CCOT Chapter 1 V4

CHAPTER1:ThePurposeandPromiseofSchools
Chapter1:ThePurposeandPromiseofSchools
Howdowetalkaboutthevalueofschool?Howdowedefinethemeaningof
aqualityeducation?Thevalueofschoolhastraditionallybeenmeasuredin
termofresultsgradesonexams,projects,andessaysdesignedbyteachers
to match the taught curriculum and dutifully recorded in report cards sent
hometoparentseachterm.Overthelasttwodecades,thesekindsofresults
havelostgroundtoexternalmeasures:standardizedteststhatallowforthe
easy ranking and comparison of students across disparate settings.
Increasingly, these have become the markers of quality, the measures by
which we assess progress, and the outcome teachers are teaching for,
studentsareworkingtoward,andthatparentsexpect.Butisthisreallywhy
wesendourchildrentoschool?Isthistrulythegoalofeducationtowhich
wecollectivelyaspire?
CommentingoneducationreforminabacktoschoolissueofTheNewYork
TimesMagazine,historianDianeRavitchstated,Thesinglebiggestproblem
ineducationisthatnooneagreesonwhyweeducate.Facedwiththislackof
consensus, policy makers define good education as higher test scores
(Lindgren 2009). Although the definitions of policy makers surely matter,
theyarenotthefinalarbitersinthisdebate.Policyisultimatelyshapedby
societal, organizational, parental, and studentheld definitions of good, or
greator any adjective we use to define exceptional quality. These
definitionsestablishthebroadercontextinwhichschoolsoperate.Itisthese
conversations about quality that give rise to the standards that shape the
lives of teachers and students, and that defines the outcome to which all
efforts mustbe aligned. We mustchangetheway we talkabouteducation.
AsElliotEisner(Eisner2003)hassaid,As long as schools treat test scores as
the major proxies for student achievement and educational quality, we will have a
hard time refocusing our attention on what really matters in education.
Ultimately,ourdefinitionofagreatschoolorqualityeducationmatters
because it will define what we give time to and what becomes a priority in
the daytoday life of the classroom. It will shape our expectations of what
schoolscancontributetoourlivesandtooursociety.Inshort,ourdefinition
of what makes a quality education shapes our aspirations as parents,
educators, and as a society at large. So, yes, it matters how we talk about
schoolinganditspurpose.Itmattershowthesocietytalkstoitspoliticians,
how policymakers talk to the media, how principals talk to teachers, how
CreatingCulturesofThinking:The8ForcesWeMustMastertoTrulyTransformOurSchoolsbyRonRitchhart(2012)
DRAFT:NOTFORCIRCULATIONWITHOUTPERMISSION
teacherstalktostudents,andhowparentstalktotheirchildren.Itmatters
becauseourtalkshapesourfocusandourfocusdirectsourenergies,which
willshapeouractions.
ThinkingDifferentlyaboutOutcomes
To help us think about what makes a quality education and the purpose of
schooling inour society, trythis simple thought experiment. When Ispeak
with groups around the world, be it parents, teachers, or administrators, I
oftenbeginbyposingthequestion:Whatdoyouwantthechildrenyouteach
to be like as adults? Although I use the word teach, I mean this in the
broadestsenseofeducating,sothatitappliestoparentsandadministrators
as well as teachers. When speaking to parents I stress that I want them to
thinkaboutallthestudentsattheschool,notjusttheirownchildren.This
ensuresthattheyconsideroutcomesasamemberofsocietywhohasamuch
broader stake in the outcomes of education. Take a moment now and
consider how you would respond to this question. What do you want the
childrenweareteachinginourschoolstobelikeasadults?
Frequently,Ihavepeopleengagewiththisquestionbyusingaroutinecalled
the Chalk Talk (Ritchhart, Church et al. 2011). In this routine, individuals
share their thoughts silently by recording them on large sheets of chart
paper.Asindividualsshareideas,theyreadandrespondtothewrittenideas
of others by making comments, raising questions, asking for elaboration,
making connections between comments, and so on. At the end of ten
minutes,wehaveaveryrichimageofthekindofstudentwe,thecollective
members of this particular group, want to graduate from our schools.
Someone who is curious, engaged, able to persevere, empathetic, willing to
take risks and try new things, a go getter, able to problem solve, creative,
passionateaboutsomething,alistener,openminded,healthy,committedto
thecommunity,respectful,analytical,inquisitive,alifelonglearner,anavid
reader, being a critical consumer, helpful, compassionate, able to take a
global view, willing to learn from their mistakes, collaborative, imaginative,
enthusiastic,adaptable,abletoaskgoodquestions,abletoconnect,healthy,
wellrounded,acriticalthinker.Andthelistgoesonwithmuchelaboration,
explanation,andassortedarrowsconnectingthevariousqualities.
What is interesting about the lists and charts created by these disparate
groups all over the world is how similar they are. It matters little whether
the group is from a suburban district of Detroit, an all boys school in
Melbourne, a gathering of teachers from international schools in Europe, a
consortiumofcharterschools,oranurbanhighschoolinNewYorkCity.The
samesetsofqualitiestendtoappearoverandoveragain.Thereisoftenan
emphasis on attributes that drive learning: curiosity, inquisitiveness,
questioning. And those that facilitate innovation: creativity, problem
solving, risk taking, imagination, and inquisitiveness. There are the skills
needed to work and get along with others: collaborative, empathetic,
listening,helpful.Andthosethatsupporttheabilitytodealwithcomplexity:
analysis, making connections, critical thinking. And usually there are those
that situate the learning in the world as a global citizen, a member of a
community, someone aware of their impact on the environment, able to
communicate.
Youllnoticetherearefewtraditionalacademicskillsmentioned.Doesthat
mean they arent important? Of course not. Its just that they do not
adequatelydefinethekindofstudentswecollectivelyhopetosendintothe
world. Nor do they define the kind of employee business and industry is
lookingtohireinthe21stcentury.Inasurveyof400businessesacrossthe
UnitedStatesconductedbyaconsortiumofhumanresource,education,and
corporate entities (Partnership_for_21st_Century_Skills 2006); employers
were asked to rank the skills they were looking for in potential applicants
fromalistthatincludedbothacademicandappliedskills.Appliedskillssuch
as professionalism, work ethic, collaboration, communication, ethics, social
responsibility, critical thinking, and problem solving topped the list over
moretraditionalacademicpreparedness.Onlywhenitcametothehiringof
recenthighschoolstudentsdidasingletraditionalacademicsubject,reading
comprehension, make the top five (it was ranked 5th) in terms of its
importance. This list from employers, mirrors the qualities Tony Wagner
heard from his interviews with business leaders (Wagner 2008). Wagner
distilled these into what he calls seven survival skills: critical thinking and
problem solving, collaboration, agility and adaptability, initiative and
entrepreneurialism,communicationskills,theabilitytoanalyzeinformation,
andcuriosityandimagination.
It could be argued that businesses assume a high level of basic skills and
knowledgeasagivenandarethusonlyidentifyingtheseappliedskillsasthe
icingonthecake.Perhaps,thoughintheAreTheyReallyReadytoWork?
report mentioned above this appears not to be the case. Prospective
employersrecognizeddeficienciesinacademicskills,yetstillrankedapplied
skillsasbothbeingmoreimportantandevenmorelackinginapplicantsthen
wasacademicpreparedness.Onecrossovercategorytoppedthelistinterms
of deficiency. Writing in English was identified asdeficientamong72%of
applicants,anditsappliedskillcorollary,writtencommunication,asdeficient
among80.9%ofapplicants.Afterthattheskills,bothappliedandacademic,
listedasmostdeficientwere(inorder):leadership,professionalism,critical
thinking and problem solving, foreign languages, selfdirection, creativity,
mathematics,andoralcommunication.Alloftheseskillswereidentifiedas
deficientinmorethan50%ofapplicants.Youcanseefromthislistthatthe
applied skills were deemed both more important and more likely to be
lacking. Perhaps, the biggest take away, is that applied skills are not
considered an addon, but rather an integral part of workplace
preparedness.
The goal of cultivating a lifelong skill set that propels innovation and
invention is championed internationally as well. In a 2011 study of the
educational practices of the top performing countries as measured by the
Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), Marc Tucker
reported that one cannot help but be struck by the attention that is being
giventoachievingclarityandconsensusonthegoalsforeducationinthose
countries(Tucker2011).Hisgroup,theNationalCenteronEducationand
theEconomy,foundaconcern,particularlyamongAsiancountries,withthe
developmentofcognitiveskillsaswellasnoncognitiveskillsthatfacilitated
both global competitiveness and personal fulfillment. This sentiment is
captured in remarks made by Singapores minister of education in 2002,
TharmanShanmugaratnam,inwhichhedescribedasatopprioritytheneed
forSingaporeanstudentstodevelopawillingnesstokeeplearning,andan
ability to experiment, innovate, and take risks (Borja 2004). Likewise,
ChinasCentralCommitteestatedthateducationinthecountrymustbeginto
emphasize sowing students creativity and practical abilities over instilling
an ability to achieve certain test scores and recite rote knowledge (Zhao
2006).
The qualities I consistently hear as important to teachers and parents, like

