Students require thinking tools to organise their data during the investigative phase of any task. It is a crucial stage, as the thinking tool captures the student’s research and thoughts. It is therefore a key juncture for the student to receive formative feedback, to ensure they are on the right track.
thinkdrive has over 40 ready-to-use thinking tools in both MS Word and google docs, all aligned to their cognitive verbs. For example:
| Cognitive Verb | itc Thinking Tool |
|---|---|
| analyse |
SWOT Analysis Icon Prompt PCQ / PCQ Extension |
| argue |
PCQ / PCQ Extension Judge Jury |
| calculate | Solution Path |
| classify |
Fishbone Diagram Flow Chart Silent Card Shuffle |
| compare | Double Bubble Map |
| contrast | T-Chart |
| create |
MAS 1:4:P:C:R Image Associated Ideas Word Association Split Y-Chart / Y – Chart |
| describe |
Attribute Listing Organiser Concept Map Split Y-Chart / Y – Chart |
| discuss |
PCQ PCQ Extension |
| evaluate |
Elimination Draw Extent Barometer |
Thinking tool and purpose
By aligning the thinking tools to its cognitive verb, it provides a clear purpose of the activity.
For example, if students are completing a Double Bubble Map, it’s because they are required to compare two things, such as authors, styles of running or scientific theories.
Alternatively, students might be requested to complete a cause-effect map because they are required to explain the reasons why the Industrial Revolution, the Eureka rebellion or sports tantrums occurred and their effects.
Each thinking tool has its own specific purpose.
Thinking tools and Student Feedback
Meaningful student feedback should be provided early and regularly. Since data is sorted into various categories in the thinking tools, insufficient work in any particular area is easily spotted and specific feedback can be provided to targeted areas.
Furthermore, the use of the thinking tools usually occurs very early in any longer-term research task, allowing sufficient time for students to act on the feedback provided.
Discover an Innovative New Approach to Thinking Tools
Providing students with robust thinking tools is one of the simplest ways to equip them with the skills necessary for academic success. Education is about more than rote memorisation and replication. The human mind is more than a computer database filled with information meant for retrieval only — we’re capable of so much more. With the appropriate thinking skills, complex reasoning takes over, and we gain capabilities that allow us to solve problems and navigate challenges in every stage of life. How can teachers encourage the use of such thinking skills, especially when teaching cognitive verbs, while also providing students with more versatile resources? With itc thinkdrive, students and teachers alike gain a valuable resource for the classroom.
The Benefits of Critical Thinking Tools Such As itc thinkdrive
What does thinkdrive bring to the table for educators? With so many competing solutions out there, it isn’t always easy to see the advantages of one application. Our efforts to produce a platform that makes sense and is easy to use have led us to incorporate more than 60 cognitive verbs into thinkdrive. What are some of the key benefits of this tool?
- We provide resources designed for the success of every student. By carefully considering the needs of teachers and students alike, we developed thinkdrive to correspond to those requirements. By breaking down concepts to their building blocks, students learn new and more creative ways to solve problems and to think about issues.
- Students gain vital capabilities in expressing their thoughts and writing like subject matter experts — foundational skills that they will carry for the rest of their lives. The ability to precisely express one’s ideas clearly, communicating the point without unnecessary padding, is a useful skill in every area of life. Building those capabilities starts here.
- Educators gain better insights into student performance while also improving their pedagogy through an enhanced grasp of teaching cognitive verb frameworks. With clear insights into how each student performs, providing feedback is no longer like feeling around in the dark. thinkdrive lets you target your responses towards enriching a student’s education.
What You Should Know About Our Thinking Tools for Primary Students
Developing strong, foundational reasoning skills starts at an early age. Even in primary school, there are opportunities to teach students how to break problems down into their component parts. Instead of becoming overwhelmed by complex questions, they learn how to reason their way to a more nuanced answer. How does thinkdrive support these students specifically?
- thinkdrive uses a four-step process for teaching cognitive verbs in a simple format anyone can understand. With this process, students may master these verbs and develop the foundation necessary for future learning.
- We supply an array of thinking tools for representing information for every cognitive verb included in thinkdrive, more than 60 in total. Such tools provide critical structure for allowing students to process their understanding of cognitive verbs.
- With our platform, teachers have many opportunities for providing feedback to these young students just embarking on their educational journeys. Included in thinkdrive are solutions for providing feedback that offers valuable insights to learners.
What Sets Us Apart Regarding Thinking Tools for Senior Students?
We’ve designed thinkdrive to support students from F-12, providing creative thinking resources for individuals at every stage of their education. How do we set ourselves apart in the work we do to support seniors and other advanced students in the same way that we support primary age pupils?
- All our resources are easy to edit. This saves you hours of work and helps avoid the headache of trying to come up with lesson materials out of thin air. Our editable resources let you customise plans to suit your needs and the curriculum that your classroom follows.
- We structure our content for higher-level students to specifically match their needs, writing skills, and language capabilities. With the purpose-built tools of thinkdrive, creating lessons that engage and inspire your students is easier than ever.
- When and where we can, we provide a free introductory workshop to teachers who need to quickly get up to speed on using these tools to benefit their seniors. It’s never too late to start exploring more creative ways to think, especially as students begin to prepare to transition to university life. Our workshop ensures you’re fully up to speed on making the most of thinkdrive.
About itc thinkdrive
A highly cost-effective and Australian-based online platform, we designed thinkdrive with the goals of educators and the needs of students in mind. Produced by itc publications, a reputation you can trust backs up thinkdrive — but the results speak for themselves too. Try our thinkdrive lite version for free to a look at some of the features the platform uses, or contact us if you’d like to arrange for a trial of these critical thinking resources within your school.