Introduction
How can we activate students’ thinking to build understanding in the subject areas? And how can we help students to think more critically and creatively at the same time?

During this course, you will learn to personalize and apply a research-based framework called Visible Thinking which is being used effectively in a number of schools. Adaptable to any subject area, Visible Thinking allows getting started almost at once with ‘thinking routines’ that help students ponder ideas from the subject areas. These routines, together with other ‘cultural forces’ such as language and expectations, and often with the use of art and artifacts as conversational foci, create a vibrant culture of thinking and understanding in the classroom.

Documenting students’ work (and reflecting on it both with colleagues and the students, make students more aware of their thinking and feeds professional conversations that foster collegiality and collaboration among teachers.

Videos of practicing teachers, extensive online resources, and text resources support your exploration of how to build a culture of thinking and thoughtful learning for understanding that is visible to both teachers and students.

Overarching Course Goals / Throughlines
The core questions we will investigate during this course are:

1. How can we build students' understanding,  increase engagement in the subject areas through thinking, and improve students' thinking?
2. How can we foster positive thinking and learning attitudes as well as abilities?
3. How can we use the arts and artifacts as foci of thoughtful learning for understanding across the subject areas?
4. How can we document student thinking so that both teachers and students are better able to understand and develop it?
5. How can we foster a culture of thinking and regard for thoughtful learning in the classroom?
6. How can we build teacher collegiality and collaboration around a culture of thinking and thoughtful learning?