thoseemergingfromtheworldofwork,arebeingcalledforbyothersources
as well. In 2002, in the book Intellectual Character, I reviewed the call for
habits of mind, intellectual passions, and thinking dispositions being
championed from various circles and found agreement around six broad
characteristics:curiosity,openmindedness,beingstrategic,havingahealthy
skepticism, being a truth seeker, and being metacognitive. The learner
profile of the International Baccalaureate promotes students as inquirers,
thinkers,communicators,risktakers,openminded,reflective,wellbalanced,
caring, principled, and knowledgeable. Likewise, the Building Learning
Power initiative (Claxton, Chambers et al. 2011) seeks to develop a set of

some twenty learning capacities around reflectiveness, resourcefulness,
reciprocity/collaboration, and resilience that are quite similar to many of
those already mentioned. Philosophers recognize these traits as
encompassinga set of intellectual virtues.Onceagain,themoretraditional
academic skills that make up the standardized tests, define our graduation
requirements,andserveasgatekeepersforuniversityentrancedontappear
explicitlyontheselists.
Andso,anewvisionofwhataqualityeducationisandwhatitshouldoffer
arisesfromthedata.Althoughahostofdifferentvocabularyisusedandthe
traits parsed slightly differently, what emerges is a rich portrait of the
student as an engaged and active thinker able to communicate, innovate,
collaborate,andproblemsolve.Ratherthanadiscretesetofknowledgethat
each student must possess, we see the broad characteristics that motivate
learningandleadtothegenerationofuseableknowledgeasthetraitsmost
important to develop. Some might say this is the profile of a 21st Century
learner(TrillingandFadel2009),othersmightseeitaswhatitmeanstobea
wellrounded citizen (Arnstine 1995; Meier 2003), still others might
incorporate this definition as part of global competency (BoixMansilla and
Jackson2011).Ichoosetoseethisportraitofastudentasthevisionofwhat
aqualityeducationaffords.Thisiswhatwemustbeteachingforandtrying
to achieve for every student. The big questions then are: How do we get
there;howdowerealizethisvision?Howareourschoolsdoingcurrentlyin
producingthisvisionofstudentsasthinkers?Whataretheforceswemust
marshalandmastertotrulytransformourschools?Thesearethequestions
Iwilltakeupinthisbook.
TeachingasEnculturation
The qualities found in the various lists above reflective, imaginative,
curious, creative, and so onare often classified as dispositions. A
disposition is an enduring characteristic or trait of a person that serves to
motivate behavior. When we say a person is curious, a particular
dispositional attribute, it is because we see a pattern of behaviorsuch as,
questioning,exploring,probing,andsoonemanatingfromthatpersonover
timeandacrosscircumstancesthatrelatestothatparticulardisposition.Our
dispositions define who we are as people, as thinkers, as learners. In
previouswritings,Ivearguedthatthedispositionsthatdefineusasthinkers
makeupourintellectualcharacter(Ritchhart,2002).
Wemightthinkaboutthesedispositionsnotonlyintermsoftheoutcomesof
aqualityeducation,but,toborrowaphrasefromTedSizer,astheresiduals
ofeducation.Thatistosay,whatisleftoverafterallthethingswepracticed
andmemorizedfortestsarelongforgotten.Whatstayswithuslongafterwe
havelefttheclassroom?SpeakingattheSaveOurSchoolsrallyin2011,Matt
Damonhighlightedtheimportanceoftheseresidualssaying,AsIlookatmy
lifetoday,thethingsIvaluemostaboutmyselfmyimagination,myloveof
acting,mypassionforwriting,myloveoflearning,mycuriosityallcome
fromhowIwasparentedandtaught.AndnoneofthesequalitiesthatIvejust
mentionednoneofthesequalitiesthatIprizesodeeply,thathavebrought
mesomuchjoy,thathavebroughtmesomuchprofessionalsuccessnone
ofthesequalitiesthatmakemewhoIam...canbetested.
The thing about these dispositions, even though they are manifest in the
exhibitionofspecificskillsandactions,isthattheycannotbedirectlytaught
or directly tested. Think about it. It would be absurd to teach a unit on
curiosity or risk taking or collaboration and then to give a multiplechoice
testtoassessstudentsdevelopment.Sure,studentsmightlearnaboutthe
disposition, but they would be unlikely to develop the disposition itself.
Rather these qualities, these dispositions, have to be developed over time.
Theymustbenurturedacrossavarietyofcircumstancessothattheybecome
engrained and are likely to emerge when the situation calls for them.
Dispositions must be enculturated, that is, learned through immersion in a
culture.
OneofRussianpsychologistLevVygotskysmostfamousquotesis,Children
growintotheintellectuallifeofthosearoundthem(Vygotsky1978).This
statement beautifully captures what enculturation means. It means
surrounding the child with the kind of intellectual life, mental activity, and
processes of learning to which we want them to grow accustomed. It
suggests that learning to learn is an apprenticeship in which we dont so
much learn from others as we learn with others in the midst of authentic
activities. If we take Vygotskys quote to heart, then we must take a hard
lookatourhomes,schools,andclassroomsandaskourselvesaboutthekind
ofintellectuallifewithwhichwearesurroundingourchildren?Whatkinds
of models do they see? What kinds of opportunities do they experience?
Whatkindsofthinkingarebeingvalued,privileged,andpromotedonaday
todaybasis?
CultureastheEnactmentofaStory
Parents play an important role in building character, both intellectual and
moral,andenculturatingdispositionsintheirchildren.Parentsarethefirst
andmostimportantmodelsforchildren.Aparentsvaluesanddispositions
are regularly on display and their behaviors are the ones a child will first
imitate. At the same time, when it comes to the dispositions related to
thinking and learning, schools play a privileged role in society. Schools are
designed as places of learning and so send important messages about what
learningis,howithappens,andwhatkindsoflearningareofvalue.Eachand
