Building Thinking Classrooms in Mathematics

Much of how classrooms look and much of what happens in them today is guided by institutional norms laid down at the inception of an industrial-age model of public education. These norms have enabled a culture of teaching and learning that is often devoid of student thinking. In this session, teachers will learn how to transform their classrooms from a space where students mimic to where students think.

By the end of the workshop, participants will be ready to implement Toolkit 1 and Toolkit 2, including:

• Identify what types of tasks to use in a Thinking Classroom.
• Form collaborative groups in a Thinking Classroom.
• Establish where students work in a Thinking Classroom.
• Arrange the furniture in a Thinking Classroom.
• Answer questions in a Thinking Classroom.
• Introduce tasks in a Thinking Classroom.

This workshop coincides with the book: Building Thinking Classrooms in Mathematics, Grades K-12: 14 Teaching Practices for Enhancing Learning by Peter Liljedahl. Purchasing the book is not required, but it may be a helpful companion for your classroom implementation. 

Presenter: Jolene Goodheart-Petersen, SHESC, Salina

Credit: Hours (6), PD Points (6), College Credit (.5)