{"id":393,"date":"2012-02-13T03:11:42","date_gmt":"2012-02-13T03:11:42","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.thinkingschoolsethiopia.com\/?p=393"},"modified":"2025-11-13T12:14:08","modified_gmt":"2025-11-13T12:14:08","slug":"starting-the-visiongrowing-thinking-schoolsfrom-the-inside-out-a-transformative-design","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.thinkingschoolsethiopia.com\/?p=393","title":{"rendered":"Starting the Vision<\/i>
Growing Thinking Schools
From the Inside Out \u2014 a Transformative Design
Learner Centered Professional Development<\/i>"},"content":{"rendered":"

Starting the Vision
<\/i>Growing Thinking Schools
From the Inside Out <\/strong>
A Transformative Design<\/strong>
Learner Centered Professional Development<\/i><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n

\"\"<\/a>This is the first of several upcoming postings that will provide an overview of the Thinking Schools Ethiopia process – beginning with the initial Growing Thinking Schools<\/em> two day workshops. The upcoming blogs will look into each of the Six Starting Points of Thinking<\/em> (visual mapping, reflective questions, environmental structure, collaborative networking, thinking skills and dispositions) as well as assessment and IT integration. Each of the six starting points of thinking will be highlighted separately and how they are a transformative design collectively in upcoming blogs. Any reflections and\/or questions are appreciated in the ‘responses’ section.<\/p>\n

The initial two day Growing Thinking Schools<\/em> sessions is for school leadership teams about to embark on whole school transformative design change using Thinking Schools Ethiopia<\/em> thinking methodologies. The leadership team is comprised of the principal and other key faculty and staff who are school leaders in teams of 4-6 people per school. It is not about one size fits all. It is taking 21st century thinking methodologies that we know work (research as learned through practice) and then the school leadership team determining where their school (and school community) is currently, and how best to vision, create, achieve and sustain their goals. Mastery and sustainability are key visions of Thinking Schools Ethiopia. The initial two day Growing Thinking Schools<\/em> sessions include learning and using Thinking Schools Ethiopia’s six starting points of learning to:
\u2014learn (and reflect) about ourselves
\u2014learn (and reflect) about our schools (and\/or NGO organizations) as a collaborative team
\u2014learn together as teams building a collaborative network between different schools and people
\u2014learn thinking methodologies in a participatory centered (mirroring student centered) manner
\u2014learn collaboratively within our leadership team AND between other school’s leadership teams
\u2014develop understanding, thinking out ideas, learning each other’s perspectives (frame of reference), and developing an initial Growing Thinking Schools plan with visual tools…
\u2014create a plan that includes mastery for the leadership team, the teachers, the school support staff, the students, and the greater community.<\/p>\n