everyday,yearinandyearout,studentsarebeingatoldastoryoflearning.
Enculturation is a process of gradually internalizing the messages & values,
the story being told, that one repeatedly experiences through interaction
with the external, socialenvironment.This internalization takes time as we
identify the messages and values that are consistent and recurring in our
environment.
This notion of culture as a story we tell is a metaphor that I have been
employinginmyworkwithschoolsandorganizationsforanumberofyears.
ItwasfirstpresentedtomeinthebookIshmael.Inthenovel,authorDaniel
Quinninvitesreaderstobeapartofdialogbetweenaskilledteacheranda
skepticalbutwillingstudentaroundtheverynatureoftheroleofhumanson
theplanet.Thefactthattheteacher,Ishmael,isagorillaeagertopassonhis
acquired wisdom about the human race through telepathy adds a bit of a
twisttothings.EarlyonIshmaellaysoutsomedefinitionsthatwillbekeyto
the dialog, in particular that of culture. He defines culture as a group of
peopleenactingastoryandsaysthattoenactastoryistolivesoastomake
the story a reality. For the purposes of the novel, the story being enacted
concernstherelationshipbetweenman,theword,andthegods.Drawingon
thismetaphor,Idefinethecultureofschoolsasagroupofpeopleenactinga
story. The story concerns the relationship between teachers, students, and
the act learning. Everyone is a player in this story, acting in a way that
reinforcesthestoryandmakesitreality.
The idea that culture can be transmitted through story telling and the
reinforcement of key ideas and values has long been recognized. Likewise,
theideathataculturesendsmessagesaboutwhatisvaluedandworthwhile
throughitsuseoftraditions,behaviors,symbolicconduct,andothermeansis
alsogenerallywellunderstood.CarolynTaylor(Taylor2005),writingfora
business audience, takes this idea a step further, saying that, culture
management is about message management. If you can find, and change,
enoughofthesourcesofthesemessages,youwillchangetheculture(p.7).
Clearly, the role of messages in revealing and shaping culture is important.
However,itistheselfreinforcing,continualconstructionofculturethrough
thedynamicenactmentofbothindividualandcollectivevaluesthatIfindso
powerful.Thisperspectiveonthepowerofthestoryinthemakingcanhelp
us to understand the symbiotic role every participant plays in creating
cultureaswellastheprivilegedroleleadersplay.
Tounderstandthecultureofaschoolorclassroomthen,weneedtolookat
what story about learning they are telling. Beliefs, messages, values,
behaviors, traditions, routines, and so on are not the culture itself, but are
significant indicators of culture to the extent they reinforce the core story
being told. They are the means by which we identify the story of learning.
With this in mind, there are three stories of learning we should examine
beforewecanlookathowtotransformculture.Thefirstistheoldstory,that
is,thestoryeachofuswastoldasastudent.Thesecondisthecurrentstory
thatrevealsthestorydominantinschoolsandclassroomstoday.Thethirdis
thenewstorywewanttobetelling.
UncoveringtheOldStory
Weallhavedifferentexperiencesofschooling.Evenwithinanyindividuals
experience, there are different teachers and classrooms that might be
enactingdifferentevencompetingstories.Acknowledgingthesedifferences,
itisnonethelessusefultoindividuallyuncoverthestoryoflearningwewere
told. This is as true for parents as it is for teachers, principals, classroom
aides,museumeducators,orcorporatetrainers.Thestorythatweweretold
as students is most likely to influence, positively or negatively, how we
interactwithourownchildrenandstudents.
Steve identifies a recurring theme from his school experience: From my
firstdaysinschoolIwastoldastoryofsorting,classification,andability.We
wereputinreadinggroupsanditwasn'thardtofigureoutwhohadtheright
stuffandwhowasstruggling.Attheendof1stgradeIexperiencedanother
kind of sorting, being left back. I didn't make the grade and wouldn't stay
with my peers. But for some reason the next year I was still in that low
readinggroup.Andsoitwentupthroughmiddleschoolandbeingplacedin
shopclassandtheninhighschoolinthevocationaltrack.Therewasnever
talkaboutwhatIwanted,justimposedsortingandclassifying.
Jasonrecallshiselementaryexperiencesmostvividly,Irememberschoolas
beingasilentplace,atleastforme.Wewerentallowedtotalk.OnetimeI
recalltheteacheraskingme,Whyareyoutalking?Yourworkisntdone.I
rememberthinkinghowstrangeitwastolinktalkingwithbeingdonewith
my work. I was a slow worker. I was never done with my work early. So
thatmeantnevertalking.Ofcourse,recesswasmyoutlet.Thatwasrealfor
me.Theclassroomwasnt.
ItwasapivotalexperienceinjustoneclassthatleftabigmarkonRuth.I
rememberoneparticularalgebraclass.Algebrawasnewanddifferent,and
for me exciting. I liked the puzzle aspect of it, and it was much more
interestingthanjustdoingsums.Onedayinclasstheteacherwasexplaining
a difficult problem, and I remember being totally engrossed in the problem
andtryingtofigureoutwhyhewasdoingitthewayhewaswhenitseemed
likethereshouldbeanotherway.Myway.IkeptpuzzlingoverituntilIwas
convincedIwasright.Mywaydidwork.Iworkedupthecouragetoraise
my hand to ask about it. The teacher said he had already answered that
question. Wasnt I listening? From that day on I never asked another
questioninthatclassandIlostmyinterestinmath,eventhoughIwasgood
atit.IguessthemessageIgotwasschoolwasaboutlisteningtotheteacher,
notfiguringthingsoutforyourself.
For Nicole, the story of learning she was told is a familiar one. It was all
about the grades and pleasing the teacher. I was good at that, but I dont
reallyfeellikeIlearnedallthatmuch.Iplayedthesystemandgotrewarded
for it. I used grades to keep score. A similar theme comes up in Maxs
account, It seemed to be all about speed. I remember timed tests, and
spelling bees, and everything always having a time limit. If you got done
early it meant you were smart. First hand up to answer the teachers
question?Smart.Iguessitwaslikeacompetition.
DistanceandexclusionwerethemesforMarcella.Mylanguageandculture
