Mapping Thinking Across a Trust

Creating visual representations of the thinking process can reveal a lot about how students are receiving and retrieving information. Hanna Miller shows how implementation of Thinking Maps across an entire School Trust is providing a framework for success in multiple areas.

When embarking on a new stage of schooling, each student brings with them a different experience of what learning looks like and feels like, often reinforced by their experiences – sometimes positive and contributing towards the development of a confident and competent learner, but other times negative, which can leave learners feeling overwhelmed, anxious or despondent. Hyerle and Alper state that, ‘Thinking Maps serve as a device for mediating thinking, listening, speaking, reading, writing, problem solving, and acquiring new knowledge’ and for our Trust schools, these visual representations provide a ‘portal’ into the thinking that is taking place in the heads of our students and a language to communicate it.¹ The infusion of Hyerle’s Thinking Maps across the whole curriculum has provided our students with a method to sort and present information, providing a rich vocabulary to express and discuss their ideas in relation to the content they are studying and their underlying thinking.

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      string(404) "... themselves in preparation for the ever-changing world that lurks beyond the school gates.Hanna Miller leads Metacognition and Thinking across the Thinking Schools Academy Trust  and is responsible for training staff and driving improvement of teaching and learning.References and further readingBurgess, J. (2012). The impact of teaching thinking ..."
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      string(3852) "guidance, as an intervention, had positive effects on young children with challenging behaviours. We have found across the Trust that training sessions for staff on the underpinning of the Habits initiative followed by whole staff ownership of developing bespoke interpretations and resources to integrate the language and ideals of the Habits has been visibly positive. There have been noticeable decreases in students receiving negative behaviour points and observable improvements in attitudes to learning.In some of the schools in which ‘Habit points’ are being administered, there are now many students who have moved from previously recording poor behaviour points to now receiving positive Habit points. In line with work by Burgess (2012), we also found that certain Habits have developed at a quicker rate than others. Staff are being critical and analytical when reporting data findings and are keen to further explore current pitfalls, e.g. the subjectivity of what constitutes a ‘Habit point’. This has led to important staff dialogue and insightful smaller scale studies taking place in department areas and year groups to measure the possible impacts of the Habit interventions on learning in more specific domains.On a broader scale we are now working towards a consistent cross-Trust approach towards the development of Habits and are trialling a research-informed model that staff and students at all levels can use to monitor their own progress towards becoming a better thinker in terms of dispositional development. The staged model focuses on the acquisition of key knowledge and gradual understanding of the thinking structures and strategies that can support ‘better’ thinking, which all of us can deliberately and consciously use to enable staff and students to take control and ownership of their own thinking and effectively reflect on their progress towards being more ‘thought-ful’.The Habits of Mind are infused throughout all areas of school life and our goal is to include parents and carers more and more in understanding, tracking and striving to develop the Habits that mean we are more confident in our capabilities. We are mindful of our role in modelling successful Habits and equipping our students with the strategies to develop successful Habits and become the best version of themselves in preparation for the ever-changing world that lurks beyond the school gates.Hanna Miller leads Metacognition and Thinking across the Thinking Schools Academy Trust  and is responsible for training staff and driving improvement of teaching and learning.References and further readingBurgess, J. (2012). The impact of teaching thinking skills as habits of mind to young children with challenging behaviours. Emotional & Behavioural Difficulties, 17(1): 47-63.Costa, A., & Kallick, B. (2006). Discovering and Exploring Habits of Mind. Alexandria: ASCD.Jones, M.V., Meijen, C., McCarthy, P. J., & Sheffield, D. (2009). A theory of challenge and threat states in athletes. International Review of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 2: 161-180.Marzano, R. (2005). A Different Kind of Classroom: Teaching with Dimensions of Learning. Heatherton: Hawker Brownlow Education.Murray, J. (2016). Skills development, habits of mind, and the spiral curriculum: A dialectical approach to undergraduate general education curriculum mapping. Cogent Education, 3(1).Quigley, A. (2016) The Confident Teacher: Developing Successful Habits of Mind, Body and Pedagogy. Oxon: Routledge. Yeager, D. et al. (2016). Using design thinking to improve psychological interventions: The case of the growth mindset during the transition to high school. Journal of Educational Psychology, 108(3):374-391."
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Leadership

