When Joel Lang plans a learning activity for his eighth-graders, he begins with a key goal in mind. "I feel strongly that my job as a teacher is to produce solid thinkers," says the language arts teacher from Washington. "The only way to do this is to engage them at a higher level than merely recalling facts and memorizing information. The thinking skills involved—analyzing, synthesizing, comparing—are transferable to all subject areas, indeed, to life in general."

A new professional development offering, the Intel® Teach to the Future Workshop on Teaching Thinking with Technology, builds teachers' abilities to create classroom projects that engage students in higher-order thinking. Participants learn to use a suite of interactive thinking tools to meet their instructional goals. The tools are available at no charge on the Intel® Innovation in Education Web site.

Teaching Thinking with Technology provides hands-on learning in a technology lab. The workshop is designed for those with intermediate technology integration skills. For teachers who have already taken part in the Intel® Teach to the Future Essentials Course, the new workshop provides an ideal next step in professional development. Master Teachers lead colleagues through the modular curriculum, which provides from 24-40 hours of professional development.

Thinking About Thinking

Why are thinking skills so important? Today's students are growing up in a time of rapid technological change, with instant access to massive amounts of information. That means basic skills of literacy and numeracy are no longer enough preparation for the future. Being able to analyze complex information, adapt to change, and collaborate with others to solve problems are increasingly important skills.

Thinking about thinking is not a new concept. Benjamin Bloom and his colleagues created a taxonomy of thinking skills half a century ago. Bloom's taxonomy shows thinking processes moving up the pyramid from lower-level mastery of knowledge to higher-level skills of analysis, synthesis, and evaluation. Nearly 50 years since Bloom's taxonomy was first published, however, most classroom activities continue to focus on the foundation skills of acquiring and comprehending knowledge.

EnGauge*, an online resource that publishes a research-based framework for fostering Twenty-First Century skills, points out that, for more than a decade, researchers "have been calling for higher-order thinking and sound reasoning in the K-12 curricula." Similarly, the National Educational Technology Standards for Students*, published by the International Society for Technology in Education, call for using technology to promote students' critical thinking, decision-making, and problem-solving skills.

The Workshop on Teaching Thinking with Technology begins by providing teachers with an understanding of what makes higher-order thinking essential for today's learners. Then, participants apply their understanding as they:
	Address and assess thinking skills
	Use technology to increase effective student collaboration, student-teacher interaction, and the inquiry process
	Create a standards-based instructional plan and sample projects
	Learn to use the interactive thinking tools from Intel Innovation in Education, including how to manage projects using the online environment and workspace

In the Classroom

How can teachers use interactive thinking tools to create higher-order learning opportunities in the classroom? Recently, Joel Lang taught a literature project using the Showing Evidence Tool , the newest thinking tool from Intel Innovation in Education. Showing Evidence prompts students to create a well-constructed argument, supported by evidence. (See related story, “Learning to Weigh the Evidence.”)

Lang's students read the classic story, Jack and the Beanstalk, then had to decide whether Jack should be deemed a hero. The project asked students to do much more than simply read and comprehend the text. Instead, they had to analyze the actions of the story, assess what it means to be a hero, and evaluate Jack's actions.

Using the Showing Evidence Tool, Lang said, "allowed me to structure a lesson in which students were asked to take a stand on an issue and find evidence to support their claim." Lang used the features of the tool and online workspace to promote peer review and collaboration. "Students were able to build a case, write a conclusion, and review another team's work," he explained.

The technology allowed Lang to monitor students' progress and get an idea of what they were thinking—all while they were still working on their projects. He could go into a student team's workspace, for example, and make suggestions or ask questions. Better classroom discourse and more open-ended questioning strategies also helped to promote higher-order thinking.

Students could see how using the tool helped improve their ability to craft a good argument. Observed one student, "It helped me think about what I wanted to say and organize how to say it."

As for Lang, the project helped him reach the goal of active, engaged learning. "When students leave my classroom," he said, "I feel accomplished only when they are able to think more critically about an issue or topic."