werentrepresentedorevenacknowledgedinmyschool.Weweretoldwe
werenottospeakSpanish.Ofcourse,amongmyfriendswedid,butwehad
tobecarefulnottogetcaught.Eveninsimplethingslikeaskingforhelpor
chatting between classes we were to speak in English. It sent the message
that something was wrong with our home language. That school was a
foreignplacewewerevisitingratherthanaplaceinwhichwewereincluded.
We could only get a small bit of the instruction at first and so were always
struggling,whichsentthemessagewewerentgoodlearners.
These are just a few accounts of old stories of learning that were told.
Maybe they resonate with your school experience. The themes of these
stories are powerful and pointed: that school is a sorting mechanism, that
you either fit or you dont, that there is not a place for dialog and
conversation, that learning requires individualized seat work and practice,
thatlearningiscompetitiveversuscooperative,thatbeingfastmeansyouare
smart, that there is no room for questioning, that getting the grade is what
learning is all about. These themes shape students experience and frame
howtheycometoviewlearning,andinsomecasesdistortwhattruelearning
is.
Although the stories presented above arent particularly positive, I dont
meantosuggestthatthisisalwaysthecase.WhenIaskgroupsofparents
andeducatorstosharethestoriesoflearningtheyencounteredasstudents,I
invariably hear a story like Antonias: I remember my 5th grade teacher.
Shewaspassionateaboutlearningandsoexcited.Shewasalwaystellingus
stories about new things or places she had been. It was contagious. You
wanted to learn because you wanted to be a part of her world. Have a
conversation with her. That has always stayed with me. She was a big
reason I became a teacher. As parents and educators, we should never
forget the power of the individual to make a difference and often to
transform negative, unproductive, and demoralizing stories of learning into
positiveones.Atthesametime,asasociety,adistrict,oraschoolweneedto
examine the dominant story students and teachers are enacting. What are
themessagesaboutlearningandthinkingweareimpartingovertime?
TakingaHardLookattheCurrentStory
Although students arent always the best evaluators of their longterm
educational needs, they can be excellent barometers of the focus of
instruction and its meaningfulness to them. They know when they are and
arenotbeingintellectuallyengaged,andtheyarequiteadeptatrecognizing
whentheyaretrulylearninganddevelopingashumanbeings.Itisintheir
voicesthatwewillfindthecurrentstoryoflearningbeingtoldinourschools.
Bringing students into the conversation about outcomes and purpose is
importantforallschoolsandteachersasithelpstodevelopasharedmission
that all can work toward. The Building Learning Power initiative (Claxton,
2011)inBritainincludesstudentsintheregularauditsofclassroomstohelp
look for the kinds of thinking the school says it values. Masada College in
Sydney,AustraliaalsoengagesitsstudentsasplanningpartoftheCulturesof
Thinkinginitiativethere.Suggestionsonhowtoelicitstudentsperceptions
ofthelearningtheyareencounteringtobetteruncoverthestoryoflearning
inyourclassroomandatyourschoolcanbefoundattheendofthischapter.
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Like never before in history, students around the world are making their
voicesheardandtalkingaboutthestoryoflearningtheyareexperiencingby
usingsocialmedia,blogs,YouTube,andInternetnewssites.NikhilGoyal,a
sixteenyearoldstudentatSyossetHighSchoolinNewYork,wroteanarticle
forTheHuffingtonPostabouthowafocusontestpreparationhashijacked
classroom learning and expressing the need to focus more on creativity,
imagination, discovery, and projectbased learning (Goyal 2011). In his
YouTube video entitled, Open Letter to Educators, university student Dan
Brown discusses why he decided to drop out of a system dedicated almost
solely to imparting information over stoking creativity and innovation
because my schooling was interfering with my education (Brown 2010).
Cultural anthropologist Michael Wesch (Wesch 2008) has labeled this a
crisis of significance in which education has become a relatively
meaningless game of grades more than an important and meaningful
exploration ofthe world in whichweliveand cocreate(p.5). He captured
thisdisconnectintheYouTubevideo,AVisionofStudentsToday,featuring
hisownstudentsatKansasStateUniversity.
At Teenink.com, Sophia W. (W. 2011) writes a scathing article about
Advanced Placement course in which she renames them as Absolutely
Preposterous Weapons of Mass Instruction, decrying how these courses
only teach students what to think, not how to think, and serve to distance
students from their own ideas, opinions, creativity, and reason. Sophias
rantaboutthedisconnectbetweenAPcoursesandreallearningisbornout
bya2006studybyresearchersatHarvardUniversityandtheUniversityof
Virginia that found AP science courses do not significantly contribute to
successincollege(Bradt2006).Instead,thestudyfoundafocusonthein
depthstudyofafewtopics,ratherthanthecoverageapproachoftheAP,was
a better indicator of university success in science. The very thing being
promotedaspreparingstudentsforcollegeisnt.
Thestoryoflearningemergingfromthesevoicesisthatschoolcanbemind
numbingandirrelevant,focusingmostlyonmemorization.Ofcourse,these
voices belong to those speaking out in very public forums to express
discontent and frustration. It is reasonable to ask how typical they are of
what most students experience. These same themes can be found in the
muchmorerepresentativeGallupYouthSurvey(Lyons2004).Inthissurvey,
middleandhighschoolstudentswereaskedtoselectthreewordsfromalist
of adjectives to describe how they usually feel in school. Topping the list,
50%ofthestudentschosethewordbored.Insecondplacewastiredwith
42%.HappyandChallengedwerenextwith31%,abitmorehopefuland
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positive to be sure. However, it should be noted that students were more

