“Learning to Look” activities can become a staple approach in classrooms that aim to “enculturate” dispositions to think critically.  As described in the 2nd 10 Steps:

One of the best ways for students (K - 12!) to develop greater sophistication is to join in a shared looking activity with an adult. As infants they sat in our laps as we read picture books together. In schools, we use a computer and a data projector and an interesting Web site.

Together, we slowly look at a Real, Rich & Relevant Web resource.  More novice thinkers might need more prompting to help them look closely.  The prompts can be as simple as invoking a “Who, What, Where, When, How &  Why” scaffold.  More sophisticated thinkers are better left to their own creative insights.  Research on Thinking Dispositions recommends what are called Thinking Routines which:

1. are explicit;
2. have few steps (typically 2 – 3);
3. are instrumental (designed solely to scaffold thinking);
4. are used repeatedly;
5. work across a variety of disciplines; and
6. promote both group and individual practice

(Ritchhart, Palmer, Church, & Tishman, 2006 - download pdf)

Sample Thinking Routines that you might want to integrate into daily classroom life are:

SEE - THINK - WONDER

1. What do you see?
2. What do you think about that?
3. What does it make you wonder?

CONNECT - EXTEND - CHALLENGE

1. How are the ideas and information connected to what you already know?
2. What new ideas did you get that extend your thinking in new directions?
3. What is still challenging or confusing for you?  What questions or puzzles do you now have?

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