Cultures of Thinking Summit 2027

Join us to delve into what constitutes a culture of thinking. Explore what research and experience can tell us about shifting a school culture to focus on deep thinking and understanding. Learn about a framework developed at Project Zero for initiating and sustaining such change. In this session, participants will identify common elements of a culture of thinking across classrooms and schools, tailor a vision for creating a culture of thinking in their own context, and consider actions that can support and sustain it. No matter where you are on this journey to building a culture of thinking, you will come away with ideas and strategies for moving forward.

Come learn about and experience the LAST protocol, designed to assist teachers as they examine the presence of thinking, often from students' use of a thinking routine. The protocol deepens teacher learning and helps develop formative assessment skills. In this session, educators from local schools will facilitate close looking at elementary and secondary students' thinking. This protocol is valuable to use as a whole faculty, in department meetings, or among critical friends.

As educators worldwide strive to cultivate classrooms where thinking is valued and visible, thinking routines have become commonplace in practice. However, these routines are all too often treated as "activities to complete" rather than tools to foster deep thinking habits. To be truly effective, thinking routines must be supported by other essential Making Thinking Visible (MTV) practices: active listening, intentional questioning, and strategic documentation-- positioning us to be students of our students. In this session, Mark will lead participants through an immersive experience that highlights these practices, offering fresh ways to reconsider the power of making thinking visible—both through routines and beyond.