Session Information

Tina Blythe Senior Director of Learning and Outreach at Harvard Project Zero (PZ) and Senior Director of the
Democratic Knowledge Project

Conversation is at the heart of many interactions in schools. Discussion (either teacher-led or student-led) is a prominent feature of many classrooms. Grade level meetings and department meetings often focus on conversation among colleagues. Whether supporting learners or colleagues, many educators find themselves wondering, “How do I facilitate conversations that move beyond a simple exchange of information? How do I help turn discussions into genuine learning opportunities–the chance for everyone involved to engage intellectually and to walk away with new ideas and a stronger sense of connection to the learning community?” Protocols, used thoughtfully and purposefully, are powerful tools for enhancing learning conversations. They help create clarity of goals, equity of voice, and a sense of safety that supports curiosity and self-reflection. In this workshop, we will engage in and then reflect on several
different protocols that you can use to support collaborative learning and thinking for students as well as colleagues. We’ll discuss some of the challenges that arise in protocol-guided conversations and review facilitation strategies that help to address them.

Mark Church Researcher, Worldwide Cultures of Thinking Project and Project Zero Online Course Instructor

When used powerfully, thinking routines not only provide teachers with a set of practices to engage students in deep and meaningful inquiry, but help advance a broader goal to create classrooms where students’ thinking is visible, valued, and actively promoted. Along with going deeper into understanding a variety of thinking routines, participants will consider just what difference using thinking routines and other visible thinking practices - such as listening,
questioning, and documentation - makes for students and teachers and how teachers can plan to use these practices to maximum effect.

Lindsay Fisher and Akiko MacLean 5th Grade Head T eachers, Stevens Cooperative School

"Using the 3O's: Othering, Overgeneralization and Overconfidence in Cross-Curricular Thinking," is designed to help educators explore how personal biases, backgrounds, and perspectives shape thinking and learning. This session provides common language and practical tools to guide students through the complexities of difference and human stories. The workshop engages participants through active, hands-on activities to explore the "3O's" using structured thinking routines like Chalk Talk, 3 Whys, and Main-Side-Hidden. To demonstrate how to create accessible entry points for all learning styles, the session incorporates diverse text sets spanning visual art, poetry, graphic novels, and satirical literature. Ultimately, participants gain hands-on experience in cross-curricular planning, learning how to empower students to recognize bias, elevate hidden perspectives, and translate critical thinking into actionable personal reflection.

Shehla Ghouse and Caoimhe Murphy Principal and 7th Grade Humanities Teacher, Stevens Cooperative School

The workshop will explore how supporting student agency, empowerment can create a new story of learning where students become active creators, initiators, problem finders and community members while teachers focus on coaching , mentoring and being community navigators. We will examine practical moves by observing culminating products created by students. Together we will hear from students and look closely at how powerful learning both engages and empowers the learner, noting who is talking and who’s listening, encouraging behaviors of initiative and
resilience and celebrating powerful and productive identities.

Emma Porrazzo and Elizabeth Tepox 4th and 5th Grade Head Teachers, Stevens Cooperative School

How do we make students' thinking, not just their answers, the center of mathematics instruction? Thinking Routines are structures for making mathematical thinking visible, intentional, and repeatable, not simply activities to add to a lesson. In this workshop, participants will experience several Project Zero thinking Routines as learners themselves, working through real math tasks before considering what they reveal about student thinking. We'll examine how classroom routines and interactions shape the conditions for deep mathematical thinking in any PreK-8 setting. Then, using a Project Zero framework for understanding, we'll analyze student work, identifying specific ways of thinking that reveal how understanding develops, both verbally and in writing, shifting the focus from "did you get the answer?" to "how is your understanding growing?" Participants will leave with practical experience trying out thinking routines, a lens for noticing and naming student thinking in their own classrooms, and a sketch of an idea for their own practice.

Liz White 1st Grade Head T eacher, Stevens Cooperative School

Providing rich opportunities in a variety of learning environments and situations both deepens a student's understanding as well as promoting cultural competency. We can all find and create learning opportunities that foster a joy for learning. True understanding occurs when students are given opportunities to make connections and wonder. Let us reflect on our current curriculum through thinking routines and how we can create meaningful opportunities using the 8 Cultural Forces.