Thinking

The purpose

To develop learners who value both the rigorous and creative aspects of quality thinking.

To develop learners who have the capacity to generate and evaluate ideas and solutions.

This means

Learners knowing themselves profoundly as learners and thinkers.

Learners using a wide range of thinking modes.

Learners utilising thinking from a range of times and cultures.

Learners developing and employing enterprising attributes.

Learners developing enterprising and creative solutions for contemporary issues.

Quality thinking (Bloom’s Taxonomy)

Taxonomy level (Bloom’s)	Focus questions
Remember (Factual answers, recall and recognition)	Can you describe the facts of the situation?
Understand (Translating, interpreting, showing understanding)	Can you show that you understand the situation?
Apply (Using information gained in a different and a familiar situation)	Can you apply this information to another situation?
Analyse (Break into parts to examine more closely)	Can you break this information into parts so that you may understand the structure?
Evaluate (Judge, use criteria, rank, substantiate)	Can you form an opinion or make a judgment and give reasons for it?
Create (Combine information and new situations to create new products, ideas, etc.)	Can you create some fresh ideas or new solutions?

Knowing oneself as a thinker and learner - metacognition

Teaching ABOUT thinking metacognition

Teaching about thinking is teaching about reflection, self-regulation and self-assessment.
teaching about one’s own thinking is called metacognitive reflection.
It’s about self-awareness and subsequent self-regulatory processing, or self-evaluation.
It requires learner regulated goal setting, self-monitoring, and reflective actions and reactions to the learner and their learning.
It’s the cornerstone of the learner-centred concept that drives personal application and transfer of learning.

Thinking mode divergent thinking

Divergent Thinking Model

The Divergent Thinking Model provides a concise and unifying approach to integrating important elements of thinking in both the cognitive and the affective domain. The model presents seven different question types that educators may use in structuring teaching and learning activities for children and students. The question types include:

Quantity questions such as	List .... How many .... Give many examples of ....	which will stimulate flexibility of thinking
Change questions such as	What is the short term and long term significance of .... What would happen if ....	which will stimulate creative thinking
Prediction questions such as	Suppose that .... Tell the outcome of ....	which will stimulate critical thinking
Point of View questions such as	Justify .... Give your opinion ....	which will stimulate affective thinking
Personal involvement Questions such as	What if you were .... Imagine yourself as ....	which will stimulate affective thinking
Comparative association questions such as	Compare .... Find similarities between ....	which will stimulate analytical thinking
Valuing questions such as	Do you agree that .... How do you feel about ....	which will stimulate affective thinking

Enterprise attributes

Collecting, analysing and organising information
Communicating ideas and information including Negotiating
Planning and organising including managing resources and people
Working with others and in teams including
Working cooperatively
Using mathematical ideas and techniques
Solving problems
Being creative and innovative
Making decisions
Using technology including information and communication technologies
Using initiative and drive
Being positive and flexible
Reviewing and assessing
For further information link to the Vocational Education Site.