Thinking activities, whether inside or outside of a classrooms are knowledge development; they involve similar phases of development. The key difference is that teachers provide guidance in formal or classroom settings. However, Dewey (1934) and Renninger & Heidi (2018) noted that teachers often lack insight into their students’ thinking processes or interest; they tend to focus solely on content delivery, which is a phase of thinking in knowledge development process. This oversight prevents teachers from adequately structuring learning activities to reflect phases of students’ thinking or address students’ learning concerns, hindering the development of essential skills and strategies. Teachers do not deliberately help students to engage their other phases of thinking, develop related skills or learn content effectively. As a result, many students develop their skills independently; they learn by trial and error and perform below potential.
Allison (2018) explained that thinking occurs in phases: a person must perceive and navigate through analytic and synthetic activities to represent an object. Wittgenstein (1927) emphasized that to understand an object and progress, one must think deliberately—both privately and publicly—introducing other thinking phases. Allison (2018) noted that the initial perceptive, analytic, and synthetic phases are spontaneous, and thereafter, to clarify an object and make progress, deliberate thinking is essential, revisiting initial phases. Wittgenstein (1927) indicated that deliberate thinking can be private for personal objects and public for shared ones, asserting that it may be ineffective if learning activities aren’t well-structured; without recognizing the phases of thinking, teachers may struggle to address students’ learning needs and develop their thinking skills.
Wittgenstein (1927), Dewey (1934) and Renninger & Heidi (2018) indicated that when teachers understand the phases of students’ thinking activities, they will consider their interests and how they think (develop knowledge) during these phases. Consequently, teachers will structure lessons to reflect, develop, and enhance students’ efforts. Teachers differentiating among perceptive, analytic, synthetic, private, and public thinking. By recognizing these phases of thinking, teachers can deliberately design learning activities that guide students to engage, clarify their interests, and develop essential strategies.
Content and Strategy Centered Teaching and Learning (CSCTL)
Center for Development of Interest in Learning (CDOIL Inc.) in collaboration with NYITE offers the CSCTL professional development training for K-12 teachers and administrators to deepen their understanding of how students’ thinking relates to lessons. The CSCTL emphasizes the relationships between thinking phases and lessons, focusing on engaging students and helping them develop interests and strategies for effective learning. Our focus is to produce teachers who are skilled in CSCTL practices and can engage students in learning to develop strategies and skills for effective content learning.
The CSCTL PD service is a two-day activity. On Day 1, participants will learn about students’ interests and how these relate to lesson phases. On Day 2, they will focus on developing CSCTL lesson plans, how to structure lesson plans to reflect students’ interest, and help them to acquire skills for effective content learning.
Guided by CDOIL researchers and professional developers, participants will engage in the following activities, building a foundation for CSCTL practices.
Day One
CDOIL researchers and professional developers will explain various views of interest and engage participants in discussing concepts of interest. CDOIL’s researchers and professional developers will engage participants in their various groups, discussing the following questions:
Question 1. What are the sources or origins of the phases of human thinking activities, and how do these phases relate to students’ interests or learning activities?
Question 2. What are the activities and functions of the phases of thinking, and how do they correspond to lesson phases?
Question 3. How do thinking phases and lessons contribute to students’ knowledge development efforts?
Question 4. What is the ground for the possibility of correspondence between phases of knowledge development activities of thinking and of lessons?
Day Two
Question 1. How should teachers structure lesson/learning activities in order to positively affect, engage, and enhance students’ thinking and/or help students develop increased interest in learning?
Question 2. What do students do to demonstrate their interest as the CSCTL teacher transits from one phase of learning activities to another?
Question 3. What actions do students display during a lesson phase to show knowledge of activities; how does a teacher recognize those who readily repeat expected behaviors in various phases of lessons?
Expected Learning Outcomes – Participants will;
- Identify phases of thinking activities and explain their relation to phases of lesson, showing how each phase builds upon the previous one.
- Identify students’ interests or learning needs; teachers demonstrate a skill to engage and help students to address their learning needs and interest.
- Identify students’ behaviors related to various phases of thinking or lesson (knowledge development) activities;
- Identify learning challenges and the phases of lesson activities teachers might emphasize to address and/or possibly resolve the issues.
- Structure lesson/learning activities to address students’ learning concerns or experiences, enhance students’ efforts, help students to develop increased interest in learning and achieve progress in school, work, and life.
- Explain phases and functions of phases of thinking activities, develop their CSCTL lesson plans, role-play as CSCTL teacher, deliver CSCTL lesson and receive feedback from group members.
Center for Development of Interest in Learning (CDOIL Inc.)
At CDOIL Inc., we envision schools where teachers have the tools to educate the whole child and understand that content-centered and strategy-centered teaching are complementary. CSCTL training is conducted by transformational researchers and/or knowledgeable employees who adapt CSCTL to students’ learning needs, preparing traditionally under-served students for success in college, the workforce, and life. See the Learning Guide here (click or cut and paste this link) https://www.paypal.com/ncp/payment/S55GAUWQRNCTS *The Leaning Guide is free; you only pay the shipping and handling costs.
To advance our vision, CDOIL’s researchers and developers collaborated to create the CSCTL strategies for 6-12 grade level teachers to address classroom inequities. We published books and articles, highlighting students’ interests and explaining how these relate to lesson phases. We continue to work together to improve teaching and learning practices and find effective ways to engage and educate our children in our school districts,
| CDOIL Inc. and NYITE offer the CSCTL Professional development and training services in CSCTL practices free of charge to k-12 School districts in Nassau and Suffolk Counties. For more information regarding this free services, get the Synopsis of CSCTL or the Professional Development Proposal Part II here. (click or copy and paste the following link – https://www.paypal.com/ncp/payment/T8SRCWCFL8KCW Once we receive your request, we will mail the materials to you within twenty-four (24) hours. If you have additional questions, a representative will respond to you within 24 hours. Note, free PD services are available only between September 1, 2024 – December 31, 2024.* Synopsis of CSCTL is free; you only pay the shipping and handling costs. |
For more information on CSCTL publications or courses, please use the contact information below to request a password and login to the NYITE website for CSCTL monographs and course offerings. Encourage your teaching staff to visit the NYITE website to learn about CSCTL.
Contact Information
516 506-5326
nyited@gmail.com
asuwafo@aol.com
