Cultures of Thinking Summit 2027

Every school and classroom tells a story of learning--what it feels and looks like, and how it truly works to foster deep, lasting understanding. Too often, external pressures push us toward simply "getting through the work," which diminishes the rich potential of this story for both students and educators.
This deep dive workshop is for everyone—especially those new to Cultures of Thinking, as well as those seeking a regrounding in its core principles. We will explore the vital question posed by the Cultures of Thinking project: How can we design and nurture learning spaces to become vibrant cultures where thinking is valued, visible, and actively developed?
Building a thinking culture is dynamic, especially since thinking itself is largely invisible. This session will focus on the role we play in creating conditions where thinking can thrive visibly within our learners--offering essential orientation for newcomers and practical refreshers for those with some experience. We will explore how to make sophisticated intellectual processes--such as close looking, questioning, uncovering complexity, and considering perspectives—explicit and commonplace. Join us to connect with the fundamental ideas of the Worldwide Cultures of Thinking Project and leave ready to engage fully in the CoT Summit sessions and craft a more thoughtful, engaged, and meaningful story of learning in your own setting.

Everyone can relate to the feeling of having too much to do and not enough time to do it. But how can we impact this culture of "busyness" in order to create opportunities for deep learning? This session will explore both the obstacles to and strategies for slowing down and doing less but going deeper by using subtractive thinking. And in doing so, we’ll consider how this adds value to both living and learning.

Everyone can relate to the feeling of having too much to do and not enough time to do it. But how can we impact this culture of busyness in order to create opportunities for deep learning? This session will explore both the obstacles to and strategies for slowing down and doing less but going deeper by using subtractive thinking. And in doing so, we’ll consider how this adds value to both living and learning.