Deep thinking as a habit: Lenses and Mirrors (LaM) for

Deep Thinking and Personal Learning. Workshop at Evoking Excellence in Higher Education and Beyond

voor een Nederlandse presentatie zie:

http://www.orionprogramma.nl/docs/SiriusVOR-HOExcellenceResearchDevelopment2011/dieper-

denken-als-gewoonte.pdf

Drs. Frank de Mink en Truus van der Kaaij F.deMink@gmail.com Deventer and Limmen

Tel: 0316 22 486 916 The Netherlands Multidisciplinair Onderzoeks- en Onderwijs Instituut M.O.O.I.-Begaafd: Knowledge Centre for Gifted & Talent Development

www.everyonweb.com/MOOIBegaafd

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Dieper denken als gewoonte: Lenzen en Spiegels (LenS) voor diep denken en persoonlijk leren.

Leerstof intens persoonlijk kunnen doorleven is voor hoogbegaafden een voorwaarde voor studeren. Anders haken zij af of worden onderpresteerder. Dit laatste kan worden vermeden door kritisch en creatief denken uit te lokken en de leerstof te verbinden met passies en persoonlijke waarden. Misschien kan hoger onderwijs zich, naast het leren van basisconcepten en leren ontwerpen en onderzoeken, ook richten op beter denken en het leren scheppen van nieuwe kennis.

Deze cognitieve vaardigheden ontwikkelen zich als we studenten regelmatig:

- scherpe en trage vragen stellen en die ook van hen verwachten (complex)

- schema’s en denkkaders voorleggen (compact), - metacognitieve vragen stellen (denken over denken)

- vragen om beelden, persoonlijke associaties en waarden te gebruiken (persoonlijk)

- eigen denkbeelden met die van anderen leren combineren (co-creatie)

- kritisch leren argumenteren (kritisch denken) , - denkfouten leren herkennen (bias).

“Denken over Denken” ontwikkelde hiervoor elf “Lenzen en Spiegels”, open opdrachten in kaders op één bladzijde. Elke LenS heeft een andere invalshoek en vraagt naar patronen, trends, dilemma’s, principes, formules, modellen of metaforen. Elke LenS eist visualisering en verbeeldingskracht. De antwoorden zijn tevens input voor een volgende

stap in het leerproces.

Deze instrumenten zijn (voor alle studenten) te gebruiken in werkcolleges, als huiswerk, ter ondersteuning van verschillende fases van het werken aan papers en projecten. Ze kunnen zowel individueel als gezamenlijk, digitaal en op “handheld devices” worden ingevuld. Ze zijn bij uitstek geschikt voor exacte en anderstalige studenten en voor

hoogbegaafden zonder studievaardigheden of met leermoeilijkheden (ADHD, Asperger, dyslexie) van wie het onderwijs goed denken en beknopte formuleringen eist. MOOI Begaafd 2

Double focus

1. Characteristics (Dabrowskian view) of gifted students (>15 yrs) in higher education: when do they switch themselves on/off?

2. LaM = Lenses and Mirrors: invitations to excel, create and personalize (for G&T and others); activity learning

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1. Motivation Why Lens and Mirror?

• Higher education -> do we evoke intensity, passion, development of 1) personality, 2) epistemological thinking and 3) values?

Intensity determines educational results • Order of subject matter may change: systematic, exemplary,

application -> theory, top-down learning, cases, Problem-based learning, Project-

based Learning, themes, problems, paradoxes, dilemma’s, fun, ………… any self-choosen order may work

• Teachers, professors, mentors, etc. have no control over pre-knowledge of their students…..

• What do students do during your teaching? • What are their weaknesses;

when underachievement … and drop-out…?