likely to choose positive adjectives if they selfidentified as being above
averageofnearthetop,indicatingthatthestoryoflearningstudentsare
encounteringmaydifferbyability.
Onecanalsoseethissamepatternofexperienceinthefindingsofoneofthe
largest longitudinal studies of how students experience elementary schools
conductedbytheNationalInstituteofChildHealthandHumanDevelopment
(Pianta, Belsky et al. 2007; Pianta, Belsky et al. 2007). The ongoing study
involvesclassroomobservationsof1364studentsastheyprogressthrough
school to assess the type of instruction they experience. The most recent
assessment of students fifthgrade year involved 956 students (some
students dropped out of the study) enrolled in 737 classrooms distributed
across502schools(bothpublicandprivate)in302districts(mostlymiddle
class) in 33 different states. Taking just the fifth grade observations as an
example, it was found that 58% of students time was spent on basic skills
learning and less than 13% on higher level learning involving analysis and
inference. Furthermore, less than 5% of the instructional time involved
collaborative work and less than 1% of the observed class episodes
(approximately six hours in each classroom) were classified as instances
where students were highly engaged. The image that emerges from these
classroomsissimilartothatexpressedbyDanielPink(Pink2012)inwhich
hesaysthattoooftenthegoodkidsarecompliant,thesocalledbadkidsare
defiant,butnooneisengaged.
One might expect things to get better as students progress through school,
but the evidence says otherwise. The Collegiate Learning Assessment
tracked2,300studentsthroughtheiruniversityexperienceat24schoolsin
the United States and found that just slightly more than half (55%) of
students showed any significant improvement in key measures of critical
thinking,complexreasoningandwritingbytheendoftheirsophomoreyears
(Gorski 2011). These statistics only improved slightly by the end of four
yearswith64%demonstratingimprovementonthesemeasures.Thestudy
found the overall school experience for students was similar to those
reported by Michael Weschs students in his YouTube video in which the
reading isnt relevant, little writing is done, and lectures dispense
informationbutdontaskstudentstothink(Wesch2007).AsUniversityof
MissourifreshmanJuliaRheineckerstated,MostofwhatIlearnedthisyearI
alreadyhadinhighschoolIjusthaventfoundmyselfpushingasmuchasI
expected(Gorski2011).
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Itmayseemfromthesereportsthatthereisntmuchofadifferencebetween
the old story many of us experienced and the current story with the
emphasis on rote learning, grades, and in many cases an irrelevant
curriculum.However,somearearguingthatthecurrentemphasisontesting
and accountability is actually leading schools to diminish students
opportunity rather than enhance it (Meier 2003; Ritchhart 2004; Wagner
2008; Rose 2009; Zhao 2009; Ravitch 2011). What is being created is a
testingcultureratherthanalearningcultureinwhichweseescoresontests
going up but learning, understanding, and engagement actually decreasing
(Shepard2000).
Although we dont have good historical data to make such a comparison,
there is evidence that current educational policies do in fact have an
inhibiting role when it comes to opening up learning, promoting creativity,
andpromotingthinking.Ina20002001surveybytheNationalEducational
Association, sixtyone percent of public school teachers said that testing
stifles real teaching and learning (NEA 2003). This survey predated the
implementation of the No Child Left Behind reform, which mandated much
more testing. In their book, Imagination First, Eric Liu and Scott Noppe
Brandon (Liu and NoppeBrandon 2009) note how the test culture has
warped our perspective of what it means to educate, Too many public
schoolfocusonthemeasurabletotheexclusionofthepossible.Asaresult,
too many students end up better prepared for taking tests than for being
skillful learnings in the world beyond school. In the United Kingdom, the
focus on the National Curriclum has made it harder for teachers to bring
enthusiasm, creativity, thinking and a responsive curriculum to students as
teachers struggle with the increasing standardization, centralization, and
vocationalfocusofeducation(Robinson1999;Maisuria2005;Lipsett2008;
Wagner2008;Claxton,Chambersetal.2011).
AsAustraliabeganitsmovetowardaNationalCurriculumanditsassociated
testing,policymakerslookedattheimpactsimilarreformeffortshadinthe
USandUK.Oneanalysisconcluded,Fullcohort[allstudentssystemwide]
tests encourage methods of teaching that promote shallow and superficial
learning rather than deep conceptual understanding and the kinds of
complex knowledge and skills needed in modern, informationbased
societies (QSA 2009). Nonetheless, policy makers enamored with notions
of accountability, value added, and measurable results seem poised to
imposeatestingpolicythatmirrorsallthefailedaspectsofthoseimposedin
13
theUSAandUK,ignoringthemountingevidencethatsuchtestingwarpsand
distortsthestoryoflearningforbothteachersandstudents.
Nikhil Goyal, mentioned above, talked about classrooms as testprep
factories.Indeed,theCenterforEducationalPolicyfoundthatsince200102
most school districts in the United States, 84%, had made changes to
curriculumandtheallocationofinstructionaltimetofocusontestedcontent
(McMurrer2007).TonyWagner,authorofTheGlobalAchievementGap,has
visited classrooms in some of the best public and private schools in the
United States. In these learning walks, Wagners goal is to assess the
intellectualchallengebeingofferedtostudents.Intypicallearningwalks,he
findsthatlittletimeisspentonactivitiesthatrequirehigherorderthinking
andthatteachersrarelyaskquestionsinvolvingmorethanrecall.Heislucky
tovisitasingleclassoutofadozenwhereallstudentsareactivelyengaged
and thinking. In my own research groups study of teacher questioning in
standardsbased classrooms in the United Kingdom, defined as classrooms
where teachers deliver instruction based on meeting specific objectives as
delineatedinanexternallyprescribedcurriculum,wefoundthatthemajority
ofteachersquestions,58%,wereeitherofaproceduralnatureorfocusedon
reviewing content. Just 10% were designed to push, probe and facilitate
students thinking. In Jo Boalars study of traditional high school
mathematics classes in both the US, she found that virtually all, 97%, of
questionsinvolvedrecallandreview(BoalerandBrodie2004).
Severalthemesareemergingfromthesedisparateaccounts:thatlearningin
schoolsisoftenboring,largelyentailsmemorizingandrepeatingfacts,rarely
demands that students think, and is generally an isolated exercise. These
themes are given much of their traction, life, and longevity by another
commonstorythread:competition.Theideathatlearningisacompetitive
rather than collaborative venture is practically baked into our system of
educationinwhichrankings,GPAs,andexamscoresareusedasmeasuresof
accomplishment and criteria for admissions to university programs. In the
documentaryRacetoNowhere,theeffectsofthiscompetitiononstudentsis
explored in terms of the stress, disengagement, alienation, cheating, loss of
creativity,andoverallmentalhealthissuesitinducesinmanyofthosewho
choose to buy in and the high drop out rates that result when students
choosenottobuyinorfindthemselveslockedoutbythetestingculture.The
documentarygivesvoicetostudents,mostlyfromhighlycompetitivepublic
and private schools, who feel that grades and scores have become the
purpose of school rather than learning. Inspired by her own daughters
14
stress induced illness, documentary director Vicki H. Abeles, has issued a

