Concept Based Thinking

8/8/2019 Concept Based Thinking

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Dr. Timothy L. Heaton

Professor of Education

Cedarville University

[email protected]


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What is your classroom like?y All facts and no fun

y All fun and no facts

y ORy Engaging, Inquiring, Searching, Discovering,

Experimenting, Problem Solving that creates anengaging environment where students are motivated

to learn more than what a standard curriculumdelivers.


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All the ingredients but no Mealy Curriculum is not:

y Alist of standards

y Astandard textbooky Apacing guide

y But are only a guide to what we must teach, the sameas individual ingredients dont make the meal, but are

all blended together to create a culinary delight


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Traditional Coverage Model vs. A

Conceptual Thinking Modely Every Discipline has an inherent conceptual structure:

y 1. Science- concept based

y 2. Social Studies- fact basedy 3. Math- skill based

y 4. English/Languarge arts- skill based

y The greater amount of factual information, the greaterthe need to rise to higher level of abstraction toorganize and process that information.


5/15

The Thinking Classroomy Students collaborate/hypothesize, research, compare

answers, access data bases, compare notes with other

students around the world to come up with a solutionto a global problem.

y Know( factually)

y Understand( conceptually)

y Be able to Do ( skillfully)yVs.

y Traditional Curriculum.know and able to do


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Conceptual Lensesy Beliefs /Valuesy Interdependencey Freedomy

Identifyy Relationshipsy Changey Perspectivey Powery Systemy Structure/Functiony Designy Heroesy Force

y Complexityy Paradoxy Interactionsy

Transformationsy Patternsy Originsy Revolutiony Reformy Influencey Balancey Innovationy Geniusy Utilityy Creativity


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Integrated Thinkingy Conceptual lens integrates thinking to:

generalizations and principles

y Conceptual ideas are commonly called:y Enduring understandings

y Ability to transfer knowledge and skills to new orsimilar context is evidence of deeper understanding

and higher-order thinking skills.


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Developing the Intellecty Need to develop intellectual dispositions

y Curious, creative thinking, open-minded, critical

thinking, strategic, skeptical, reflective thinking

y All disciplines benefit from the use of creative thinkingin problems solving

y Creative thinking is the personal construction ofmeaning. Of all disciplines.Art is the most open-ended.


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Different Kinds ofThinkingy Creative Thinking

y Critical Thinking

y Reflective(Meta-cognitive)Thinkingy Conceptual Thinking

y Marriage of all these types of thinking to produceproblem solvers.


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Intellectual Focus Questionsy Clarityy Accuracyy Precisiony Relevancey Depthy Breadthy Logicy Significancey Fairness

y Could you elaborate further?y How could we find out if this is

true?y Could you give me more details?

y How does that relate to theproblem?y What are some of the difficulties we

need to deal with?y Do we need to look at this from

another perspective?y Does all this make sense together?y Which of these facts are most

important?y Do I have a vested interest in this

issue?


11/15

Structure of Knowledgey Topics: Do not transfer

y Facts: Do not transfer

y

Concepts: Do transfery Generalizations: Must be tested and supported by

facts

y Principles: Foundational truths of a discipline

y

Theories: Supported by best evidence rather thanabsolute facts.

y Focus on Generalization and Principle levels whenredesigning curriculums.


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Updated Blooms Taxonomyy Knowledge- Remember

y Comprehension- Understand

y Application- Applyy Analysis-Analyze

y Synthesis- Create

y Evaluation-Evaluate


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Macro concepts/Micro conceptsy System

y Change

y Ordery These are macro concepts because they can be

transferred to many different topicsprovides breadthof understanding

y Micro concepts provide depth of understanding


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Meeting Academic Standards with

Integrityy Academic Standards are not the Curriculum, they are a

framework for designing curriculum.

y A

curriculum is a coherent , teacher-friendlydocument that reflects the intent of the academicstandards.

y Many teachers do pellet gun teaching as they checkoff benchmarks.

y Dont use words such as understands or knowsbutrather what the student will be able to do or use.

When they can do or use, then they understand andknow conceptually.


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Designing Concept Based Unit and

Lessony Unit Title

y Conceptual Lens

y

Concept and Subconceptsy Generalizations( enduring/essential understandings)

y Guiding and Essential Questions

y Critical content

y Key Skillsy Performance Tasks and Scoring Guides

y Learning Experiences

y Unit/resource /Teacher notes

Documents

Concept Based Thinking