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Deep motivation for this approach

• Emotions are the motor of personality development

• G&T think about thinking

• Visual thinking determines creativity + speed + memory

• Own beliefs are stronger than education

• Epistemological level determines what is understood and

memorized (not the teaching)

• Intelligence doesn’t guarantee good thinking

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Limiting factors in the gifted student

• Fixed mindset instead of growth mindset

• Limited executive skills: no S.P.E.T.-skills (Speed, Persistence, Energy, Time)

• Limited self-knowledge, no role-models or peers, doesn’t know own talent

• Isolation, feels different, lonely, group pressure: outsider by OverExcitabilities

• Curriculum may not fit level of the gifted (ahead)

• Lack of challenge in regular curricula

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OverExcitabilities that the G&T may show more intense

1. Psychomotor: excess of energy, love of motion

2. Sensual: sensory sensitivity, strong and differentiated experiences by some of the 5 senses

3. Intellectual: intense activity of the mind, thirst for knowledge, drive to ask questions, preoccupation with theory, reflective thought

4. Imaginational: free play of imagination, capacity for fantasy, association of images

5. Emotional: empathy; intense and complex feelings towards people, (living) things, places, strong attachments, somatic experiences along with emotions

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OEs in the higher levels of personality development

1. Psychomotor (high energy): from impulsive -> directed by other OEs 2. Sensual: from egocentric abundance -> inner directedness and empathy 3. Intellectual: from serving egocentric needs -> self-awareness, intuition and hierarchy of values 4. Imaginational: from daydreaming and play -> realizing multilevel ideals, and self-perfection 5. Emotional: from lack of control, self-protection and isolation -> hierarchy of feelings and values, empathy

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Characteristics of G&T students in terms of Dabrowski

1. Inborn OverExcitabilities -> intensity Intellectual: hunger for knowledge

Imaginational: creative, rich fantasy

Emotional: oversensitive, extreme

2. Inner conflicts cause development

3. Autonomous, Authentic and Positive maladjusted

4. Moral awareness

5. Far ahead in some areas

6. Some special talent

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Inner conflicts cause higher personality development Growth from … to…

1. Present abilities abilities strived after

2. What you are Whom you want to be

3. Impulsive Reflective

4. Adjusted/conformable Authentic

5. As if/fake → Compassion

6. Self seeking love All embracing love

7. Contextual ethics Universal ethics

8. What is What ought to be

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Development of metacognition and reflection as seen through Dabrowskian eyes From… (low) to …(high)

1. certainty openness and doubt

2. affirmation of beliefs (confirmation bias) testing/check

3. judging curious, discovering

4. Knowledge=informationpersonal construction

5. Black-and-white-thinking differentiated approach

6. Learning is gaining knowledge is growth

7. Learning for grades, rewards for life

8. Motivation external Internal

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2. LaM’s: Start

How do you ensure deep thinking and learning in your classroom, lectures and projects? Make a list of possibilities…

What works best?

What are some of the limiting factors?

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LaM in short

• Page with frames with five questions for any topic (after rephrasing if necessary)

• Lens-questions: about the topic

• Mirror-questions : students relation to the topic

• Open questions: fun/play…

• Keywords, sketch or diagram

• “Slow questions” and quick-answer-questions

• Students are given one or

they may choose 1 out of 12 (if familiar with each)

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Make a list of the 5-10 concepts that you see now as the most important for your topic and arrange them into a concept-map to show

their relations.

Look for a verb, a saying, a symbol or analogy (or create one) to cover your topic. Draw a symbol or schema to show the core of your

topic. Make it attractive, creative or a challenge for others.

1. Jargon: concepts,

characteristics, glossary,

terminology, labels, name-

givers, instruments,

methods, approaches,

symbols, theories,

abbreviations.

Phrase a definition for beginners of some of the main

concepts of your topic. Clarify the difference between a

laymen’s interpretation and the experts’ meaning of

some of the concepts.

What instruments or methods do experts use in this

domain?

Which instruments or methods do you like best? Why?

With what experiences do you associate the core concepts? What emotions and values do these concepts evoke for you? How could

this topic improve your life or be of benefit to mankind?

.

A deep and personal look at (your topic)………………………………………………………...................by (your name)……………………………………………… date………………….

You may have to change some questions to make them meaningful for your topic

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A deep and personal look at (your topic)………………………………………………………...................by (your name)……………………………………………… date………………….

You may have to change some questions to make them meaningful for your topic

12. Multilevelness: hierarchies, value-levels, system

levels, developmental stages,

categories and applications,

evolution, scale, effect size,

gradations, stories, resources,

generations, fundaments,

experience, concepts-principles-

theories, holistic, integrative,

philosophy of life, spirituality.

In this topic one can discern the following levels that are important if

…

Find another hierarchy in this topic. When is it applied or when does

it emerge? How come?