wakeupcallforschoolstochangethestoryoflearningtheyareenacting.
AnotherwakeupcallwasissuedbySirKenRobinsoninhiswidelypopular
TED Conference talk (viewed by over 200 million people), Bring on the
LearningRevolution.Inhisaddress,Robinsonstressestheurgentneedfor
nurturing human potential on an individualized basis as an educational
outcome,athemethatemergedfromhiscommitteesreporttotheSecretary
of State for Education and Employment in the United Kingdom (Robinson
1999). To the TED audience, Robinson speaks about this need as a crisis of
humanresourcesbeingbroughtaboutbyaneducationthatdislocatespeople
from their natural talents rather than helping them identify and develop
them.Helaystheblameforthisdislocationanddeathonthedominantstory
of learning being told in our schools today. Specifically he identifies two
storythemes:linearityandconformity.Schoolspresentlearningasatrack
that students are placed on with the end goal often being attending a good
college.However,thislinearviewofeducationignorestheorganicnatureof
learning and human development. This linearity also leads us to seeing
educationasacompetitiontoreachthatendgoalfasterandbetter(attending
amoreselectivecollege)thanothers.
Accompanying, and perhaps even exacerbating, the linearity Robinson
identifiesisthethemeofconformity;theideathatwecanhaveaonesizefits
allsystemofeducation.Oneseesthisplayingoutintheincreasingcallsfor
standardization of curriculum, tests, and teaching. Robinson (Robinson
2006)saysthatwehavesoldourselvesintoafastfoodmodelofeducation
and it is impoverishing our spirits and our energies as much as fast food is
depleting our physical bodies. Instead of accepting the belief that quality
comes from conformity, he suggests we attain such high quality when we
striveforcustomizationoverstandardization.Thisfocusonconformitykills
creativityandimagination,Robinsonargues.Thisismorethanamerebelief,
however. A review of almost 300,000 scores of children and adults on the
Torrance Creativity Test, reveals a steady and very significant decline in
scoressincethe1990s,withthoseofAmericanelementaryschoolstudents
showingthemostseriousdecline(BronsonandMerryman2010).
Aswithourreviewoftheoldstory,thisexaminationofthecurrentstoryhas
to be considered as only a partial view. Certainly there are schools and
classrooms telling a different, more engaging, and more thoughtful story of
learning.HavingworkedwithDisneysAmericanTeacherAwardsprogram
and coauthored the Creative Classroom series, I know many excellent
15
teachers. Im sure you also know of some excellent schools and dynamic
teachers.Thatsaid,weshouldntbetooquicktopatourselvesonthebackor
becomecomplacentabouthowourstudentsareexperiencinglearninginour
schoolsandclassroomsonalargerscaleandovertime.Ittakesadegreeof
nerve, ambition and fortitude to steadfastly and honestly work to uncover
thestoryoflearningoneistellingstudents.Onceuncovered,onemustthen
assesshowitstacksupagainstwhatwetrulywantforourstudents.Arewe
in fact cultivating the kinds of adults we want our students to be? This
alignment isnt easy precisely because we have allowed lowlevel outcomes
on tests to shape our view of what a quality education is and should offer.
The story of learning we are enacting also gets framed through the lens of
our own experience as students. We tend to perpetuate and reinforce the
status quo because it is the only story we know. In this way the culture of
schools, the story of learning we are enacting, becomes invisible to us.
However, as the large scale studies mentioned above have all found, the
dominant story is not one that is serving students well or adequately
promotingthekindsofoutcomeswesaywevalue.Therefore,wemustthink
abouttellingadifferentstoryoflearning.
CraftingaDifferentStoryforSchools
Creatinganewstoryrequiresustorethinknotonlythepurposeandvision
of education, but also to examine the way schools operate and function as
delivery agents of that vision. To change the story and achieve different
outcomes,likethosesetforthpreviously,wemustsendnewmessagesabout
whatlearningisandhowithappens.Craftingandsendingnewmessagesis
notaneasytask.Itrequiresustoreallywalkthetalk.Theoldstoryandold
ways of doing things are quite engrained in us as students, teachers, and
parents,makingiteasytofallintooldwaysofdoingthings.Inthefollowing
chapterswewillfocusonhowwecanmarshalandmastertheforcesatwork
within group culture in a way that will enable us to enact a different story.
But first, we must allow ourselves to dream a new vision and articulate its
essence.
Alltoooftenweeducatorsfinditdifficulttodream.Thereisatendencyto
see the barriers, constraints, and structures around us as impenetrable
barriers.Theresthetimetable,theexternalexams,universityentrance,50
minuteinstructionalperiods,governmentmandates,annualyearlyprogress
measures, outside inspectors, parental expectations, and so on. All these
causeustothrowupourhandsandsay,untilthesystemchanges,thereis
nothing we can do. David Jakes, an educational advocate interested in
16
transforming schools through technology, also uses the story metaphor to

