Thinking Skills

Session 2: 5th December 2013

CPD: Thinking Skills

Dates:
Wed 16th Oct 2013: method one Thurs 5th Dec 2013: sharing experiences and method two Wed 29th Jan 2014: sharing experiences and method three Between 29th Jan 9th April: a peer observation should take place Wed 9th April 2014: sharing and planning for the future

This session:
1. Sharing experiences of De Bonos Thinking Hats i. How did you use them? ii. How did it go? iii. Any advice? 2. Method two: Tony Ryans Thinkers Keys i. Overview ii. Examples of task-setting iii. Planning time iv. Evaluation

CPD: Thinking Skills

How did you use them? How did it go? Any advice?

CPD: Thinking Skills

Tony Ryans Thinkers Keys

CPD: Thinking Skills

Thinkers Keys are a set of twenty different activities designed to engage and motivate learners in a range of thinking tasks. A range of question or task starters are presented as keys to unlocking the analytical, critical and creative thinking abilities of learners. They were written explicitly for 8 to 14 year-olds but can be used beyond these ages.

10 creative keys 10 critical keys use them in sequences part of a bought-in programme but can be used without it!

CPD: Thinking Skills

An alternative to listing facts. Place words such as cannot, never and not in sentences which are commonly displayed in a listing format.

You can ask virtually any what if? question. They can be either serious or frivolous.

CPD: Thinking Skills

A fork --> 1. Can't eat soup 2. Can't dig a hole

Choose an object, e.g. an umbrella, or a practice, e.g. playground duty, and list a number of its disadvantages. Then list some ways of correcting, or eliminating these disadvantages.

List the attributes of two dissimilar objects (one within your area of study, one outside), then combine the attributes into a single object.

CPD: Thinking Skills

A practical step-by-step strategy for developing innovative and highly unusual products.

A sorting process: choose an object or category and compile a list of words from A to Z which have some relevance to the object/s. Then try to expand on some ideas which link with each of the words.

Bigger Add Replace/remove

abcdefghijklm nopqrstuvwxyz

CPD: Thinking Skills

This key employs a special group of words. Start each question with How many

ways can you

Draw a simple diagram which has no relevance to the area of study; the students then try to work out ways in which it could be linked with that area. Come up with a list of ten things that the diagram could represent.

commercialism

CPD: Thinking Skills

Students think critically. They predict the possible outcome of a set of given circumstances.

Put your imagination to work and list some widely different uses for a chosen object from your area of study.

A spoon can be used for: 1. Eat soup and rice 2. As a shovel in the beach 3. A piece of a musical instrument

CPD: Thinking Skills

Make a ridiculous statement that would be virtually impossible to implement, and then attempt to actually substantiate it.
Anderson says : Let's steal some stars off the sky!

Select two dissimilar objects and ask students to find common points.

CPD: Thinking Skills

Start with the answer, and try to list five questions which could be linked with that answer only.

State a problem which needs to be solved and brainstorm a list of solutions. Start the brainstorm statement with the words How to ...

CPD: Thinking Skills

Encourage students to develop inventions which are constructed in an unusual manner.

grated carrot olives old tennis ball matchsticks

old buttons drinking bottle

Make a statement which could not generally be questioned or disputed, and then try to break down the wall by outlining other ways of dealing with the situation.

CPD: Thinking Skills

ouch!!

A problem-solving task that requires the use of limited quantities of everyday materials.

Develop a solution to a problem by employing a number of dissimilar objects.

CPD: Thinking Skills

Students list ways in which to complete a task without using the normal tools or implements.

Describe an unusual situation and then think of some different explanations for the existence of that situation.

what tha?

SCHOOL BUS

SIR - 470

CPD: Thinking Skills

Ways to use the thinkers keys:

Starter Activities 1. Question Key: Give the children an answer and they have to come up with five questions that match the answer. 2. Reverse Key: Children come up with 10 things that cannot be done or never seen (give the scenario). 3. Different Uses Key: give children an object which they are to come up with 10 different uses for.

CPD: Thinking Skills

Ways to use the thinkers keys:

Reading Activities 1. Prediction Key: possible outcomes for this situation are... 2. Variations Key: use to solve a problem encountered by the characters in the text (how many ways can they...) 3. Interpretation Key: come up with as many different ways to explain the situation in the text as you can (this can work for fiction or non-fiction texts)

CPD: Thinking Skills

Ways to use the thinkers keys:

Quick Assessments e.g. The Question Key to assess the students understanding of a topic.

Extension Work
Set up a thinkers keys table with all or selected thinkers keys on it. Set questions are attached to each key. The students can visit the table with a given focus (differentiation) or can choose their own key to use.

e.g. The Variation Key can be used to get students to expand on their thinking; The Alphabet Key can be used to summarise learning.

CPD: Thinking Skills

Ways to use the thinkers keys:

Differentiated tasks to build into group or project work

CPD: Thinking Skills

Subject ideas:

English: state a problem

occurring in the given text. Students brainstorm how this problem can be solved.

PE: get students to think about different

variables on how to do something. Allow them time to work out and/or write down solutions to the starting question, e.g. "How many ways can you throw a ball?"

Art: e.g. come up with three ways

of painting a picture without using a paintbrush. Then do it!

CPD: Thinking Skills

Subject ideas:

Geography: give students a number of

objects from a country and ask them to imagine different uses for them.

History: ask students to build an AngloSaxon house using a set list of materials.

RPE: come up with ways of disputing

widely-held beliefs or ideas.

CPD: Thinking Skills

How could you use Thinkers Keys in your subject area?

Use the website and resources to help you come up with some ideas.
http://independentlearningatkeswick.weebly.com/staff---route-three.html

CPD: Thinking Skills

Plus Points Can be used across the curriculum Great for visual learners Use higher-order thinking skills in a range of different ways Good for...

Minus Points A large number of keys makes it more difficult to use them all at the same time Not as easy to remember as the hats Not so good for...

CPD: Thinking Skills

Next session: Wed 29th Jan 2014 Frank Costas Habits of Mind Plus an opportunity to share your ideas about and experiences of using Thinkers Keys in the classroom.
To help: http://independentlearningatkeswick.weebly.com/staff---route-three.html