Chapter 8: Making Thinking Visible

For my Visible Thinking colleagues at CIS here is my summation of Chapter 8

In this chapter the authors address a few different issues that emerge in the use of thinking routines.

Important ideas:

2 Key Ideas from this chapter...

1. A key idea that emerged from the chapter is that many of the pitfalls that teachers face are at the formative stages of using routines (once the initial honeymoon period wears off). Once routines are well known by students it seems that some of the difficulties (mainly associated around student apathy and disengagement) subside. This is because they are essentially "second nature" and because of this thinking is facilitated more meaningfully.

2. The authors also include a cautionary note within the pages of this chapter - "the strategies provided in this book are just tools and, like any tool, must be applied in the right context..."

One common downfall is to tailor content to the routines because students and teachers know these. The routines are for unpacking and thinking about content not the other way around. In other words take care to ensure that your use of thinking routines serve the learning of significant concepts rather than being an end unto themselves.