| Word | Description |
| 21st Century Curriculum | The 21st Century Curriculum is a curriculum model that ensures that while students are learning facts in order to pass the tests that allow them to succeed educationally and advance to the next stage, they are also learning the skills they will need to succeed in life long into the future. |
| 21st Century Teacher | An educator who develops knowledge-able learners based on timeless thinking skills. Understands that knowledge is constructed and that facts change over time. Teaches content as a means for infusion of thinking skills. Understands that thinking skills include many different forms of thinking. See 21st Century Thinking Skills |
| 21st Century Thinking Skills | The 21st Century knowledge age requires people: to be adept thinkers and learners; to use and build knowledge; to differentiate and combine, compare and contrast, and construct and deconstruct ideas. In short, in the knowledge age people will need to be knowledge-able. Our heritage as builders serves us well for the task, if only we can make the transition from building better things to building better ideas. What are 21st Century Thinking(TM) skills? The demands of the 21st Century point to the need for a kind of “amphibious” thinker. Someone who is: as cognitive as they are emotionally capable, as analytical as they are creative, and as disciplined as they are interdisciplinary. 21st Century Thinking(TM) skills involves six types of thinking, each of which is different from but complimentary of the others: * Critical Thinking: the ability to analyze, deconstruct, and evaluate * Creative Thinking: the ability to construct new lines of thought * Systems Thinking: the ability to understand complex patterns in context * Scientific Thinking: the ability to observe, validate, and evidence * Interdisciplinary Thinking: the ability to unify, transfer, synthesize, and integrate * Prosocial Thinking: the ability to build rapport through compassion and concern Conceptual Learning lies at the Core of 21st Century Thinking(TM) skills. Underlying the ability to master the six types of thinking above requires a deep understanding of the inner workings of concepts (ideas) and how concepts lead to knowledge. In the same way that everything in the universe is made up of atoms and that our understanding of the atomic theory leads us to a better understanding of our universe, a deep understanding of how concepts work will open new awareness of the vast expanse of concepts we call knowledge. To become knowledge-able, one must develop an ability with concepts—the most basic unit of analysis. |
| Big Ideas | Big Ideas are important because they help students develop deep understanding of concepts that are particularly important because they are found in many areas of knowledge (ie they are interdisciplinary). These Big Ideas therefore develop transfer skills because students see the same patterns across many disciplines. Big Ideas include concepts like change, energy, pattern, or scale. Big Ideas can also be themes which are particularly relevant in a given year or period, such as globalization, elections, or wellness. When Big Ideas are added to activity curricula, they have the effect of linking what is being learned over a time period, across classrooms, schools, grades, developmental stages, or districts. We can view any of these Big Ideas as a lens by which the content of any given activity is viewed. |
| Cogito ergo vigeo | Latin, "I think, therefore I thrive" |
| Complexity | Also: complex systems, complex adaptive systems (CAS), complexity theory. |
| Conceptual perspective taking | taking a perspective of an idea, person, place, thing, or event, from the point-of-view of a concept. See Perspective taking. |
| Construction | A theory of learning that people actively build knowledge. It transform the teacher from an subject-matter expert into a facilitator. The ideas of Dewey, Piaget, and Vygotsky have shaped this school of thought, which is also called construction, constructionism, or constructivism. |
| Constructionism | A theory of learning that people actively build knowledge. It transform the teacher from an subject-matter expert into a facilitator. The ideas of Dewey, Piaget, and Vygotsky have shaped this school of thought, which is also called construction, constructionism, or constructivism. |
| Constructivism | A theory of learning that people actively build knowledge. It transform the teacher from an subject-matter expert into a facilitator. The ideas of Dewey, Piaget, and Vygotsky have shaped this school of thought, which is also called construction, constructionism, or constructivism. |
| Creative Thinking | The ability to construct new lines of thought or combine existing ideas in novel ways. One of the 21st Century Thinking™ Skills. |
| Critical Thinking | The ability to analyze, deconstruct, and evaluate ideas. One of the 21st Century Thinking™ Skills. |
| Cuboctahedron | Cubeoctahedron is the technical name for the shape of ThinkBlocks. See: http://mathworld.wolfram.com/Cuboctahedron.html |
| Curriculum and Construction | stub |
| differentiated curriculum | Differentiated curriculum involves educators using a variety of instructional strategies to address diverse student learning needs. |
| Distinction making (D) | Distinction is one of the four basic patterns of thought. Making distinctions is giving individuality to concepts and distinguishing them from other concepts. |
| DSRP | DSRP is the science that underlies the design of ThinkBlocks. DSRP is an acronym for four universal thinking skills: Draw Distinctions: Compare and contrast between similarities and opposites; Organize Systems: Sort, nest and categorize using part-whole thinking; Form Relationships: Make connections, interactions, associations, and cause & effect explicit; Take Perspectives: See different points-of-view and see new possibilities. |
| endogenous | adjective. having an internal cause or origin : the expected rate of infection is endogenous to the system. Often contrasted with exogenous. In Biology growing or originating from within an organism : endogenous gene sequences. In chiefly Psychiatry (of a disease or symptom) not attributable to any external or environmental factor : endogenous depression. confined within a group or society. |
