 …transforming how we see learning
http://www.mapthemind.com/
Dear Colleague,
You are invited to send a team of participants from your school or district to attend an in-depth, interactive and stimulating Regional Thinking Maps “Training of Trainers” (TOT), August 10-13, 2009 (October 22, January 14, follow-up days) in Burlington, MA. Please join other thoughtful educators in becoming part of what over 4,000 schools nationally and internationally improving teacher instruction and student learning.
Developed by educator, researcher, and author, Dr. David Hyerle, Thinking Maps® are a common visual language based on eight fundamental cognitive skills. By focusing on content learning and thought processes, Thinking Maps explicitly improve students’ reading comprehension and writing as well as continuous cognitive development across all subject areas from Pre-K to college. The effectiveness of Thinking Maps has been well documented since 1990 and now has a deep research base (please visit www.thinkingfoundation.org for extensive research on Thinking Maps).
In the following excerpt from the preface to “Student Successes with Thinking Maps” (Corwin Press, 2004), Pat Wolfe, noted author and educator, highlights the need for students to have Thinking Maps as dependable, flexible, lifelong tools.
“Neuroscientists tell us that the brain organizes information in networks and maps. What better way to teach students to think about ideas and organize and express their ideas than to use the very same method that the brain uses.”
Through a professional development design refined over the past 15 years, teachers, administrators, and students learn to use Thinking Maps® as tools for constructing knowledge from content information, decision-making and problem solving and for improving reading and writing across the curriculum.
By facilitating the thinking processes embedded in the questions administrators, teachers and students ask everyday, Thinking Maps® foster inquiry, perspective taking, and independent learning.
You can support these practical and effective tools at your learning community by sending a team to the TOT! Teams will develop expertise in Thinking Maps in order to apply the tools to district and state standards and assessments. Participants who complete the training will be Certified Thinking Maps® Trainers for their school and district, capable of providing on-site support to introduce and sustain the work over time. Schools implementing Thinking Maps are required to provide each teacher in the school with the Thinking Maps: Language for Learning manual. The Trained Trainers will receive ongoing support from DFT through regular e-mail contact and telephone consultation.
Please read the attached announcement and registration form. Feel free to contact us with any questions or comments at lalper@sover.net or 802-254-5403.
We look forward to supporting the teaching and learning at your site.
Sincerely,
Larry Alper
|