set growth goals. Students can also benefit from completing a self-rating and comparing it with the teacher’s observations.
Figure 2.7: Higher-order thinking skills criteria checklist—sample.
To keep track of all students on a single page, tweak the format slightly. You can set up the chart similar to a traditional gradebook. Figure 2.8 (page 22) illustrates an alternative view. To record results, place the appropriate proficiency level in each cell at each administration. To enhance the view, color code the cells to create an easily interpreted visual display (1 = red, 2 = yellow, 3 = green, and 4 = blue). Although this format could be more convenient, it would be more difficult to use as a visual when conferencing with individuals about their progress (because multiple students appear on the same grid).
Recording students’ progress based on specified criteria is a great start to measuring growth, but that alone will not ensure that skills increase. Teaching students the criteria for success expedites the ability to successfully demonstrate the characteristics.
A first step in growing student capacity is to share the indicators with students, then concentrate on each criterion, one at a time. That will make criteria clear to them. For example, you might give the following introduction to introduce perspective.
Teacher: Students, throughout the year we will be involved in analyzing situations that require a look from different perspectives. Can you think of a time when you looked at a situation differently than someone else? Perhaps you both saw the situation accurately, but your perspectives were very different?
Student: I am in one now. I want to get my driver’s license because not only do most of my friends have one, but I want to be less dependent on other people. That’s my perspective. My mom is worried that something will happen to me if I drive, so she wants me to wait. My dad is fine with me getting one but doesn’t know if he has the time to help me practice driving. My little brother can’t wait because he wants me to take him to his baseball practices. That’s four different perspectives on just one thing in my life.
Teacher: I would imagine that many of us have had a similar experience, maybe on the same or different topics. Understanding the perspectives of those involved in a situation can help us better understand the situation, responses to the situation, and possible solutions.
Figure 2.8: Higher-order thinking skills criteria checklist—multiple students.
Visit go.SolutionTree.com/instruction for a free reproducible version of this figure.
Student: It does help understanding what others are thinking. It makes it easier to know how to approach the situation or respond to their comments or actions.
Teacher: Understanding perspectives will promote understanding of the historical events that we will discuss throughout the year. We can evaluate cause and effect, but without analyzing the perspectives of those involved, we may never truly understand why an event happened in the first place and why it is historically important.
This is not a one-time conversation but one that should be revisited throughout the year. Teachers and students can continue to provide examples of perseverance both inside and outside the classroom. Students can track their growth in the skill when reflecting on their performance using the higher-order thinking skills criteria checklist highlighted in figure 2.6 (page 19).
A conversation about perseverance might also be appropriate prior to a state or standardized testing experience. Students can be reminded that, in order to successfully apply their knowledge and skills, some situations command a greater level of perseverance. When the path to a solution is not immediately recognizable, we don’t give up. Instead, we read the problem again and again until a plan of attack surfaces. Perseverance is a characteristic that can be learned and developed.
Table 2.1 (page 24) lists some of the benefits of engaging in the use of higher-order thinking skills. Checking for engagement sometimes looks like directly asking students what they think. The ultimate goal is to help students understand the connection between the questions they encounter and the skill development they experience. Secondly, we want them to be able to understand that the skills are beneficial to them beyond school. The conversation points in the right column of table 2.1 should help students make connections between the skill and how it is currently beneficial to themselves and others. The questions that students ask and answer have the potential of helping them achieve the benefits and skills discussed in the left column, including increased perseverance and collaboration. The conversation points in the right column help students realize the importance of the benefits associated with skill development enhanced through responding to complex questions. Either students or teachers can ask those questions.
Students grow in their ability to interact with content when they are engaged in tasks and projects that promote higher-order thinking skills. Although projects are not necessarily related to a specific type of question or questioning technique, they serve to broaden the experiences of students and place them in situations that expand their horizons. Paying attention to the indicators associated with successful application of higher-order thinking skills can help monitor current status and growth. Teach the skills in the checklist so that students can achieve greater success in their ability to use higher-order thinking skills. As students grow in perseverance and use skills known to promote higher-order thinking, they will be more comfortable responding to questions that challenge and take them out of their comfort zone.
Table 2.1: Establishing Purpose With Students—Develop Questioning Expertise
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