Under what conditions or by what power may the topic develop to higher levels? What might be your role in it?

How will your view on multilevelness help to solve certain important topics for science, society or mankind? On what level do

you focus at this moment? What levels do you want to work at in the long run? What could be your role?

Create a diagram, drawing or map to show hierarchies, development or scales. Show how you may realize an ideal through

your topic.

Deep Thinking and Personal Learning 12 Lenses and Mirrors (LaM)

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Mapping depth Scouting borders Managing complexity

1. Concepts

2. Details

3. Patterns

4. Rules

6. Unanswered questions

7. Moral dilemma’s

8. Big ideas

9. Relations in time

10. More perspectives

11. Across disciplines

12. Multilevelness

5. Trends

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Typical for each LaM

• Demands little reading and writing (keywords); can evoke many ideas

• Asks for lists, surveys (microscope/telescope), formulae, schemes, sketches and drawings, pictures and films

• Applicable to any subject (sometimes after rephrasing)

and asks for what it means to you • The slow and personal questions require safe

environment • Reflects actual way of thinking and orders it

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Typical 2

• Result is compact and unique; sometimes suited to share

• Can serve more ends and goals

• Challenge creativity, helicopter view, stimulate engagement and looking for passion and philosophy of life, past and future

• Time: 10-60 minutes, days or weeks pondering

• After finishing, new ideas will come up (the result is a snapshot)

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How to use the Lenses and Mirrors

• Learning before and during lectures • As a challenge for thinking e.g. professional and fundamental

• For bold dreams and research questions • Sharing ideals and brain-waves • Improving education/teaching • What is going on in student / true student • Improve learning gains (at end of teaching) • Around or beyond the test (before or after testing) • Visual thinkers: good thinkers, weak in language • Habits of mind: new thinking skills

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What does a LaM do?

• Exercise new habits of thinking

• Visualize, summarize, broaden and speed up thinking

• Personalize subject matter: in search for passion and your call/entelechy

• Intensifying student’s commitment to subject matter: falling in love with the topic

• Introduce fun/play, humor

If used during regular or extra-curricular education

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Preconditions

1. Allow intensifying of the learning process

2. Knowledge of G&T and excellency (by students, teachers, administrators/management)

3. Recognition and acknowledgement of passion

4. Go beyond minimalism and group pressure

5. Develop new learning situations in ánd outside the curriculum

6. Attention for individual development

7. See and invite the true student

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How to introduce the LaMs?

You can use LaMs during lectures with known or new topics, at the beginning or/and at the end

• Explain: “rephrase some questions”

• “Write just for yourself, no-one will read it”

• “Jot down only what you never wrote before”

• After 10 min: “share in pairs only what you want”

• Task: “finish at home (complete, do again, talk about); NOT for handing in”

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What LaM is not and what it may be

What a LaM is not • A test • An exercise • A brainstorm • To summarise the content It may be: An instrument for • personal and • professional • knowledge creation

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It may serve as ….

• A moment of reflection…, of rest or silence in order to think • An instrument for analysis • A moment to look at the topic and yourself: to broaden your view • A way to personalise what was first impersonal • A tool for action, motivation, for understanding emotions, a catalyst for

next steps • A way to catch what otherwise might be forgotten • A Knowledge Creation Tool • to prevent dreaming while allowing some • A starter for a dialogue, brainstorm • AA way to make room for a new chapter, while catching some loose ends • A way s an accelerator of the thinking process towards an overview • Closure to make up one’s mind for intentions or resolutions at the end

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LaM’s should be used

• with the 8 following Thinking Mapping Skills

• and 8 meanings (metaphors) of what concepts and knowledge may be

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Meanings of concept (of knowledge) 1. Something we have words for, found in

books of experts, known to us

2. A word that refers to something: a label of a jar

3. A concept is a lens by which we can see something that we don’t see without

4. A concept is a circle: we understand what is inside and what outside

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Meanings of concept

5. Most of any concept is hidden, as an iceberg of which 90% is under water

6. A concept is around us without our knowing; as water is only known to the fish when he is taken out

7. Concepts constitute knowledge as a play on a stage. (map as territory?)

8. A concept as a meme, a person

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Inspired by

• Visual learning and thinking

• Learning of excellent students

• Skills of the 21e century (Downes)

