Cultivating Cultures of Thinking in Australian Schools

This book is a call to action for educators who seek to move beyond superficial learning and engage students in deeper, more meaningful thinking. At a time when education is dominated by standardisation and a crowded curriculum, this book champions a different path, prioritising student agency, curiosity, and thinking. Grounded in the influential Cultures of Thinking(TM) approach developed by Dr. Ron Ritchhart from Project Zero at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, this book showcases real-life case studies from Australian classrooms where these principles have been successfully applied. It explores how teachers can develop students' thinking dispositions, make thinking visible, and shape classroom cultures that foster engagement and intellectual growth. Editors Cameron Paterson and Simon Brooks, who have worked extensively with the Cultures of Thinking approach, bring together voices from across Australia, offering a rich tapestry of insights, strategies, and experiences. Through practical examples and compelling analysis, Cultivating Cultures of Thinking in Australian Schools provides educators with a concrete blueprint for transformative teaching. This book is an essential read for teachers, school leaders, and education professionals who want to create vibrant learning environments that prepare students for the complexities of the modern world. It is a powerful resource for those seeking to move beyond traditional assessment-driven teaching and cultivate a culture where thinking and learning flourish.

Cameron Paterson is the Director of Learning at Wesley College, Melbourne. He also works for Harvard's Project Zero. His accomplishments have been recognized with awards for teaching, leadership, and innovation. Cameron is the co-editor of Flip the System Australia. Simon Brooks is an educational consultant working with schools around the world interested in transforming learning and teaching by promoting thinking, understanding, and engagement for all learners. He has held senior educational roles in the UK, Australia, and Malaysia, most recently as Principal of the Australian International School Malaysia.

Table of Contents Foreword - Ron Ritchhart List of Contributors Introduction - From Control to Curiosity Cameron Paterson and Simon Brooks (Eds) Section 1 - Empowering Learners Chapter 1 - Unlearning Control Cameron Paterson Chapter 2 - Stoking The Fires: How Cultivating Curiosity Leads to Enhanced Engagement and Deeper Understanding Simon Brooks Section 2 - Shifting Paradigms Chapter 3 - Restructuring schools for relationships, play, and time to think Pasi Sahlberg Chapter 4 - Indigenous Knowledges - valuing different thinking paradigms Professor Melitta Hogarth, Dr John Doolah & Mr Justin Wilkey Section 3 - Transforming Classrooms Chapter 5 - "Will this be on the test?": How Teachers in Australian Schools Help Students Focus More on Learning and Less on Work Simon Brooks Chapter 6 - Exploring Collaborative Learning Milica Savic Chapter 7 - Encouraging Learners to Do the Heavy Lifting Lana Fleiszig Chapter 8 - Creating a Culture of Self-Directed learning: Risk-taking, Feedback, Goals, repeat April Taylor Section 4 - Leading Professional Growth Chapter 9 - Pathways to Cultures of Thinking in Troubled Times Nicole Mockler Chapter 10 - Cultivating a Culture of Thinking at Masada College: Something We Are, Rather Than Something We Do Ryan Gill & Carla Gagliano Chapter 11 - Principles of Adult Learning in Cultures of Thinking: Challenges, Calls to Action and Triumphs Samantha Gooch Chapter 12 - Empowering Educators: Using Professional Learning Communities to Embed Cultures of Thinking Kara Baxter Chapter 13 - Why are school meetings so bad? Some reflections on improving collaboration in schools Doug Broadbent Section 5 - Navigating Change Chapter 14 - Pitfalls and Pathways: Transforming Culture and Sustaining Change in a Culture of Thinking Mark Church Chapter 15 - Breakfast, Phonics and Cultures of Thinking: Modern tools for an education renaissance Lani Brockwell Chapter 16 - Seeping Upwards and Across: Embedding Cultures of Thinking at Brisbane Girls Grammar School Dr Bruce Addison & Susan Garson Chapter 17 - Thinking at the Forefront: Immanuel College's Cultures of Thinking Journey Martyn Anderson Conclusion - The Best Teachers Are Subversive Cameron Paterson and Simon Brooks (Eds)