Cultivating Habits of Mind

12 Sep 2018

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      string(401) "... partner, build on each others’ thinking andthen present their shared thinking with a larger group orwhole class.  This strategy for developing pupils’ cognitivetalk is used across the curriculum and from an early age.Other thinking activities shown on the video include:● Concept mapping. Y6 children mapping factors theythink create ..."
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      string(5822) "thinkingThe videoThe Queen’s School thinking skills work is one of the areasfor which they were awarded Beacon status and they haveworked with over 40 schools to disseminate good practicein this area. The video Thinking Allowed: a window onteaching and learning at The Queen’s School was a responseto requests from teachers to see ‘what it looked like’ inpractice. The video and accompanying booklet illustrate afew of the key elements in the Queen’s School thinkingcurriculum. They chose to film Year 1 and Year 6 classes toshow that a thinking skills approach can be appliedthroughout the primary range, and also to illustrateprogression across the school.The film company chosen for this was the appropriatelynamed Addedzest. Project co-ordinator Jane Hoganexplains: ‘We tried ourselves to video what was going onbut it soon became obvious that we needed theprofessionals!’ Addedzest came and filmed over a period ofthree (very hot) days. Although what was produced is anengineered outcome, it gives a flavour of how projectteachers were working. We feel strongly that what you seeis not a perfect model but a window on real teachersthinking about teaching and learning.’The video shows the ground rules for a community ofenquiry being discussed with Year 1 pupils. Teacher SaraSmart explains that key aspects of establishing acommunity of enquiry in Key Stage 1 at Queen’s Schoolinclude:● everyone’s input is valued equally – we try to withholdjudgement when responding as a teacher● we all take turns● we really listen, with our eyes and ears● we can learn from each other’s thinking and build oneach other’s ideas● it is okay to be unsure, to have conflicting or differentviews● we always justify our thinking by giving reasons orexamples.Fig: Y1 rules for a community of enquiryAs in Year 1, the ground rules for a community of enquiryare also discussed in Year 6. The discussion reflects the aimsof the project: to develop caring, critical and creative pupils,growing in confidence and in metacognitive awareness ofthemselves as thinkers. In the filmed discussion, notions ofpersonal change and behaviour modification are voiced.One pupil suggests that she has become less shy indiscussions because her friends participated. Another hasrecognised the need to be less dogmatic. Knowledge andacceptance of ground rules in the community leads to asense of trust and security even when the themes fordiscussion are most challenging.This video shows pupils reflecting on some of differentkinds of thinking activities they tied out. Talk about thepupils’ own thinking (metacognition) was seen in theproject to be a key to developing pupils’ thinking skills.Successful learners need to be able to reflect on theirlearning and the strategies they use, and to evaluate howbest to move on.  Project teachers found this self-evaluativethinking from pupils led to greater understanding of thesubject and the context of their learning; hence the valueof displaying ‘thinking’ questions to prompt and challengeboth teacher and pupils in their evaluative discussion.Pupils’ metacognitive reflections are recorded in their ‘ThinkLog’ journals. Questionnaires are also used as thinkingframes for evaluating thinking and learning.The video shows a number of thinking strategies,including the use of thinking time; asking for follow-ups,playing devil’s advocate; and Think, Pair, Share [TPS]. DuringTPS, pupils think individually, talk through their thinkingwith a response partner, build on each others’ thinking andthen present their shared thinking with a larger group orwhole class.  This strategy for developing pupils’ cognitivetalk is used across the curriculum and from an early age.Other thinking activities shown on the video include:● Concept mapping. Y6 children mapping factors theythink create standards of living in different countries.● Pupil questioning and discussion. Children discuss ‘theirmost important question’ about rich world/poor worldissues.● Creative Thinking. ‘How can we reuse this?’  Y1 pupils areencouraged to look beyond the obvious and to be ascreative as possible.● Reasoning. ‘Odd one out.’ Here Y1 pupils have to sort,evaluate, express ideas, and build on others’ thinking,all within a community of enquiry● Evaluation. ‘Diamond Nine’ Within a community ofenquiry, pupils talk collaboratively, evaluate choices anddiscuss reasons for them. They then prioritise statementsfor action.58 Teaching Thinking  Summer 2003www.teachthinking.comPrimary thinkingPrimary thinkingPrimary thinkingPrimary thinkingPrimary thinkingIn Y6 pupils are shown working in pairs to created shortpresentations on different countries for the rest of the yeargroup.  Techniques for these presentations include TVinterviews, game shows, plays, posters and persuasivespeeches. The presentations reflect the development of thechildren’s ideas about sustainable development atpersonal, local and global levels – all examples of ways theproject teachers are seeking to create the ‘caring, criticaland creative citizens of the future’.The impact of teaching thinking skillsThe impact of the project has been significant for all staff,with teaching and support assistants aware of differentlearning styles (visual, auditory and kinaesthetic) and theneed to develop children’s multiple Intelligences. Inrewriting policy statements and schemes of work, teachershave incorporated an explicit Thinking Skills strandcovering the key National Curriculum skills: informationprocessing, reasoning, enquiry, creative"
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Creative Teaching & Learning

