ABSTRACT
For some students a teacher may appear to be a high priest of the mind, asking runic questions and giving cryptic tasks, such as, “What do you think about this story?” or, “Analyze this problem.” Besides translating such questions and tasks, the teacher can demystify the classroom discourse by teaching students how their minds work. Fundamental thinking types, or “mind actions,” can be learned by students in grades 1–12. As codified by the ThinkTrix, a thinking matrix typology, could be recall, similarity, difference, cause and effect, example to idea, idea to example, and evaluation (see Figures A.11-13). Once students understand and can manipulate these basic mind actions, they are able to construct questions at varied levels, translate thinking in texts and tests, translate teacher and peer questions, and create test questions for themselves. When this understanding is established through multiple examples, students are able to answer for themselves the question: “How should my mind work to answer this question or solve this problem?” They are now metacognitive and can act consciously to find the answer.
