From leading educational researcher Ron Ritchhart, a deep dive that illuminates what the foundational mindsets needed to create cultures of thinking really looks like in action.
Building on the framework presented in the best-selling Creating Cultures of Thinking, Ron Ritchhart’s new book, Cultures of Thinking in Action, takes the next step in helping readers not only understand how a culture of thinking looks and feels, but also how to create it for themselves and their learners. Arguing that no set of practices or techniques alone is sufficient to create a culture of thinking in and of itself, Ritchhart explores the underlying beliefs that motivate the creation of cultures of thinking, presenting key mindsets every educator and leader needs to embrace if they are serious about creating powerful thinkers and learners.
Much more than just an instructional guide, Cultures of Thinking in Action offers readers a reflective journey into their own teaching, leading, and parentingwhile providing the foundation and concrete strategies needed to create and develop a culture of thinking for all learners.
This book:
- Presents ten foundational mindsets of a culture of thinking
- Includes the latest research of the Cultures of Thinking Project
- Includes questions, exercises, and discussion prompts to inspire reflection by individuals and teams
- Provides case studies and best practice scenarios to exemplify each mindset
- Provides useful data collection tools to inform one’s teaching practice
Table of Contents
List of Figures
Dedication
Acknowledgments
About the Author
Introduction
Mindset 1: For Classrooms to Be Cultures of Thinking for Students, Schools Must Be Cultures of Thinking for Teachers
What the Research Says: Why Does It Matter?
Transformative Power of Inquiry
Institutional Mirroring
Visions and Reflections: How Might It Look?
Constructing Our Vision
Contemplating Pictures of Practice
Reflecting on Current Practice
Data, Principles, and Practices: What Actions Can We Take?
Collecting Street Data
Stating the Mindset as Principles for Action
Possible Actions
Fitting New Actions with Current Realities
Conclusion: Our Theory of Action
Mindset 2: We Can’t Directly Teach Dispositions; We Must Enculturate Them
What the Research Says: Why Does It Matter?
The Case for Curiosity
The Case for Metacognition
Developing Dispositions
Visions and Reflections: How Might It Look?
Constructing Our Vision
Contemplating Pictures of Practice
Reflecting on Current Practice
Data, Principles, and Practices: What Actions Can We Take?
Collecting Street Data
Stating the Mindset as Principles for Action
Possible Actions
Fitting New Actions with Current Realities
Conclusion: Our Theory of Action
Mindset 3: To Create a New Story of Learning, We Must Change the Role of the Student and the Teacher
What the Research Says: Why Does It Matter?
On Supporting Agency
On Teacher and Student Talk
On Initiative and Reliance
On Identity
Visions and Reflections: How Might It Look?
Constructing Our Vision
Contemplating Pictures of Practice
Reflecting on Current Practice
Data, Principles, and Practices: What Actions Can We Take?
Collecting Street Data
Stating the Mindset as Principles for Action
Possible Actions
Fitting New Actions with Current Realities
Conclusion: Our Theory of Action
Mindset 4: Students Learn Best When They Feel Known, Valued, and Respected by Both the Adults in the School and Their Peers
What the Research Says: Why Does It Matter?
Belonging
Relationships
Value, Fairness, and Respect
Visions and Reflections: How Might It Look?
Constructing Our Vision
Contemplating Pictures of Practice
Reflecting on Current Practice
Data, Principles, and Practices: What Actions Can We Take?
Collecting Street Data
Stating the Belief as Principles for Action
Possible Actions
Fitting New Actions with Current Realities
Conclusion: Our Theory of Action
Mindset 5: Learning Is a Consequence of Thinking
What the Research Says: Why Does It Matter?
Beware the Fluency Trap
Identifying Types of Thinking
Visions and Reflections: How Might It Look?
Constructing Our Vision
Contemplating Pictures of Practice
Reflecting on Current Practice
Data, Principles, and Practices: What Actions Can We Take?
Collecting Street Data
Stating the Mindset as Principles for Action
Possible Actions
Fitting New Actions with Current Realities
Conclusion: Our Theory of Action
Mindset 6: Learning and Thinking Are as Much a Collective Enterprise as They Are an Individual Endeavor
What the Research Says: Why Does It Matter?
Intellectual Development
Social Development
Academic Development
Professional Learning
Visions and Reflections: How Might It Look?
Constructing Our Vision
Contemplating Pictures of Practice
Reflecting on Current Practice
Data, Principles, and Practices: What Actions Can We Take?
Collecting Street Data
Stating the Belief as Principles for Action
Possible Actions
Fitting New Actions with Current Realities
Conclusion: Our Theory of Action
Mindset 7: Learning Occurs at the Point of Challenge
What the Research Says: Why Does It Matter?
Productive Struggle and Failure
Desirable Difficulties
Growth Mindset
Desire for Challenge
Visions and Reflections: How Might It Look?
Constructing Our Vision
Contemplating Pictures of Practice
Reflecting on Current Practice
Data, Principles, and Practices: What Actions Can We Take?
Collecting Street Data
Stating the Mindset as Principles for Action
Possible Actions
Fitting New Actions with Current Realities
Conclusion: Our Theory of Action
Mindset 8: Questions Drive Thinking and Learning
What the Research Says: Why Does It Matter?
Student Questions
Listening
Visions and Reflections: How Might It Look?
Constructing Our Vision
Contemplating Pictures of Practice
Reflecting on Current Practice
Data, Principles, and Practices: What Actions Can We Take?
Collecting Street Data
Stating the Belief as Principles for Action
Possible Actions
Fitting New Actions with Current Realities
Conclusion: Our Theory of Action
Mindset 9: The Opportunities We Create for Our Students Matter to Their Engagement, Empowerment, and Learning
What the Research Says: Why Does It Matter?
Qualities of Powerful Learning Opportunities
Engagement
Empowerment
Visions and Reflections: How Might It Look?
Constructing Our Vision
Contemplating Pictures of Practice
Reflecting on Current Practice
Data, Principles, and Practices: What Actions Can We Take?
Collecting Street Data
Stating the Mindset as Principles for Action
Possible Actions
Fitting New Actions with Current Realities
Conclusion: Our Theory of Action
Mindset 10: We Make Thinking and Learning Visible to Demystify, Inform, and Illuminate These Processes
What the Research Says: Why Does It Matter?
Developing Effective Learners
Enhancing Expertise and Deeper Learning
Academic Achievement
Principles and Practices: How Might It Look?
Constructing Our Vision
Contemplating Pictures of Practice
Reflecting on Current Practice
Data, Principles, and Practices: What Actions Can We Take?
Collecting Street Data
Stating the Belief as Principles for Action
Possible Actions
Fitting New Actions with Current Realities
Conclusion: Our Theory of Action
Epilogue
Appendix A
Appendix B
Appendix C
Appendix D
Appendix E
Appendix F
Appendix G
Appendix H
Appendix I
Endnotes
References
