1. Warm up Read the given scenarios
Decide whether they would fit into the following categories:
Creative thinking
Researched-based thinking
Analytical thinking
Practical thinking
Be prepared to explain why it belongs in the category

2. Ready to Share
Look at the back of the card for a number. We will share in numerical order
When it is your turn, walk up to the board and place your card in the category you believe it belongs
Summarize you card to the class, and then provide evidence for why you believe it belongs in that category
When you are finished, return quickly to your seat
Make sure that you are quietly listening to all presenters
If you have a question, politely raise your hand and wait to be called on
Think of examples from your own classroom and be ready to share at the conclusion of the activity

3. Meeting Objectives
By the end of the meeting, the teachers will demonstrate various kinds of thinking by completing an activity, create a plan for how they can generate more thinking and problem solving in their classrooms, and reflect on how their plan will impact student achievement.

4. Norms and Expectations
Be punctual and prepared
Support each other by actively listening and staying engaged
Stay on topic according to what is planned.
Bring positive attitudes and be ready to share
Feel free to ask questions (in the meeting, via , or drop by the office).
Attend all NIET meetings, including makeup meetings for any approved absences with appropriate notification. 4

5. Pflugerville High School School Goal
By the end of the school year, 75% of students will pass the ELA portion of the state assessment.
All courses will support meeting the school goal by incorporating writing opportunities into daily lessons.

6. Annual NIET Meeting Goal
By June 2014, all core teachers will be At Expectations (3) according to the NIET evaluation standards.
All students will have achieved at least one year of academic growth in all core subjects.

7. Instructional Rubric - Thinking
The teacher thoroughly teaches two or more types of thinking:
Analytical thinking where students analyze, compare and contrast, and evaluate and explain information.
Practical thinking where students use, apply, and implement what they learn in real-life scenarios.
Creative thinking where students create, design, imagine, and suppose.
Research-based thinking where students explore and review a variety of ideas, models, and solutions to problems.
The teacher provides opportunities where students:
Generate a variety of ideas and alternatives.
Analyze problems from multiple perspectives and viewpoints.
Monitor their thinking to insure that they understand what they are learning, are attending to critical information, and are aware of the learning strategies that they are using and why.
The teacher thoroughly teaches one type of thinking:
Analytical thinking where students analyze, compare and contrast, and evaluate and explain information.
Practical thinking where students use, apply, and implement what they learn in real-life scenarios.
Creative thinking where students create, design, imagine, and suppose.
Research-based thinking where students explore and review a variety of ideas, models, and solutions to problems.
The teacher provides opportunities where students:
Generate a variety of ideas and alternatives.
Analyze problems from multiple perspectives and viewpoints.

8. This might help you remember!
C reative thinking R esearch-based thinking A nalytical thinking P ractical thinking

10. Instructional Rubric – Problem Solving
The teacher implements activities that teach and reinforce 3 or more of the following problem solving types.
Abstraction
Categorization
Drawing Conclusions/Justifying Solutions
Predicting Outcomes
Observing and Experimenting
Improving Solutions
Identifying Relevant/Irrelevant Information
Generating Ideas
Creating and Designing
The teacher implements activities that teach 2 of the following problem solving types.
Abstraction
Categorization
Drawing Conclusions/Justifying Solutions
Predicting Outcomes
Observing and Experimenting
Improving Solutions
Identifying Relevant/Irrelevant Information
Generating Ideas
Creating and Designing

11. Activity
Review the information presented in front of you on your desk.
Develop an opinion about what the information is communicating, whether you agree or not, and why.
You will have 4 minutes to complete this task
2 min

12. Principles for Teaching Problem Solving Jamie Kirkley, Indiana University
As education has come under criticism from many sectors, educators have looked for ways to reform teaching, learning, and curriculum. Many have argued that the divorce of content from application has adversely affected our educational system. Learners often learn facts and rote procedures with few ties to the context and application of knowledge. Problem solving has become the means to rejoin content and application in a learning environment for basic skills as well as their application in various contexts….
Problem solving is not a distinct topic but a process that should permeate the entire program and provide the context in which concepts and skills can be learned….

13. Critical Thinking and Problem Solving Skills Kevin Sumrall, M.A.
The power of critical thinking should not be underestimated. Its objectives are clear.
Students will believe different perspectives which must be considered
Students will want to examine new ideas
Students will seek to determine the relevancy of the professor’s teaching
Students will question if their professor’s teachings are valid
Students will magnify inconsistencies between words and action
Students will resist conforming without reason
Students will call into question the values of our country
Students will think on their own

14. Teaching Critical Thinking and Problem Solving Skills Lisa Gueldenzoph Snyder and Mark J. Snyder
What is critical thinking, and why is it important? The Critical Thinking Community defined critical thinking as “the intellectually disciplined process of actively and skillfully conceptualizing, applying, analyzing, synthesizing, and/or evaluating information gathered from or generated by observation, experience, reflection, reasoning, or communication, as a guide to belief and action”.

15. Teaching Critical Thinking and Problem Solving Skills Lisa Gueldenzoph Snyder and Mark J. Snyder
Critical thinking has also been referred to as metacognition or the process of “thinking about thinking” as defined and originally purposed by Flavell (1979). Critical thinking skills are important because they enable students “to deal effectively with social, scientific, and practical problems.” Simply put, students who are able to think critically are able to solve problems effectively. Merely having knowledge or information is not enough. To be effective in the workplace (and in their personal lives), students must be able to solve problems to make effective decisions; they must be able to think critically.

16. What are we hearing? What is a common theme that you are hearing?
What is something that is different between the articles/data?
How do we apply this to our classroom?

17. What have we modeled for you so far?
STEP-OUT on Learning
Reflect on what we’ve done so far…
What types of problem solving have been modeled?
What types of thinking have been modeled?
How can we implement this in our classes?
How would that effect student achievement, and why? 17

18. Take Away… Complete the planning form with the following tasks:
Think of an upcoming lesson
Create a plan for how to incorporate problem solving
Tie the task back to what type of thinking will be used
Predict how this will effect student achievement and why
Please turn by Wednesday, December 4th

19. Reminders….
We will not have another NIET meeting until next semester. You will be ed the calendar after we return from holiday break.
Buckly will be on maternity leave from December 9th – January 10th.

20. Meeting Objectives
By the end of the meeting, the teachers will demonstrate various kinds of thinking by completing an activity, create a plan for how they can generate more thinking and problem solving in their classrooms, and reflect on how their plan will impact student achievement.