“Most people think they are thinking when they are simply re-arranging their prejudices”

What is ‘good thinking’?

Based on ‘Outsmarting the IQ’ by Prof. David Perkins of Harvard

• Thinking that gets you what you want from it
• 90% of ‘good thinking’ occurs in the initial ‘perceptual phase’
• 10% only occurs in the ‘processing (logical) phase’
• Without a sound perception phase, then it is ‘garbage in, garbage out’
  

  Thinking Skills as defined by QCA

  • Information processing
  • Reasoning skills
  • Enquiry skills
  • Creative thinking skills
  • Evaluative skills
    

  Some pressupositions

  Thinking is a social activity – therefore participatory pair and group work is crucial.
  Discussion skills form the basis of thinking.
  Pupils need time to think and discuss.
  Reflection on thinking strategies – metacognition is essential.
  Graphic organizers and thinking frames can scaffold the promotion of thinking skills