think about schools and their vision. In doing so, he suggests we need to
change our language from one of limits to one of possibilities, Creating a
newstoryrequiresthattheauthororauthorsofthatnewstorycastasidethe
destructiveYahButmentality,andaskWhatIf?"(Jakes2012).
Letsconsiderafewwhatifsthatsuggestanewstory.Whatifschoolswere
lessaboutpreparingstudentsfortestsandmoreaboutpreparingthemfora
lifetime of learning? What if schools measured success not by what
individuals did on exams but by what groups were able to accomplish
together? What if schools took the development of students intellectual
characterastheirhighestcalling?Whatifunderstandingandapplicationof
skillsandknowledgewerethegoalratherthantheacquisitionofknowledge?
What if students were really engaged in their learning rather than merely
compliantintheprocessofschoolasitisdonetothem?Whatifstudentshad
more control of their learning? There is an endless array of What if
questions we might ask to help us rethink our schools and to dream a new
vision of education. The ones above might spark fresh thinking and rich
dreaming on the part of you and your colleagues as you explore what the
implications might be of these what ifs for teachers and students. In
addition, you might want to identify your own what if questions, either
individuallyoraspartofaprofessionalgroup,forexploration.
The What if? question at the core of this book is: What if we sought to
develop a culture of thinking in our schools, classrooms, museums, meetings,
and organizations? Taking up the question in earnest, in a way that
transforms schools and organizations, means enacting a new story by
harnessingthepoweroftheforcesthatshapegroupculture.Thesewillbe
exploredindetailinthecomingchapters.However,beforewejumpintothe
how,weneedtobeabitmoreclarityaroundourstory.Justwhatisitwe
aretryingtoaccomplish?Onlywhenweareclearaboutthecoremessages
we wish to send can we hope to capture the essence of this story in a way
thatwecantellittoourselvesoverandoveragainuntilitbecomesthevery
heartofournewvision.
In this story, our schools, classrooms, and organizations become places in
whichagroupscollective,aswellasindividual,thinkingisvalued,visibleand
actively promoted as part of the regular, daytoday experience of all group
members.Thisisthebeatingheartofourstory.Wemuststrivetoconstantly
make thinking valued, visible, and actively promoted in all our interactions
with learners, as part of the lessons we design, central in the assessment
17
process,partandparcelofourinstruction,andgenerallyintegratedinallwe
do.Eachofthesecoreactionsmakingthinkingvalued,visible,andactively
promotedneedsabitmoreunpackingsothatwe understandourmission
andhaveabetterideaofwhatitentails.
Wemustbeginbysendingarobustmessageaboutthevalueofthinking.Of
course,whateducatorisgoingtosayheorshedoesntvaluethinking?Butin
fact, schools send students very mixed messages about the value and
importanceofthinkingandoftenorganizationsmaybeclearaboutthetask
at hand but not always the thinking needed to accomplish it. Too often
studentsaresentthemessagethatmemorizationistheonlytoolnecessary
forlearningandthatthereisntaplacetobringincomplications,questions,
or connections from outside the classroom that might make learning more
real.Ifwetrulyvaluethinking,thenwemustbeabletodefinitelyarticulate
what kinds of thinking we are after, why they are important, and how they
mighthelponeslearningoraccomplishmentofthetaskathand.Wemust
communicatethatlearningisaconsequenceofthinking,notsomethingextra
thatwetackonbutsomethinginwhichwemustactivelyengagetopromote
ourownandotherslearning.
So what kinds of thinking are of value? What are we after? Naturally, this
dependsonthelearningcontext,butbroadlyspeakingwewantstudentsto
become proficient with the kinds of thinking they can use to develop their
ownunderstandingofthings.Forexample:
Askingquestions,identifyingpuzzles,andwonderingaboutthe
mysteriesandimplicationsoftheobjectsandideasofstudy
Making connections, comparisons and contrasts between and

