Thinking and Problem Solving

“Our job is not to make up anyone’s mind, but to open minds and to make the agony of decision-making so intense, you can only escape by thinking.”

- Author Unknown

The TAPTM System Training Portal

Reflective Thinking…How did you implement?

• Lesson Structure and Pacing Transitions Providing opportunities for students

who progress at different rates Coherent beginning, middle, and

end• Other areas of the Rubric

• Sentence Starters• Grouping

• Pair Up, Share, Report Out! Find your famous partner.

ObjectiveTeachers will implement various

types of thinking and problem solving into their lessons and explain how thinking and problem solving are connected in the TAP instructional rubric.

AgendaEvaluation Long Range Plan and Reflection

Identify Need Refinement Need and Connections to the Instructional Rubric

Obtain New Learning Modeling: How to Look at Thinking and Problem Solving in the Rubric

Development: In your lessons…

Apply (In your classroom)

End of the Year QuestionnaireLooking at rubric areas as

interconnected.Teacher identified areas of

need…◦1 – Questioning◦2 – Lesson Structure & Pacing◦3 – Thinking/Problem Solving◦4 – Teacher Knowledge of Students◦5 – Presenting Instructional Content

The Rubric Thinking

 Over the course of multiple observations, the teacher consistently and thoroughly teaches two types of thinking:

  analytical thinking where students

analyze, compare and contrast, and evaluate and explain information.

practical thinking where students use, apply, and implement what they learn in real-life scenarios.

creative thinking where students create, design, imagine and suppose.

research-based thinking where students explore and review a variety of ideas, models, and solutions to problems.

The teacher sometimes provides opportunities where students: generate a variety of ideas and

alternatives. analyze problems from multiple

perspectives and viewpoints.

Problem Solving Over the course of multiple observations, the teacher implements activities that teach and reinforce 4 or more of the following problem solving types.

  Abstraction Categorization Drawing Conclusions/Justifying

Solution Predicting Outcomes Observing and Experimenting Improving Solutions Identifying Relevant/Irrelevant

Information Generating Ideas Creating and Designing

The Thinking/Problem Solving Link

Thinking =

The Process Problem

Solving = The Product

What are the steps to modeling your thinking (‘think-aloud’)

I do Think Aloud

Model: Practical Thinking

Thinking: Practical ThinkingPS: Generating Ideas

Based upon your prior knowledge: What are the similarities and differences?

Analytical thinking

Create 3 Questions about the Cat1.

2.

3.

Teacher Behaviors that Support ‘Thinking’ MODELING

• Emulating others is a basic way of learning.

• Model what you expect. Do not be a “do as I say, not as I do” educator.

QUESTIONING• Higher-level questioning• Learners must be

presented with problems and questions, the answers to which are not apparent.

STRUCTURING• Clear expectations• Thinking happens throughout

the school day, across content areas, and over extended periods of time.

• Opportunities for interaction• Address all learning styles

RESPONDING• Wait time• Accepting without judgment• Clarify when you don’t understand• Academic Feedback• Empathizing

An Example: Read the article…What are some

factors that need to be present for a cat to glow?

Why are scientists doing this?

Identifying Relevant and Irrelevant Information

What are some other ways that you can use thinking in your classroom? QuestioingAnticipatory sets

Development In one of your lesson plans for next week, how will

you model thinking for your students? Bring back student examples of what you modeledBegin thinking of problem solving your students will

do!

When are you going to implement this in your class?What will this thinking process look like in your class?Specifics: What questions will you use?How can you build this in your lesson plan?Develop the thinking script.

Be sure that I have you signed up for and observation time!

Apply Closure: Share with your partner

(from the warm up) the type of model thinking that you will be doing this week in your lessons.