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Project Zero Ideas and Distance Learning: Visible Thinking and Teaching for Understanding

“Routines are structures, through which students collectively as well as individually initiate, explore, discuss, document, and manage their thinking.”
(Ron Ritchhart). ​Learn more about thinking routines ​here​.

​ roject Zero​ and ​Ron Ritchhart

Sources: all material from P
Publications: ​Making Thinking Visible

How you may want to use this chart:

➔ Identify the key learning move you want students to make
➔ If there are several routines for the same move, pick the routine that suits you best
➔ Choose an online tool
➔ Go for it and share your experience!

Teaching for Understanding and Visible Thinking Projects

Definitely (routines meant to be used individually or fitting well distance learning)

Name of Routine or Protocol Key Thinking Move Notes (when, how) Online tool

I used to think… Now I think…
Reflection and metacognition At the end of a significant Padlet
Debunking misconceptions chunk of teaching (for Flipgrid
example, better at the end of Google Classroom​ Discussion
a unit than at the end of a
lesson); exit ticket for
teacher; reflection for
student
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What makes you say that? Reasoning with evidence Use without moderation! Google Doc​ comment by teacher (written or
Feedback tool for teacher audio with add-on ​Kaisena​)
Flipgrid​ (lower grades)

Headlines Summarizing Exit ticket for teacher; Padlet

Capturing the heart reflection for student VoiceThread
Written Response in ​Newsela
Google Drawings
Google Slides

Generate-Sort-Connect-Elaborate Uncovering and organizing You may need to Coggle

(Concept Maps) prior knowledge to identify demonstrate it first Google Drawings
connections Beginning of a topic Explain Everything

​3-2-1 Bridge Activates prior knowledge, VoiceThread

questioning, distilling, &
connection making through
metaphors

Compass Points Decision making and VoiceThread

planning, uncovers personal Padlet
reactions

Red Light, Yellow Light Monitoring, identification of Annotation tools:

bias, raising questions ● Hypothesis
● Newsela
● Kami

Doable (routines meant to be used collectively or individually with time for sharing; can be done asynchronously)

Name of Routine Key Thinking Move Notes (when) Online tool

Explanation Game Observing details and Preferably in groups or as a Learning Lab​ Collection ​Image Hotspot
building explanations class, but can be done solo Google Drawings
too and then shared with a Explain Everything
group.
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Chalk Talk Uncovers prior knowledge Padlet
and ideas, questioning VoiceThread
Hypothesis

Think-Puzzle-Explore Activating prior knowledge, Think and Puzzle can be done VoiceThread
wondering, planning individually, then sharing, Google Classroom​ Discussion
then explore in small groups onCampus Discussion
Padlet

CSI: Color, Symbol, Image Capturing the heart through Best to share with a partner Google Slides
metaphors and “visual after each step Google Draw
thinking”

Connect-Extend-Challenge Connection making, identify This routine works well with Coggle
new ideas, raising questions the whole class, in small VoiceThread
groups or individually. Padlet

Sentence-Phrase-Word Summarizing and distilling Usually done individually, Padlet

shared at the end

Circle of Viewpoints Perspective-taking Part 1: Individual thinking VoiceThread

Part 2: Sharing viewpoints Hypothesis
Part 3: Individual reflection

(NB: introduce the routine

thoughtfully when the topic
involves marginalized
individuals or groups.)

Step Inside Perspective taking Individual, then sharing out. VoiceThread

Hypothesis
(NB: introduce the routine
thoughtfully when the topic
involves marginalized
individuals or groups.)
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Peel the Fruit Deepen Understanding Meant to be used collectively VoiceThread
overtime; can be used in Coggle
groups or individually Google Draw
Explain Everything

Tug of War Perspective taking, Best as a whole-class routine, Coggle

reasoning, identifying but can be used in small Kialo
complexities, exploring the groups or individually with
complexities of fairness some sharing
dilemmas

Claim Support Question Identifying generalizations Can work well individually, in Kialo
and theories, reasoning with small groups or as a
evidence, counter arguments whole-class routine

See-Think-Wonder Description, Interpretation & Best to do in a synchronous VoiceThread

Wondering learning environment

The Four C’s Structuring a text-based Padlet

discussion built around
making connections,
asking questions, identifying
key ideas, and considering
application

Best to do in a synchronous learning environment or not recommended (best to do in person)

Name of Routine Key Thinking Move Notes (when) Online tool

The Microlab Protocol A protocol for focused Not recommended; best to

discussion do in person

Zoom In Description, Inference, & Not recommended; best to

Interpretation do in person

Document prepared by Carole Geneix, 6-12 WiS Director of Teaching and Learning, and Jaime Chao-Mignano, 6-12 WIS STEAM Community Coordinator
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Protecting student privacy is a constant consideration for all educators. Laws regarding what this requires will vary by region and country - in the US, t​ hese considerations are outlined by the Department of Education.​ Each
teacher should evaluate the policies of the tools listed above and independently ensure that they comply with local regulations and institutional policies to protect student privacy.
This document cannot guarantee any online tools’ compliance with your local regulations or institutional policies regarding student privacy.

All Project Zero Thinking Routines used in this resource have the following copyright and licensing: © 2019 President and Fellows of Harvard College and Project Zero. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons
Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC-ND). This license allows users to share this work with others, but it cannot be used commercially.

This work by Washington International School is licensed under a​ ​Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License​.