‘Building a rich culture of thinking in our classrooms and schools is a long, complex, thrilling and challenging process’ (Ritchhart, 2015).

Our classrooms are increasingly complex spaces. Harvard University’s Culture of Thinking methodology, emanating from their long-running Project Zero research project, encourages teachers to think carefully and creatively about their classroom practice and how robust thought is embedded culturally.

Cultures of Thinking reimagines classrooms as facilitating learning and creating a culture where students think for themselves, have the intellectual curiosity to disagree, and are engaged in critical thinking, exploration, and reflection.

At this conference, Harvard’s Project Zero former Principal Investigator, Dr Ron Ritchhart, will discuss how to see and notice culture, in an interactive keynote presentation.

Attendees can then select from one of eight workshops, which are underpinned by Simon Brooks’ 10 Habits of Practice in the Thinking-centred Classroom. Each workshop will explore these habits and allow attendees to discover how Cultures of Thinking has been embedded at Brisbane Girls Grammar School and understand how the Cultures of Thinking methodology can be applied in their own classrooms to create a culture of deep and visible learning.

The conference will end with a panel session hosted by Dr Bruce Addison (Deputy Principal, (Academic) Brisbane Girls Grammar School), which will explore the concept of Sustaining a Culture of Thinking in a State-based Standards Driven Environment. Panellists will include Ron Ritchhart, Ryan Gill (Head of Senior School, Masada College) and Susan Garson (Director of School Wide Pedagogy, Brisbane Girls Grammar School).

This conference will be beneficial for any educator wanting to learn about creating and contributing to a culture of critical thinking, and deep and visible learning. In particular, it will be useful for secondary school teachers, middle management, and senior leaders.

Please view the workshop program here. Workshop spaces are limited, so register now to secure your place. If your workshop is booked out, please email events@bggs.qld.edu.au to be placed on a waiting list.

Contact the host of Thoughtful Educators Conference