Creating a Culture of Thinking

21
Creating a Culture of Thinking: A New Kind of Docent Education Program Mid-Atlantic Association of Museums Annual Meeting October 25, 2010

description

 

Transcript of Creating a Culture of Thinking

Page 1: Creating a Culture of Thinking

Creating a Culture of Thinking:A New Kind of Docent Education Program

Mid-Atlantic Association of Museums Annual MeetingOctober 25, 2010

Page 2: Creating a Culture of Thinking

National Gallery of ArtTeacher, School, and Family Programs

Heidi Hinish, Head of [email protected]

Elizabeth Diament, Museum [email protected]

Christine Stinson, School Docent [email protected]

Page 3: Creating a Culture of Thinking

The Big Question

• How can we create a docent education program that models the same kinds of teaching and learning that should happen on school tours?

Page 4: Creating a Culture of Thinking

In Our Session

In Our Session …In

• An overview of Cultures of Thinking and the eight cultural forces that define and shape a group’s experience, as defined by Ron Ritchhart (researcher at Harvard Project Zero).

• A case study of how Ritchhart’s framework informed the National Gallery’s new approach to docent education.

• Using a Project Zero thinking routine, discuss how these ideas could be applied to your learning setting .

Page 5: Creating a Culture of Thinking

Cultures of Thinking Project

• Ritchhart’s research focuses on understanding how to develop, nurture, and sustain thoughtful learning environments.

• Part of a larger initiative called Visible Thinking led by researchers at Harvard University’s Project Zero.

• Culture of Thinking projects are taking place in schools in Australia and the U.S. These projects look at the process of creating a school-wide culture of thinking that supports the development of students' thinking dispositions.

Page 6: Creating a Culture of Thinking

“Cultures of Thinking are places where a group’s collective, as well as individual thinking, is valued, visible, and actively promoted, as part of the ongoing experience of all group members.”

(Ron Ritchhart)

Page 7: Creating a Culture of Thinking

The 8 Cultural Forces

• The modeling of the group leader.

• The way time is allocated.

• The way language and conversation are used.

• The interactions and relationships that unfold.

• The expectations that are communicated.

• The opportunities that are created.

• The routines and structures that are put into place.

• The way the environment is set-up and utilized.

Page 8: Creating a Culture of Thinking

Modeling

• “It is who we are as thinkers and learners, and what we do, that helps create a culture of thinking?” (Ritchhart)

• As a learner, how can I understand a work of art? As a teacher, how can I help students understand a work of art? (school docent candidate education throughline)

Page 9: Creating a Culture of Thinking

Time

• “..thinking requires time.” (Ritchhart)

• “Without the time to engage properly with an object or idea, an opportunity for thinking can feel hollow.” (Ritchhart)

Page 10: Creating a Culture of Thinking

Time

Time for:o Prolonged lookingo Building descriptionso Wondering and puzzlingo Developing

interpretationso Creating conversations

Page 11: Creating a Culture of Thinking

Time

• “..thinking requires time.”(Ritchhart)

• “Without the time to engage properly with an object or idea, an opportunity for thinking can feel hollow.” (Ritchhart)

• Less really is more: by slowing down and looking carefully at a few works of art, students have the opportunity to think creatively and critically. (www.nga.gov/education/school/)

Page 12: Creating a Culture of Thinking

Language

• Inclusive language• Language of thinking• Language of personal

agency• Non-judgmental

feedback• Language of art

Page 13: Creating a Culture of Thinking

Relationships and Interactions

• “In museums, collaborative learning has been shown to enhance the meaning students make of objects.” (John Falk)

• Now I realize the group can be more enlightening and enlightened than the individual, and we all bring our life experience to the seeing and understanding of a work of art. (school docent candidate)

Page 14: Creating a Culture of Thinking

Docent Perspective: Was the tour observation form helpful?

• Framework or lens through which to examine the tour

• Helpful by having specific criteria to look for

• Cognizant of time

Page 15: Creating a Culture of Thinking

Docent Perspective: Did we learn anything from the exercise?

• Observed great variety in tours

• Thinking must be flexible and nimble

• Thoughts of lecturing dissipated

Page 16: Creating a Culture of Thinking

Docent Perspective: Did the form help generate discussion about tours and

teaching?

• Excited discussion of what worked

• Shared activities, what had meaning to children

• Making Thinking Visible

Page 17: Creating a Culture of Thinking

Docent Perspective: Did a culture of thinking about art and teaching

develop? What did that look like?• Informal coffee before class, wide-ranging discussions• Group hungers to hear from each other• Candidate are starting a web site to share ideas• Ask questions, culture of trust• Thinking in the wild

Page 18: Creating a Culture of Thinking

Connect│Extend│Challenge

• How do the ideas presented today, including the 8 cultural forces, connect to the work that I am already doing?

• What new ideas have surfaced that extend or push my thinking in new directions, as a result of today’s session?

• What are some challenges involved in taking these ideas back to my museum? What questions or puzzles do I have now?

Page 19: Creating a Culture of Thinking

"For classrooms to be cultures of thinking for students, schools must be cultures of thinking for teachers.”

(www.ronritchhart.com)

Page 20: Creating a Culture of Thinking

For school tours to be cultures of thinking for students, museums must be cultures of thinking for docents.