| epistemology | knowledge. a big word for how we know what we know. Although traditionally, Epistemology is defined as "the investigation of what distinguishes justified belief from opinion", most of our knowledge (ie, outside of scientific knowledge) is intersubjective and validity is extremely difficult to determine. Some people consider knowledge only to be the stuff created by a scientific method or process, but this definition is far too narrow for everyday use. We act upon "knowledge" every day that could not be validated by current scientific methods. Thus, making knowledge synonymous with science ignores that all people are using knowledge all the time. |
| Ergo | Ergo is a an anthropomorphic ThinkBlock. He is the Chief Scientist of Ergo's Lab and the Official Mascot of ThinkWorks, the company that teaches thinking. As Mascot, Ergo visits classrooms and tradeshows and generally spreads the word about the importance of thinking. Ergo is responsible for managing the content of his Lab and making it as accessible and user-friendly as possible. Ergo is a natural born teacher of four essential thinking skills: distinction making, interrelationships, systems thinking and perspective taking. The secret to his pedagogical ability is in his unique design. The name "Ergo" is derived from the Latin for therefore, as in cogito ergo vigeo which means, "I think, therefore I thrive". Ergo's name, and his mission in life, is to be the causal link between thinking and thriving. Ergo was recently featured in a children's book, Journey to Planet Knowledge in which four children embark on a mission to a planet called Knowledge. As their journey is coming to an end, they meet Ergo, who teaches them about the importance of thinking differently. |
| Ergo's Lab | stub |
| Evolutionary epistemology | stub |
| exogenous | adjective. of, relating to, or developing from external factors. Often contrasted with endogenous. In Biology growing or originating from outside an organism : an exogenous hormone. In chiefly Psychiatry (of a disease, symptom, etc.) caused by an agent or organism outside the body : exogenous depression. relating to an external group or society : exogenous marriage. ORIGIN mid 19th cent.: from modern Latin exogena (denoting an exogenous plant, suggested by classical Latin indigena ‘native’ ) + -ous . |
| extensible | capable of being extended. As in: ThinkBlocks are extensible because they are fractal. |
| externality | n. 1 the quality or state of being external 2 pl. -|ties an external thing. Simply put, an externality is something that is not included in a particular consideration. |
| Fractal | fractal |ˈfraktəl| Mathematics noun a curve or geometric figure, each part of which has the same statistical character as the whole. Fractals are useful in modeling structures (such as eroded coastlines or snowflakes) in which similar patterns recur at progressively smaller scales, and in describing partly random or chaotic phenomena such as crystal growth, fluid turbulence, and galaxy formation. adjective relating to or of the nature of a fractal or fractals : fractal geometry. ORIGIN 1970s: from French, from Latin fract- ‘broken,’ from the verb frangere. |
| information-full | People who are information-full will do very well on Jeopardy. Someone who is full of information but lacks the ability to make it actionable. Like a computer, this person can take tests very well but is less capable when presented with novel problems or new ideas. Someone who is information-full recalls things strictly through memory but lacks contextual structure or scaffolding that leads to meaningful or deep understanding. They are often easily manipulated because they lack independent or critical thinking skills. Contrast with knowledge-able. |
| Informational Learning | The accumulation of facts. Students gain content knowledge but fail to connect it to real-world experiences in a meaningful way. These facts lose value over time as their validity and relevance change. Contrast with Transformational Learning. |
| Instruction | When an educator tries to give information to a student, they are practicing instruction. Unfortunately, this is not how learning occurs. Rather, students are constantly building knowledge through an active process. |
| Instructionism | stub |
| integrated curriculum | An integrated curriculum contains lessons that help students make connections across curricula. Instead of isolated subject areas, students are encouraged to make connections within a discipline, between fields, or between knowledge and practice. |
| Interdisciplinary Thinking | The ability to transfer learning between disciplines and communicate that learning. As the problems of the 21st Century become more robust, they will be solved by interdisciplinary teams at tables, not loners in labs. One of the 21st Century Thinking™ Skills. |
| internality | of or situated on the inside : the tube had an internal diameter of 1.1 mm. inside the body : internal bleeding. existing or occurring within an organization : an internal telephone system. relating to affairs and activities within a country rather than with other countries; domestic : the government's internal policies | internal flights. experienced in one's mind; inner rather than expressed : internal feelings. of the inner nature of a thing; intrinsic : he creates a dialogue internal to his work. plural noun ( internals) inner parts or features : all the weapon's internals are well finished and highly polished. DERIVATIVES: internality noun. internally adverb. ORIGIN early 16th cent. (in the sense [intrinsic] ): from modern Latin internalis, from Latin internus ‘inward, internal.’ |
| Journey to Planet Knowledge | Journey to Planet Knowledge (JPK) is a children's book written by By Derek Cabrera, PhD and Laura Colosi, PhD in which four characters--Dylan, Sam, Riley and Penelope--go on a mission to Planet Knowledge where they meet Kitty (a Yak) and Ergo (a ThinkBlock) on their journey to discover the importance of interdisciplinary learning and thinking. JPK was written to be an accessible introduction to ThinkBlocks. |
