What kinds of thinking is essential in aiding our understanding?

As educators we can create opportunities for the kinds of thinking we value and want to make an expectation in our classrooms. Being clear about the thinking students need to do to develop understanding or to solve problems effectively allows us to target and promote those kinds of thinking in our questioning and interaction with students. There are a number of thinking moves that are integral to developing understanding:
  1. Observing closely and describing what's there
  2. Building explanations and interpretations
  3. Reasoning with evidence
  4. Making Connections
  5. Considering different viewpoints and perspectives
  6. Capturing the heart and forming conclusions
  7. Wondering and asking questions
  8. Uncovering complexity and going below the surface of things
(Ritchhart, Church & Morrison, 2011)
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Understanding Map - click image for pdf
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