among thingsincluding connections within and across the
disciplineaswellaswithonesownpriorknowledge
Building ongoing and evolving explanations, interpretations,

and theories based on ones ever developing knowledge and
understanding
Examining things from different perspectives and alternative

points of view to discern bias and develop a more balanced
takeonissues,ideas,andevents.
Noticing, observing, and looking closely to fully notice the

details, nuances, and hidden aspects and to observe what is
18
really going on as the foundational evidence for ones

interpretationsandtheories
Identifying, gathering, and reasoning with evidence to justify

and support ones interpretations, predictions, theories,
arguments,andexplanations
Being able to delve deeply to uncover the complexities and

challenges of a topic and look below the surface of things,
recognizingwhenoneonlyhasasurfaceunderstanding
Beingabletocapturethecoreoressenceofathingtodiscern
whatitreallyallabout.
Thisisabynomeansanexhaustivelistofthinking.Iandmycolleagueshave
written elsewhere in more detail about what might constitute effective
thinking((Ritchhart,Churchetal.2011),butthislistisagoodplacetostart.
Inaddition,onecouldtakesomeofthegoalsidentifiedearlierandbeginto
unpack them for the types of thinking they require. What kinds of thinking
are important in problem solving? What kinds of thinking support
innovation and creativity? What kinds of thinking are needed to be an
effectivecommunicatororadvocate?Youlllikelyfindsomeoverlapwiththe
listabove,butsomenewtypesofthinkingarelikelytoemergeaswell.
Once we are clear on the kinds of thinking we are trying to encourage, we
muststrivetomakethisveryelusiveentity,thinking,asvisibleaspossibleso
that it too can become an object of development as much as the concepts,
knowledge,andskillsthatareamoretypicalpartofthecurriculum.When
we make thinking visible, we are provided a window into not only what
students understand but also how they are understanding it. Uncovering
students thinking provides evidence of students insights as well as their
misconceptions. We need to make thinking visible because it provides us
withtheinformationneededtoplantheopportunitiesthatcantakestudents
learningtothenextlevelandenablecontinuedengagementwiththeideasof
study.Itisonlywhenweunderstandwhatourstudentsarethinkingthatwe
canusethatknowledgetofurtherengageandsupportthemintheprocessof
building understanding. Thus, making students thinking visible must
becomeanongoingcomponentofourteaching.
Teachersareusedtoaskingquestionsthatuncoverstudentsknowledgeand
testtheirmemories.Individuallyandcollectively,wealsomustgetbetterat
19
asking questions that probe, push, and help to uncover students thinking
(Ritchhart2012).Thenweneedtolistentoourstudentssothatwecantruly
hearwhattheyhavetosay.Listeningmeanstakingavigorousandgenuine
interest in the other. When we do that,students are sent the message that
their thinking and ideas matter, that they are part of the conversation, and
integral to the learning. We then can take our listening the next step and
document students thinking so that we have a record of our collective
thinkingandourcommunitysprogresstowardunderstanding.Thisrecord
becomes one way to examine and talk about our thinking and its
development.Itisavehicleforbothcapturingandadvancinglearning.What
ismore,theveryactofdocumentingstudentsthinkingsendsanimportant
messageaboutitsvalueandimportance.
But we cant stop at visibility. We must also seek to actively advance and
promote students thinking if we are to produce students who are engaged
learnersandactivethinkersabletocommunicate,innovate,collaborate,and
problem solve. This means that a chief goal of instruction, right along side
the development of content understanding, is the advancement of thinking.
Thisdualfocus,whatGuyClaxton(Claxton,Chambersetal.2011)callssplit
screen teaching, builds on and is made possible only through our efforts to
valuethinkingandmakeitvisible.Itisthecompletionofourtriadicgoal.
Takingthepromotionofthinkingseriouslymovesusintonewandsomewhat
lesschartedterritoryformostteachers.Ontheonehand,oneadvancesany
skill through the opportunities one has to engage it. Therefore, teachers
must create opportunities for thinking and provide time for itnot always
aneasythingamidstthepressforcoveragebutanecessitynonetheless.On
the other hand, practice alone does not ensure progress and meaningful
development.Onealsoneedsfeedbackandcoachingononespractice.This
kindofcoachingcallsforanuanced,situated,andembeddedassessmentof
studentseffortsinthemoment.Itisanassessmentthatfeedsandspursthe
learnersefforts,beingpurelyformativeinnature.
I hesitate to use the word assessment in this context since it carries so
much baggage for educators. Some educators cannot get the red pen or
gradebookoutoftheirmindsassoonastheyheartheword.Otherscringe
atthedeadeningeffectsomanyformsofschoolbasedassessmentshaveon
the learning and teaching process, turning even the most enjoyable
exploration intomereworkfor the teacher tograde. Butthese are most
assuredlynottheformsofassessmentthatarehelpfulinadvancingstudents
thinking.Weareaftertheassessmentofacoachontheplayingfield,ableto
20
identifywhereaplayerisatinhisorherdevelopmentandwhatisneededto
takeperformancetothenextlevel.Thisistheskillofacoach.Itisalsothe
skill of an effective teacher. Practically anyone, and increasingly anything,
candispenseinformation.Reallearningisadvancedthroughthecreationof
powerful opportunities for mental engagement accompanied by the
discerningeyeandtargetedfeedbackofsomeonemoreexpertthanoneself.
EnactingOurNewStory,RealizingOurVision
In this chapter, I articulated a set of new outcomes that define a quality
education:thepromotionofthedispositionsneededforstudentstobecome
activelearnersandeffectivethinkerseagerandabletocreate,innovate,and
solveproblem.Itisthisoutcomethatismostneededforsuccessintheworld
today. Although not wholly new, it is an outcome that has enjoyed only
peripheral attention, seldom capturing the core of our attention. Too often
pushedtothesidebyafocusonexamscoresalone.However,itisavision
thatencapsulatesourhighestcallingaseducators,representingwhatweare
abletoachievewhenweallowourselvestodreamoutsideofthewellworn
constraintsoftheschoolbureaucracy.Itisthestuffofpassion,energy,and
driveforbothourstudentsandus.
Ithenidentifiedthevehicleneededtogetusthere:enculturation.Wemust
surround our students with an intellectual life into which they might grow.
Todothis,weneedtofirstidentifyandevaluatethestoryoflearningweare
currently telling our students through the messages we send them (some
ideasfordoingthatfollowattheendofthischapter).Then,wemustwork
toshiftthosemessagesinordertoenculturatestudentsintoanewstoryof
learning where thinking is valued, visible, and actively promoted as part of
theongoing,daytodayexperienceofallgroupmembers.Wemustbecome
shapersofcultureandmessagemanagerstorealizeourvisionandtransform
ourschools.
But, how do we shift the messages within an already established culture?
How do we enact a new story of learning for both our students and
ourselves?Howcanweunderstandtheinsandoutsofgroupculturesothat
wemayharnessitspowerandshapeittotellournewstory?Thesearethe
questionswetakeupinChapter2aswedelveintoanexplorationofgroup
andorganizationalculture.
21
UncoveringtheStoryofYourSchoolorClassroom
Using the method of the Gallup Youth Survey, create a list of 25

adjectives: 10 positive (engaged, interested, curious, etc.), 5 neutral
(coasting, comfortable, fine, etc.) and 10 negative (tired, bored,
frustrated, etc.). Ask students anonymously to select three words
fromthelisttodescribehowtheyusuallyfeelinschoolingeneralor
in your class in particular. Include a question asking students to
identify how they see themselves academically: near the top, above
average,average.Whatdoesthepatternofresponsetellyou?
UsetheMyReflectionsontheLearningActivitiesinthisClasssurvey
ofstudents(AppendixA)toassessstudentsviewsaboutthetypesof
thinking that are most present in a particular class lesson. How do
studentsviewsmatchwithyourown?
Uncoverthemessagestheschoolsendsteachersaboutwhatitmeans
to teach at your school. Have the faculty respond in writing to the
prompt: For a first year teacher beginning his/her career at our
school,whatmessageswouldhe/shepickupaboutwhatitmeansto
beateacherhere?Whatkindsofprofessionalconversationswouldhe
orsherecognizeasdominatingourtime?Whatwouldheorshenotice
abouthowonedevelopsasateacheroverthecourseofhis/hercareer
ifonestaysatthisschool?Shareanddiscusspeoplesresponsesin
small groups to identify themes, and then share them out with the
largergroup.
GoonaLearningMessageWalk.Visitasmanyclassesatyourschool
as you can on a given day, stopping in each class just 510 minutes.
The purpose is not to evaluate teacher performance but to get a
general feel for students experience in classes. Pay attention to
engagementandparticipation.Areallstudentsparticipatingorjusta
few? Note level of intellectual challenge and the teachers press for
thinking. Is this just more of the same or do students really have to
dig in and think? Get a feel for the discourse in the classroom. Are
studentsengagingandrespondingtooneanotherorisitonlyaPing
Pong ball dialog with the teacher? Take note of how students are
working: whole class, small groups, in pairs, or individually.
22
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CCOT Chapter 1 V4

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CHAPTER1:ThePurposeandPromiseofSchools

The qualities I consistently hear as important to teachers and parents, like

Power initiative (Claxton, Chambers et al. 2011) seeks to develop a set of

positive to be sure. However, it should be noted that students were more

stress induced illness, documentary director Vicki H. Abeles, has issued a

transforming schools through technology, also uses the story metaphor to

Making connections, comparisons and contrasts between and

Building ongoing and evolving explanations, interpretations,

Examining things from different perspectives and alternative

Noticing, observing, and looking closely to fully notice the

really going on as the foundational evidence for ones

Identifying, gathering, and reasoning with evidence to justify

Being able to delve deeply to uncover the complexities and

Using the method of the Gallup Youth Survey, create a list of 25

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Lipsett, A. (2008). National curriculum contrains teachers and pupils. The

Maisuria, A. (2005). "The trubulent times of creativity in the National

McMurrer, J. (2007). NCLB Year 5: Choices, Changes, and Challenges:

NEA (2003). Satus of the American public school teacher 20002001.

Pianta, R. C., J. Belsky, et al. (2007). "Opportunities to Learn in Americas

Pianta, R. C., J. Belsky, et al. (2007). "Support online material for

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