| knowledge | See "epistemology", a big word for how we know what we know. Although traditionally, Epistemology is defined as "the investigation of what distinguishes justified belief from opinion", most of our knowledge (ie, outside of scientific knowledge) is intersubjective and validity is extremely difficult to determine. Some people consider knowledge only to be the stuff created by a scientific method or process, but this definition is far too narrow for everyday use. We act upon "knowledge" every day that could not be validated by current scientific methods. Thus, making knowledge synonymous with science ignores that all people are using knowledge all the time. |
| knowledge-able | Contrast with the common definition for knowledgeable (no hyphen): "intelligent and well informed : she is very knowledgeable about livestock and pedigrees" which sounds more like information-full. To be knowledge-ABLE is to have an ability with knowledge. To be able to find, verify, construct, and deconstruct any kind of knowledge. To be a life-long learner. |
| Literacy | Literacy has traditionally been the ability to read and write, or the ability to use language to read, write, listen, and speak. Recently, literacy also means reading and writing at a level adequate for communication, or at a level that lets one understand and communicate ideas in a literate society. |
| Lock in | Lock-in is a term that describes how systems self-organize toward certain ends. Once these ends are established, it would be difficult or imprudent to reorganize toward different ends. Examples of lock-in are the QWERTY keyboard, the common clock, Beta vs.VHS and the internal combustion engine. Each of these items came about because of many complex factors, having little to do with which “design” was best. At the nanoscale level, the patterns we recognize are often susceptible to lock-in. We have recognized certain patterns for so long, they become locked-in to our consciousness and the potential of “seeing” something new or different is lost. |
| multiple intelligences | An educational theory developed by Howard Gardner that describes intelligence as the interaction of several skills - bodily-kinesthetic, interpersonal, verbal-linguistic, logical-mathematical, naturalistic, intrapersonal, spatial, musical - not just the single number that traditional IQ tests yield. According to this theory, students will learn more when teachers use different methodologies, exercises and activities to reach all students, not just those who excel at linguistic and logical intelligence. |
| pedagogy | a big word for the art and science of teaching. |
| Prosocial Thinking | Thinking such as empathy, compassion, perspective taking, being emotionally intelligent, or teamwork that is conducive to being part of society. Perspective taking lies at the core of all prosocial behavior. The ability to observe, hypothesize, predict, and validate with evidence. One of the 21st Century Thinking™ Skills. |
| Realia | Realia are real-life objects used by educators that improve students' understanding of ideas. A teacher of a foreign language often employs realia to strengthen students' associations between words for everyday objects and the objects themselves. |
| Relationships (R) | Relationship is one of the four fundamental patterns of thinking. Relationships are comprised of the cause (affect) and effect of two identities. |
| Sage on the Stage | An educator that tries to give students knowledge. They are often portrayed as a lecture-happy expert. The Sage on the Stage is contrasted with the Guide on the Side. |
| Scientific Thinking | The ability to observe, hypothesize, predict, and validate with evidence. One of the 21st Century Thinking™ Skills. |
| Systems (S) | System (S) is one of the four fundamental patterns of thought. Systems are the process by which we group concepts as wholes and divide them into parts. |
| Systems Thinking | The ability to understand complex patterns in context. A Systems Thinker can see an idea as a system of parts AND one part in a larger system. One of the 21st Century Thinking™ Skills. |
| ThinkBlocks | ThinkBlocks are multifaceted, hollow blocks with dry-erasable and reflective surfaces that can be stacked, nested, clustered, and towered. The same four simple patterns of knowledge construction that underlie an infinite and evolving world of ideas are also incorporated into the design of ThinkBlocks. |
| Thinkipedia | stub |
| ThinkTiles | stub |
| timeless | the dictionary definition is "not affected by the passage of time or changes in fashion". More specifically, we are referring to ideas that will remain relevant long into the future and should therefore be taught to children. Contrast with timely facts. Timeless ideas are the things students will remember when they have forgotten the facts. See universal |
| Transfer | The Theory of Transfer of Learning was introduced by Thorndike and Woodworth (1901). They explored how individuals would transfer learning in one context to another context that shared similar characteristics. See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transfer_of_learning |
| Transformational Learning | Transformational learning is more than the accumulation of facts. Instead, students are changed by what they learn. It often involves questioning assumptions, beliefs and values, and considering multiple points of view. |
| Understanding by Design | Understanding by Design is a framework for designing curriculum units, performance assessments, and instruction. Its primary goal is to develop deep understanding of the content taught in schools. Curriculum designers use a backwards design process, starting their planning with broad learning goals. The book was developed by Grant Wiggins and Jay McTighe and is published by the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, |
| universal | Also: universality. 1. the quality or state of being universal. 2. universal comprehensiveness in range. See timeless |