Generate Sort Connect Elabotate - Teaming-Up to Learn About Civil Rights

We had a breakthrough using the Visible Thinking Routine "Generate - Sort - Connect - Elaborate". 

Reflecting upon my practice, I've always found it difficult to have students elaborate in a meaningful way that extends the discussion and inspires further inquiry. Frankly, I've felt like I've failed quite a bit, that I wasn't packaging the routine properly and it had the distinct feeling of a one-off activity...

Turns out that:

1) Practice makes perfect

2) Pitching it like a college major and putting students into idea teams of specialists helps... Tremendously.

Above: Tyrell and Tori team up and explore a topic from our intro to the 1960s collection of digital archives.

Chris prepares his post-it notes to share with his teammate and post on the class' "thought map" -- We are still working on a term for this. I want to call it chart paper and we can "chart a course for personalized learning"... But, as the kids say, that's corny.

The ideas begin to mount. Forming a grid of "four corners" helped students to sort and connect their thoughts in an easy to follow manner.

Working together with a partner helps thinkers to make the visible thinking routine feel more like a conversation.