Ways of Teaching Thinking Thinking through Assessment	Ways of Thinking Contents Introduction Thinking through Thinkpoints     - Big Ideas     - Practical Profile     - Action Guide Thinking through Dispositions     - Big Ideas     - Practical Profile     - Action Guide Thinking through Transfer     - Big Ideas     - Practical Profile     - Action Guide Thinking through Assessment     - Big Ideas     - Practical Profile     - Action Guide
Big Ideas Behind Thinking through Assessment To quote educational researcher Lauren Resnick, "you get what you assess." In other words, if teachers hold up good thinking as a valued and expected part of students' understanding performances and then specifically and consistently assess it, then that's what teachers will tend to get over time. Assessment is not just a method for measuring students' thinking and understanding of a particular subject. Assessment can be a powerful approach for teaching thinking as well. Teaching thinking through assessment helps set standards for the types of thinking performances that lead to deeper understanding. Thinking-centered assessment provides information on students' understanding performances by highlighting both the strengths and the weaknesses of students' thinking. Such information is crucial for helping teachers develop follow-up lessons and instruction. Teaching thinking through assessment helps provide teachers and students with a common set of tools they can use to communicate and articulate their ideas about what's good and not so good about their thinking. Teaching thinking through assessment helps teachers consider and specifically target the types of thinking they value in the lessons and projects they develop. Teaching thinking through assessment gives teachers a number of thinking-centered lenses through which to examine students' thinking and understanding performances. Employing a variety of thinking-centered assessments also helps students better gauge how well they are thinking and learning. Assessment should be an on-going enterprise. It should occur frequently through the course of a lesson or project. Assessment should not simply be something one does after completing a lesson or project. Delaying assessment untl the completion of a project or lesson robs the student of the opportunity to improve on weaknesses and close gaps in understanding.
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More on Thinking Through Assessment Practical Profile of Thinking Through Assessment Action Guide for Thinking Through Assessment Ways of Thinking Contents Introduction Thinking through Thinkpoints     - Big Ideas     - Practical Profile     - Action Guide Thinking through Dispositions     - Big Ideas     - Practical Profile     - Action Guide Thinking through Transfer     - Big Ideas     - Practical Profile     - Action Guide Thinking through Assessment     - Big Ideas     - Practical Profile     - Action Guide The Thinking Classroom Quick Menu - select a destination - The Thinking Classroom Home Page Introducing the Thinking Classroom >Ways of Thinking     Thinking through Thinkpoints     Thinking through Dispositions     Thinking through Transfer     Thinking through Assessment >Information & Resources     Pictures of Practice     Articles >Curriculum Design Tools     Design Tools     Classroom Resources >Communication & Community     News Notes     Forum >Reflect & Connect     Reflection Activities     Reflection Journal

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