range of visible thinking tools. It was one of the best professional development experiences I have attended and I'm truly excited to explore and further develop this idea with the Junior School team in the weeks to come.
Within the PYP thinking skills are explicitly referred to in the approaches to learning under the sub headings of:
- Acquisition of knowledge
- Comprehension
- Application
- Analysis
- Synthesis
- Evaluation
- Dialectical thought (thinking about two or more different views at the same time)
- Metacognition (analyzing one's own and other's thought processes; thinking about how one thinks and how one learns)
Throughout the year, all teachers plan for, teach and assess these skills. Using a range of visible thinking skills, and promoting a culture of thinking, will further enhance and strengthen what we do in these areas. If you are interested in reading more click on the following link to Ron's webpage: http://www.ronritchhart.com/Welcome.html
Kathy Derrick
Deputy Head of Junior School - Curriculum
