Institute Two: Making Thinking Visible

Creating a culture of thinking is more than a set of practices. It is about sending students messages about what learning is and their role in it.  Traditionally, we have sent students the message that learning is about doing the work and performing for grades.  Consequently, students learn to play the game of school versus learning how to think and learn for themselves.  However, in a culture of thinking we are attempting to send students a different message: that it is the learning and the thinking that matters.  Understanding how we send these messages and what students make of them can help us in creating schools that are truly cultures of thinking.

Leader: Ron Ritchhart

Ron Ritchhart is a Research Associate at Harvard Project Zero where his work centers on the understanding and development of instructional environments that encourage students’ intelligence, understanding, creativity, and mindfulness. He currently directs the Cultures of Thinking research project. Before coming to PZ, Ron taught elementary and middle school for 14 years, receiving the Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics Teaching.  Ron has authored numerous books and articles as well as directed videos that explore how teachers foster understanding, nurture creativity, and make thinking visible. Major works include Intellectual Character, The Creative Classroom Series, and Visible Thinking: Pictures of Practice.

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