Reflecting on Learning Using Thinking Routines

8/5/2018

Thinking routines are a great way to help students and teachers name, notice and develop their thinking dispositions (see Project Zero website). Learning is a consequence of thinking but how often do we really take the time to reflect on our learning and the journey we took to know and understand the things we have learnt.

When we ask students to reflect, how many of them would actually know what that means?

How many students in our classrooms know what effective reflection looks like?

To reflect means to think deeply and carefully about something. When we ask students to reflect on the learning process, they strengthen their own capacity to learn. Central to this is metacognition and self-regulation, where students are aware of and can describe their thinking in a way that allows them to 'close the gap' as it were between what they know and what they need to learn.

We do not learn from experience...we learn from reflecting on experience.
-John Dewey

Just as we strategically scaffold the different types of thinking we want students to use when engaging with a learning experience, so to do we need to do this when helping students reflect on their learning.

Reflection can be done in a variety of ways and at various points in the learning journey. It needs to serve a purpose and hold value for it to be effective at that point in time.

One of the thinking routines we can use to aid student reflection on learning is I used to think... Now I think... (click link). This routine is perfect for helping students to

reflect on their learning,
make connections to their prior knowledge,
explore how their thinking has changed over the learning journey and,
talk about and make their thinking visible to others.

In the initial phases of development this is highly structured, but as the routine is used on a regular basis across all Key Learning Areas the students are able to use it and apply it seamlessly.

I used to think...

This prompt is an important part of the reflective process.
It asks students to look back at their past or initial thinking about a topic/ concept/ idea etc.
We often just list previous key ideas or understandings we have held.
As we share our thinking either in learning pods, as a class or individually with the teacher, I am always keen to find out what made them think this.
This open conversation alone brings about rich discussions.

Now I think...

This prompt asks learners to think about and examine how their thinking has evolved over the learning process.
I often ask students to elaborate on this response by adding 'because' or asking them how and/or why they know and understand this. This allows students to practice their ability to elaborate on their thinking and provide evidence to support their thinking.

Recently I went to a conference in Sydney where the keynote speaker was Rhonda Bondie (see website). She talked about the value of this routine in helping students to reflect on their learning, however she added that in order to help learners become self-regulated they need to continue the cycle beyond reflection. She suggested the prompt 'So next I will...' as a way to help students think about their next steps in the learning journey.

Click to view larger image

So next I will...

This prompt allows students to forward plan and set learning goals as they move forward in the learning process, thus continuing the cycle of self-regulation.
It also provides valuable insight to educators as to who has the ability to recognise their strengths and areas of improvement and who still needs to develop these skills.

Discussion Prompts:

What role does reflection play in your classroom?
How do/ might you scaffold student reflection?
What have you noticed when using this thinking routine with students?

- Alice Vigors

4 Comments

John Stewart

19/12/2018 03:55:02 am

I use to think that I had to plan and follow my lesson as it was written. Now I think it is important for the lesson and the direction the lesson goes is dependent on the students and where they as a class want to take the lesson.

Alice Vigors

19/12/2018 07:58:04 am

Yes John.
When we allow student voice, thinking and wonderings to guide learning we signal to students that their thinking matters and is what is used to guide learning in the classroom. This helps to lay the groundwork for life-long learning.

I'm interested to hear how this shift in thinking will impact on the way you program and teach your students.

Seasons Greetings,
Alice

Paula Huisken Caron

8/1/2019 05:38:03 am

I've found that depending on the class, some activities may or may not be useful. Such as a co-taught EL class which lends itself to students sharing about their experiences as recent immigrants to Maple Grove as a group of students answering question as a panel. The questions are written by the class after careful thought and reflection on the many types of migration and some more well-known immigrant stories that they read about during this unit.

Aishah Mohd Noor

30/12/2018 01:30:53 pm

Thank you for sharing. I am preparing my documents for Thinking Routine activities in Statistics Classroom (Higher Education). With a different culture (Malaysia, exam-oriented, not used to think aloud during schools), I still need to prepare the instructions for the routines. I had few experiences without a good structure. Thanks again and keep sharing.

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