Preparing Learners for Their Future NOT our Past: It’s Bigger Than Thinking Skills and Thinking Tools By Lane Clark 21st - 23rd September 2012, Luxembourg

Overview:   Many of our schools are now valuing the importance of teaching their students how to think.  Thinking skills and thinking tools are no longer ‘new.’  The explicit teaching of thinking has become an instructional approach, advocated at the Department level, and realised in many classrooms, internationally. Recognising and celebrating this advance in pedagogy...the infusion of thinking skills through tools is merely a part of a much bigger whole. What does ‘real’ learning look like? What does ‘real’ thinking look like? How does thinking interface with learning in the ‘real world’?  How can we authentically represent this relationship in the pedagogical approach we use with our learners?  Great learning requires great thinking.  In the real world learners must think in order to engage in substantive learning.  What if learners knew how to learn?  What if learners could identify their learning job at any point throughout the learning process?  What if learners could identify the thinking required at any point throughout their learning journey?  What if learners could self-select specific thinking tools that would deliberately and strategically direct their thinking, so that they could engage in skillful thinking and therefore substantive learning? When we re-think what we are doing, and how we are doing what we are doing, in schools… When we begin to teach our kids how to think and how to learn through a comprehensive learning process that mirrors the way in which learning and thinking occurs in the ‘real’ world… When we ensure that intellectual rigor, depth of knowledge and understanding, authentic, relevant and purposeful curriculum, are our priorities… When we change the way learning is planned, designed, implemented, assessed and evaluated… We will see an increase in student levels of engagement; an increase in levels of high school retention; an improvement in student performance standards; and learners skilled and ready to contribute to their world. Objectives:   You will be provided the opportunity to challenge current thinking and pedagogical practice; develop new knowledge and understandings; deepen and broaden knowledge and understanding, as you explore the following questions: What does 'real learning' look like and sound like?  What is the relationship between 'real learning' and 'in-school learning'? What does it mean to think? How is depth and breadth of thinking developed? How does learning physiologically occur in the brain?  What do educators ‘unintentionally’ do to inhibit learning? How can educators use knowledge about how the brain learns to promote schema construction and long term memory storage? How does instructional design need to change in order to prepare learners for their future and NOT our past? You will develop specific practical knowledge and understanding associated with three key components of a ‘real thinking and learning’ classroom: Immersion and learning centres The thinkchart organiser The thinkitgreat learning process You will develop practical knowledge and understanding of the ‘clark 9 step planning process’ – a process that will enable and empower teachers to change their pedagogical practice. You will use your knowledge and understanding of the tools and processes you have been introduced to, as you plan and design learning opportunities for your learners.   Agenda: Day 1   Session 1   About Learning What does 'real learning' look like?  What is the relationship between 'real learning' and 'in-school learning'?  How and where does 'inquiry' fit into the 'real learning' process?   Session 2   About Thinking What does 'real thinking' look like? Is it time to retire Bloom's theory of a hierarchical taxonomy of thinking? What does it mean to think? How can learners take control of their thinking?  How is depth and breadth of thinking developed?   Session 3   Human Cognitive Architecture and Cognitive Load Theory How can we use the latest research on the relationship between working memory and long- term memory to inform our instructional design and practice?   Session 4   About Deep Thinking How do we move our learners from superficial to sophisticated thinking?  How is deep knowledge and understanding developed?  How is sophisticated analysis and evaluation promoted?  How are idea generation and innovation explicitly fostered?   Day 2   Session 1   From vision to reality… Exploring the reality of a real thinking and real learning classroom. Exploring the way in which planning needs to change to facilitate a real thinking and real learning pedagogical approach.   Session 2 and 3   Hands on Discovery Exploring 3 key components of a real thinking and learning classroom: I immersion and Learning Centres, the Thinkchart orgainser, and the ThinkitGreat process.   Session 4   Reflection and Next Steps ‘So you know it…so what?  How can you USE what you now know to make a difference in your life and the lives of kids?’   Day 3   Session 1   Moving Back to Move Forward Questions and Target Teaching   Session 2 - 4   Application Individual and / or small group planning with support Potential Audience   Teachers working with learners at all year levels and at all developmental levels; school leaders; district leaders.. Trainers’ profiles:   Renowned Canadian educator Lane Clark has been working with primary, secondary, tertiary and vocational teachers, internationally for the past 14 years.  As a workshop trainer, keynote presenter, resource designer and author.   Lane’s innovative and practical approach to redesigning and re-engineering how teacher’s teach and how learner’s learn has attracted international recognition. Her approach to teaching and learning, resources, tools, and strategies, have been adopted by schools, teachers and students in New Zealand, Australia, United Kingdom, Sweden, Spain, Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Canada and the United States.   Investment:   Investment Includes Lunch and coffee breaks and Certificate of Participation for 21 Professional Development hours.   Euro 600/- Closing date 15th August 2012   Euro 525/- Early Bird Offer 1st March 2012 Venue:   International School of Luxembourg   Contact:   Shonal Agarwal CEO Email: shonal@chaptersinternational.com chaptersinternational@gmail.com Website: www.chaptersinternational.com