Thinking Allowed

24 Feb 2011

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      string(352) "... to recognisethis in their teaching.What’s your story? Teaching for diversity included anexplanation of diversity and why it matters, withexercises to support trainees in thinking about theirschool context and their teaching. The following givea range of examples taken from the What’s your story?materials:■■ Extracts from What ..."
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      string(4603) "attended these optionaltraining sessions. At the end of the training year (July2010) the trainees were asked to evaluate their trainingto teach in diverse settings. All the trainees agreed orstrongly agreed that their training had developed theirunderstanding of diversity and their ability to recognisethis in their teaching.What’s your story? Teaching for diversity included anexplanation of diversity and why it matters, withexercises to support trainees in thinking about theirschool context and their teaching. The following givea range of examples taken from the What’s your story?materials:■■ Extracts from What’s your story?Teaching for diversityThinking about the effects of diversityChoose a form of diversity – perhaps beinga young carer, being a member of a nationalsports team or a member of a sub-culture.How might this affect you as a pupil and yourrelationship with the school?How would it affect what felt relevant to youin class?How would it affect your relationship with yourteacher and peers?Would it affect how you saw yourself?Would it place any competing demands onyour time and attention? Could this impact onyour academic progress?What would be the difference between ateacher being unaware of this compared withthem recognising and acknowledging it?How might teachers take these factors intoaccount or use them to engage you? Howwould their doing this affect your experienceof school?33trainnewteachers effectively……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………➜ How to…Or, to explore diversity ‘that’s not there’:Absence of diversityPick some factors of diversity that are currentlynot present in your school.How will your pupils come across these factorsin the future? Consider:– their communities– their relationships– their work and future education.What values, knowledge and behaviourscould you teach them about in order to betterprepare them for their future lives?Ideas for activities to use in continuing professionaldevelopment sessions included:Mapping exerciseAsk participants to refer back to the spider diagram(figure 2) and complete an audit table, like that shownbelow, to identify which diversity factors are/are notpresent and how they can address them.Diversity factorPresentor not?How can you address or prepare pupils forit?Socio-economic classRefugeeEthnicityetcCard sortWrite different factors of pupils’ lives on cards (one oneach card) using figure 2 for ideas. Participants shouldsort the cards into two piles – ‘diversity factors’ and ‘notdiversity factors’ – and then decide whether these factorswill impact on progress and attainment, or Every ChildMatters (remind them of the ECM outcomes).Data analysisUsing the school’s latest RAISEonline, PANDA orFisher Family Trust data, working groups to pick outan under-performing group in terms of attainment andanother in terms of achievement. Come up with ideasabout why this might be and a strategy to tackle it.Reflecting on practiceWork with a group of teachers from different subjectsand design a cross-curricula project on diversity – thiscould be a particular form of diversity or an overarchingtopic, e.g. dealing with difference or culture andperspective.OrAsk participants to consider the lessons they have taughttoday. What changes to content, activities or deliverycould they make to better take diversity into account?34How to… develop trainee teachers’ understanding of diversity……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………➜How to…Case study examples:The materials also includeduseful websites and case study examples:Case study 1One private school noticed that a significantminority of pupils were identifying as‘rockers’ and forming an anti-work culturethat felt alienated from the mainstream. Theschool decided to employ a guitar playingteacher who was able to engage these pupilsand articulate an alternative but still workorientated"
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Professional Development

How to... develop trainee teachers’ understanding of diversity through partnership working

