Types of Thinking
According to most research, the thinking processes most needed by students boils down to three distinct abilities. These three and their transparency and implementation in education alter how curriculum frameworks, planning documents, and activities are structured in the school system. Additionally, I observe that many teachers believe that their content necessitates only one type of thinking and divide arts, sciences, maths, etc. This can often confuse students as it does not become explicit that all three thinking types are necessary for ongoing and in-depth learning.
Divergent Thinking: New Possibilities
Rothstein and Santana (2015) present divergent thinking as the "ability to generate a wide range of ideas, options, hypotheses, and possibilities" (p. 16). This is a highly-sought after trait in students who are college and career ready as it illustrates their ability to not overly focus on one idea and gain tunnel vision. Students lacking divergent thinking skills focus on one path to reaching their goal and when they hit that hurdle, they put down their pencil, raise their hand, and continue waiting until they state, "I'm stuck. What should I do?" They become dependent learners and always require another to show a different path. Schools need to replicate situations where students hit road blocks and provide thinking skills for students to think on their own and not simply wait for another's thoughts.
In modern culture, artists are usually seen as the most developed divergent thinking. Their minds are open to see the world and knowledge in new ways, as well as demonstrate thinking that leads to unconventional and inventive outcomes. They live for thoughts that have never been thought before. This thinking is not just imperative for free thinkers, but rather a thought-process that all human beings need in the ever-changing and independent consumption of world events, news reports, and the everyday challenges at work. We might seek to find new solutions to old problems.
In modern culture, artists are usually seen as the most developed divergent thinking. Their minds are open to see the world and knowledge in new ways, as well as demonstrate thinking that leads to unconventional and inventive outcomes. They live for thoughts that have never been thought before. This thinking is not just imperative for free thinkers, but rather a thought-process that all human beings need in the ever-changing and independent consumption of world events, news reports, and the everyday challenges at work. We might seek to find new solutions to old problems.
Convergent Thinking: Synthesis, Analysis, Making Meaning
Rothstein and Santana (2015) present convergent thinking as the "synthesizing of a range of idea, allowing students to take a collection of facts and examples and make sense of all" (p. 17). Unlike divergent thinking, which pushed brand new thinking, convergent thoughts utilize information already available. The student-thinker is taking the thoughts and conclusions of others, something that already exists, and turning it into further clarifications and different perspectives.
This is often the most widely seen thinking in schools today as students are presented sets of variables in science class or given a set of poems in ELA. Students might not be having to recall information as much as previous decades, but there is still an over emphasis on the thoughts of others as the only valued beliefs. A better blending of divergent and convergent needs to occur to validate student questioning and thoughts to empower the learning process.
This is often the most widely seen thinking in schools today as students are presented sets of variables in science class or given a set of poems in ELA. Students might not be having to recall information as much as previous decades, but there is still an over emphasis on the thoughts of others as the only valued beliefs. A better blending of divergent and convergent needs to occur to validate student questioning and thoughts to empower the learning process.
Metacognition: Learning to Think About Thinking
For those closely following Dweck's Growth Mindset and Costa & Kallick's work on Habits of Mind, this should come as no surprise that there is a current push to alter and increase the amount of thinking instruction done during the school day. Skipping over the thought process in planning units and lessons sets many teachers up for failure before their very first day with students. Rothstein and Santana (2015) discuss metacognition as "the ability to think about one's own learning and thinking process" (p.17). These student-thinkers better understand what they are thinking, how they are thinking, and more importantly why they are thinking. They become conscious observers to their own thought process. Students successful with metacognition have been observed "naturally raising questions about the material they read, make predictions, reflect on the sense and meaning of the story, and wonder and question further about what is happening" (p.17). Their counterparts often did not exhibit the same style of thinking.
One of the ideal uses of QFT and many of the other ideas in the website focuses on transference of knowledge between each subject and between school and home. Too many times have I walked into a history or science class to see a frustrated teacher over how my English students were writing. After looking over their papers, I noticed too few of the students carried knowledge of the writing process between our classes. I even asked a few who said, "This isn't English class!" On our accounts the system and teaching methods produced localized growth that I presumed might fade into the sunset after our English class ended that year. To prepare and build students' abilities to transfer skills, metacognition must be an explicit and integral part of the school day. Rothstein and Santana (2015) would agree with this presumption: "Students who are aware of themselves as learners and who can name and monitor their own learning strategies can more easily apply knowledge in one context to another" (p.18).
One of the ideal uses of QFT and many of the other ideas in the website focuses on transference of knowledge between each subject and between school and home. Too many times have I walked into a history or science class to see a frustrated teacher over how my English students were writing. After looking over their papers, I noticed too few of the students carried knowledge of the writing process between our classes. I even asked a few who said, "This isn't English class!" On our accounts the system and teaching methods produced localized growth that I presumed might fade into the sunset after our English class ended that year. To prepare and build students' abilities to transfer skills, metacognition must be an explicit and integral part of the school day. Rothstein and Santana (2015) would agree with this presumption: "Students who are aware of themselves as learners and who can name and monitor their own learning strategies can more easily apply knowledge in one context to another" (p.18).
Quick Overview of QFT
The focus is not on the teacher's questioning but rather the focus on student questions.
Basic Protocol of QFT
Ask as many questions as you can
Do not stop to discuss, judge, or answer any of the questions
Write down every question exactly as it was stated
Change any statements into questions
The process provides more direction, but the above protocols are the core beliefs from decades of research.
Basic Protocol of QFT
Ask as many questions as you can
Do not stop to discuss, judge, or answer any of the questions
Write down every question exactly as it was stated
Change any statements into questions
The process provides more direction, but the above protocols are the core beliefs from decades of research.
The Right Question Institute Role Guide
The RQI Question Formulation Technique
Rothstein, D., & Santana, L. (2015). Make just one change: Teach students to ask their own questions. Cambridge, MA: Harvard Education Press