• Habits of mind (Costa and Kallick)

• Expected long term effect of LaM’s

• Creation of room for deep personal thinking in any curriculum by LaM’s

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Downes list of skills for the 21e Century Stephen Downes stephen@downes.ca f.demink@gmail.com

date Wed, Nov 30, 2011 at 10:01 PM

1. emergent thinking: extracting patterns, rules, regularities, prototypes

2. sensing value - finding meaning, truth, relevance, purpose, goals

3. acting semiotically - using signs, signals, art, design, etc., to do things

4. seeing beyond - describing, defining, drawing conclusions, explaining data

5. ecological sensitivity - placing in context, seeing frames, making meaning

6. living in change - understanding flow, adaptation, progression

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Habit of Mind Description Costa and Kallick (2000) Persisting Persevering in a task through to completion. Not

giving up.

Managing impulsivity Taking the time to deliberate before acting.

Listening with understanding and empathy

Making the effort to perceive another person’s perspective.

Thinking flexibly Considering options and changing perspectives

Metacognition Thinking about your thinking. Being aware of your thoughts, feelings, actions and their effect on others.

Striving for accuracy Setting high standards and finding ways to improve.

Questioning and problem posing Finding problems to solve. Seeking data and answers.

Applying past knowledge to new situations

Accessing prior knowledge and transferring this knowledge to new contexts.

Thinking and communicating with clarity and precision

Striving for accurate oral and written communication.

Gathering data through all senses Paying attention to the world through taste, touch, smell, hearing and sight.

Creating, imagining and innovating Generating new and novel ideas

Responding with wonderment and awe Being intrigued by the mystery in the world.

Taking responsible risks Living on the edge of one’s competence.

Finding humour Laughing at oneself. Enjoying the incongruous and unexpected.

Thinking interdependently Being able to work and learn with others in teams.

Remaining open to continuous learning Resisting complacency in learning and admitting when one does not know.

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Expected effect of LaM’s regarding the topic and user (what is in it for me)

• From data to category gives representations (concepts, stories, cases, maps, images)

• Construction (assemblage) and structure give order & beauty

• Changes, predictions give evolution, power & future

• Realities and theories give personal + universal truth

• Views and plateaus give values & beliefs, your role

• Questions <=> wonder, curiosity, quest & entelechy

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But is there room for using LaM’s in a curriculum? Yes by creation of room by LaM’s

• Multi tasking: Excellent students will use lectures to do other

things: attention during the last 10 minutes is enough. (Average students use lectures for internet-surfing, social contacts, day dreaming and worrying (> 50% of the time); efficiency / effectiveness of lectures is low.)

• Parallel Curriculum: apart from the core (=content) curriculum we

see the development of other competences (even if not articulated) as:

– study- and research skills

– critical and creative thinking

– epistemological and metacognitive skills, academic attitude

– Self-knowledge (what is in it for me), personality development

• Extra-curricular (and inside) activities: learning how to

excel, show top performances, cope with your talents

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Acknowledgements

Differentiating learning for all students (a rising tide lifts all ships….)

through questions on depth and complexity (lenses), as well as on personal commitment (mirrors).

• Deep and Complex Look Books by Paula Wilkes and Mark Szymanski (2009, J. Taylor Education)

• The Depth & Complexity Icon Cards by Sandra Kaplan & Betty Could (2003, Educator to Educator)

• The Flip Book by Kaplan, Gould and Siegel (1995, Educator to Educator)

• K. Dabrowski on: education of oneself, autonomy, development of personality, multilevelness

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Deep thinking as a habit: Lenses and Mirrors (LaM’s) for

Deep Thinking and Personal Learning, designed for excellence and honours

can be part of any course and curriculum after some introduction. Contact for more information:

Drs. Frank de Mink en Truus van der Kaaij F.deMink@gmail.com Deventer and Limmen

03 16 22 486 916 The Netherlands Multidisciplinair Onderzoeks- en Onderwijs Instituut M.O.O.I.-Begaafd: Knowledge Centre for Gifted & Talent Development

www.everyoneweb.com/MOOIBegaafd

Nederlandse versie: http://www.orionprogramma.nl/docs/SiriusVOR-HOExcellenceResearchDevelopment2011/dieper-

denken-als-gewoonte.pdf 38 MOOI Begaafd