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Thinkability
PUBLISHED: 2022AUTHORS: Shari Tishman & David Perkins
Interested in the connections between thinking and learning? Check out the new podcast series with Project Zero’s Shari Tishman and David Perkins. Through casual conversation, the series explores themes like curiosity, intuition, metacognition, and other related topics.
Thinkability is now on Spotify and Apple!
Episode 1: What Good is Curiosity?
Curiosity is a learning superpower: If you have it, you will learn. But what is curiosity? Why do we have it, and how does it help us learn? What are some strategies for cultivating curiosity, and what are some obstacles? In this podcast, Shari and Dave chat about these questions and more, exploring what it is that makes curiosity so, well, curious.
Episode 2: Mighty Metacognition
Metacognition basically means thinking about your thinking. The idea has been popping up in education and business circles for years now. What we know about it from research and practice continues to grow. In this episode, Shari and Dave ask: What is metacognition and what makes it such a ‘mighty’ force in learning? How can it be developed in ourselves and others? And why is it especially important these days?
Episode 3: Enticing Intuition
Intuitions are an integral part of thinking. They help us make quick sense of the world, and we rely on them every day to solve problems, make decisions, navigate social situations, and more. The power of intuition is enticing, but sometimes intuitions can be misleading, causing us to miss important dimensions of a problem or situation. In this episode, Shari and Dave ask: What isintuition? Where can we see it in action? How can we get our intuitions to ‘speak’ to us, and when should we be wary about trusting them?
Episode 4: Thinking Dispositions Needed Now
Thinking dispositions are tendencies in our thinking behavior. The term often refers to tendencies like reasonableness, open-mindedness, curiosity, and other characteristics that push our thinking in positive directions. Like other aspects of character, thinking dispositions can grow and change over time, and they are susceptible to influence through context, culture, and education. Shari and Dave have been studying thinking dispositions for many years (ok, decades). In this episode they ask: What are thinking dispositions? Which thinking dispositions seem especially important these days? What are some promising ways to foster positive thinking dispositions —in ourselves, and in others around us?
Episode 5: Slow Looking
Slow looking means taking the time to look beyond a first glance. It is a simple move that can open the door to surprisingly powerful learning experiences. The topic is close to Shari’s heart, and in this episode, Dave mainly interviews Shari. He invites her to define slow looking, give examples of it in action, and explain how slow looking relates to thinking and learning. He also asks her about the basics of cultivating slow looking–in ourselves, and others. Along the way, Dave shares some of his own thoughts about the topic, which is close to his heart, too.
Follow the series on twitter: @ThinkabilityPZ