3 Oct 2011

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      string(375) "... of its ‘self-improving school system’.  How and why has this happened?   The policy journey travelledOne way to assess this is through an historical lens, mapping the trajectory of policy thinking over the past three decades.  A Conservative government brought forward the Education Reform Act (ERA) in 1988, which introduced ..."
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      string(5653) "IntroductionThis article explores the development of school to school support and partnerships in England.  These partnerships have become a defining feature of what the Government calls the ‘self-improving, school-led’ system (DfE, 2010; Sandals and Bryant, 2014).  Most schools engage in partnerships that are informal and emergent, based on shared interests, concerns, or simply personal relationships.  Even partnerships that do have a more formal basis face sometimes fraught political and inter-personal adaptive challenges (Kamp, 2013).  The focus here, however, is on more formal arrangements that are structured through a policy-driven process.  These generally fall into one of the following non-mutually exclusive categories:  structural governance models, such as multi-academy trusts/academy chains and federations; designations based on formal criteria, such as National Leaders of Education (NLEs) and Teaching Schools; role related partnerships, such as where an Executive Head oversees two or more schools (but not in a formal federation).  Key to this development has been the emergence of a cadre of what are called ‘system leaders’, broadly defined as leaders who work beyond their immediate school to support the improvement of the wider system (Fullan, 2005).  The need for such lateral school to school partnerships has become apparent in the face of evidence that neither top-down centrally imposed change, nor pure competition and marketization can achieve sustained improvement across school systems (see the article by Greany and Earley which is also in this issue).  Instead, the aim has been to ask school system leaders to work together in ways which transfer knowledge, expertise and capacity within and between schools, so that all schools improve and all children achieve their potential.  There is emerging evidence that such models can prove effective in addressing underperformance and improving outcomes, in particular in some of the most challenging schools.  However, as this article highlights, England’s ‘self-improving’ system also faces significant challenges, at both conceptual and practical levels.  The role of school partnerships in England’s quasi-market systemStrange bedfellows: autonomy, accountability, competition and collaborationGranting schools autonomy to determine how they secure improvement whilst holding them accountable for their performance has become an increasingly central tenet of international thinking and policy on school system reform (OECD, 2015).  Such approaches are frequently associated with wider quasi-market reforms, such as giving parents the right to choose which school they prefer for their child, backed by funding models which reward more popular schools.  The argument for granting schools autonomy is that it will free them up from hidebound bureaucracies and make them more responsive to their parent ‘customers’ (Institute for Government, 2012).  Quasi-markets are thus clearly predicated on competition between providers as the primary driver of improvement (Lubienski, 2009).  Of course, in practice, public education systems are not markets in the true sense of the word, since the consumer does not pay and failing providers (i.e. schools) are rarely allowed to close altogether.  England is recognised as a relatively extreme example of high-school-autonomy-high-accountability quasi-market (or neo-liberal) reform by international standards.  By the time of PISA 2009, schools in the UK were judged to be among the most autonomous in the world1 (OECD, 2011) and few would argue that they are also among the most accountable (for example as a result of high stakes inspections published by the inspectorate Ofsted).  Given this focus on quasi-markets and competition, it may seem strange that England now sees networking and collaboration as central to the success of its ‘self-improving school system’.  How and why has this happened?   The policy journey travelledOne way to assess this is through an historical lens, mapping the trajectory of policy thinking over the past three decades.  A Conservative government brought forward the Education Reform Act (ERA) in 1988, which introduced the core reforms that have shaped the system in England, such as school autonomy and accountability and funding following the learner.  Whilst subscribing to the broad tenets of the ERA, New Labour’s approach to reform from 1997 was markedly top down.  For example, the National Strategies for Literacy and Numeracy introduced and all but mandated specific pedagogic practices across primary schools, which did lead to initial improvements in pupil outcomes but then stalled in the mid-2000s.  This led to a gradual re-evaluation of the approach and a recognition that lateral networks of schools overseen by system leaders might offer more sustainable and effective ways of addressing under-performance and developing and distributing innovation between schools (Higham et al., 2009).  These ideas were picked up by the centre right Coalition government elected in 2010, which adopted the ‘self-improving system’ label and began a radical and far-reaching programme of reforms.   On the one hand, school autonomy has been radically increased with the extension of academy ‘freedoms’ to all schools.  Academies are funded directly from central government and have a range of decision-making rights that are not available to"
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Executive Leadership

System leadership and collaboration – a new skillset for leaders?

18 Apr 2018

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