Author: Terrell Heick
by Terry Heick Agreeing on how to best establish what a learner understands isn’t simple — if for no other reason then understanding itself isn’t simple. The difference between gamification and game-based learning is important: the former uses encouragement mechanics to promote engagement, while the latter uses video games as core sources of learning material or cognitive action) is one response. By embedding diverse achievements into activities and assessments, learning progress can be refracted infinitely. These systems would be able to more flexibly respond to unique learner pathways and abilities, and would further serve as encouragement mechanics — instead of one carrot…
by Terry Heick Are there questions students can ask themselves while you’re teaching? Questions that can guide and support their own thinking and awareness before, during, and after your teaching? Of course, this assumes you’re ‘teaching’ a traditional ‘lesson’ with a learning objective or target. If not, this may not be very helpful. This is also a list that, like many I’ve done, could get unnecessarily long fast. In some ways, this functions something like a KWL chart. The idea here, however, is less about brainstorming before or after a lesson, but rather having questions useful to guide the student…
Teach Students To Think Irrationally by Terry Heick Formal learning is a humbling thing. As planners, designers, executors, and general caretakers of public and private education systems, we are tasked with the insurmountable: overcome a child’s natural tendency to play, rebel, and self-direct in hopes of providing them with a ‘good education.’ Reading, writing, arithmetic, etc. And this isn’t wrong. This is good by almost any measure. Our intent is noble, our effort extraordinary, and certainly the learning of many children, especially those from disadvantaged circumstances, is better than anything they might have had otherwise. But there’s also an unfortunate,…
by TeachThought Staff What makes up a classroom? Is it the space? A room, for example? Is it the purpose? Can a regular meeting space in a garden be a ‘horticulture classroom’? Is it the people? Can a video conference with eight people gathered to study chemistry be considered a ‘classroom’? Or maybe it’s the tools. A woodworking classroom would have wood and saws and sanders and other widgets to shape the wood. It could be in a vocational center or garage or retail environment. A cooking classroom would most likely have pots and pans and a stove of some…
by Terry Heick It’s not the thinking behind an idea that should bother us, but rather the effect of the idea. #edtech. Content-based academic standards. PLCs. Video streaming. Use of data. Mandates to be research-based in our behavior. Remote teaching. Differentiation. Social media in the classroom. None of these ideas are good or bad in and of themselves. They’re just ideas. They’re value-neutral–inert in isolation. We only charge them when we internalize them–think of them using our unique schema, imagine them in circumstances familiar to us, or otherwise contextualize them comfortably to avoid cognitive dissonance. By internalizing them, we smooth…
Learning–real, informal, authentic, and lifelong learning–can ‘begin’ with just about anything. In that way, this is obviously not an exhaustive list. Nor am I implying that these are ‘the best’ starting points or that they would be in every case effective in your classroom. There are simply too many variables. What I hope to accomplish with this post is to help you begin to think about what ’causes’ learning–and more specifically, where and how that happens. What Causes Learning? In the real world, learning never stops but it’s not always clear that it’s happening. Or at least we think of…
by TeachThought Staff So you’re considering taking a teaching job? Or at least interviewing? What should you be asking to make sure it’s a good fit for both you and the school? Understanding The Point Of The A Teacher Job Interview First, understand that you are interviewing the school and district as much as they are interviewing you, and this isn’t a power play of some kind. The goal of a teacher placement should be a pairing between school (and administrators from that school and district) and teacher that is sustainable and serves students. We can talk more about tips…
12 Articles About Critical Thinking In The Classroom by TeachThought Staff Critical thinking remains one of the most discussed—and least clearly defined—ideas in education. It’s often treated as a skill, a habit, or a process, depending on the context, but at its core, it’s about how we make sense of information, perspectives, and problems. This small collection of essays explores critical thinking as both a concept and a practice, examining its role in learning, its relationship, and the challenges of teaching it meaningfully in schools and classrooms today. 20 Questions To Help Students Think Critically About The News Is this…
Standing for Critical Thinking and Progress by Terrell Heick At TeachThought, we have always focused on promoting critical thinking cross for use in ‘human’ applications–namely, people (i.e., education stakeholders) and places (i.e., communities). Our mission has been apolitical by design—centered on improving thought, education, and human potential without aligning with political ideologies or factions. However, recent events in the United States have made remaining entirely apolitical a luxury we can no longer afford. The Idea of Liberalism in Education This brings us to the idea of liberalism. To be clear, ‘liberalism,’ is not ‘Democratic party as we use the term.…
What Is Cognitive Dissonance? A Definition For Teaching Understanding Cognitive Dissonance: A Psychological Framework for Growth and Learning Human beings strive for consistency between their thoughts, beliefs, and actions. When an inconsistency arises—when beliefs and behaviors clash—it creates a sense of discomfort or tension known as cognitive dissonance. This concept, first introduced by psychologist Leon Festinger in 1957, provides insight into how humans respond to conflict within themselves and how they work to resolve internal contradictions. Its implications stretch across fields like psychology, decision-making, behavior modification, and, crucially, education. What Is Cognitive Dissonance? Cognitive dissonance is the psychological discomfort…