Learn with the Expert: The Power of Making Thinking Visible with Ron Ritchhart
Over the past decade there has been an explosion of interest in how teachers can best build a culture of thinking in their classrooms, nurture students as powerful thinkers and learners, and make thinking visible. These goals are more important in times of disrupted learning than ever. Through his research and writing Dr. Ron Ritchhart has been a leader in advancing this important work. His book Making Thinking Visible, co-authored with Mark Church and Karin Morrison, did much to popularize the use of thinking routines in schools and museums around the world. However, this has not been without challenges. Some teachers merely use thinking routines as one-off activities or in a superficial way. In the new book, The Power of Making Thinking Visible, researchers Dr. Ron Ritchhart and Mark Church share their research into just what difference using making thinking visible practices makes for students and teachers and how teachers can plan for a plan to use these practices to maximize the effect. When used powerfully, thinking routines not only provide teachers with a set of practices to engage students, but help advance a broader goal to create classrooms where students’ thinking is visible, valued, and actively promoted. This session will explore this research to help school leaders better understand what effects the use of making thinking visible practices can have in the classroom and how they might support teachers in using thinking routines to maximum effect.
Ron is a sought-after speaker for his ability to connect with and engage fellow educators in these powerful, big-picture ideas, while simultaneously providing useful insights into and practical ideas for advancing the complex world of teaching and learning. This is no doubt due to Ron’s diverse experience, which includes teaching elementary school, art, and secondary mathematics. Upon Ron’s Harvard retirement, Howard Gardner commented, “Of all of us at Harvard Project Zero, you have had the most influence on what teachers around the world do in their classrooms and how to talk and think about it.”
