Building a Thinking Classroom
Dr. Patricia Gilkes, Kingsborough Community College
Bio
Dr. Patricia Gilkes is an educator with over 20 years of experience in the New York City Department of Education and New York State Education Department, teaching mathematics at both the middle and high school levels. For the past nine years, she has served in the dual role of math teacher and senior advisor, instructing courses in Algebra I, Algebra II, Precalculus, and Business. Her instructional approach emphasizes real-world applications and the development of critical-thinking skills. She is committed to helping students build a strong academic foundation while providing both academic and personal guidance to support success in college and future career pathways.
Course Setting
I teach business courses through Kingsborough Community College, engaging students in a virtual learning environment. My responsibilities include designing and delivering lessons that establish a solid foundation in business concepts and foster skills essential for academic and professional success. I emphasize real-world applications, critical thinking, and effective communication. I support a diverse student body and cultivate a structured, inclusive environment where students are encouraged to participate, ask questions, and achieve academic growth.
Problem of Practice
How do I use strategies from Building Thinking Classrooms to increase engagement and deepen understanding in an online setting?Strategy
After participating in professional development focused on Building Thinking Classrooms, I sought to enhance engagement in my online classes. I implemented random grouping and collaborative problem-solving in breakout rooms. While I initially used a shared whiteboard for “Do Now” activities, real-time monitoring proved challenging. I then adopted structured group tasks and discussion-based activities, which increased participation and fostered deeper thinking as students explained their reasoning and learned from one another. Adapting these strategies to the online environment helped create a more interactive setting that supports engagement and conceptual understanding.
I implemented random grouping and curricular tasks as pedagogical strategies within my virtual learning environment, adapting established Building Thinking Classrooms practices to the online setting. These strategies help students transition into collaborative, discussion-based teams. They foster collaboration, build community, and ensure students engage with diverse peers to support academic growth.
I assigned students to breakout rooms, sometimes randomly and other times based on instructional goals. Each group received a structured, thinking-based task that required problem-solving, explanation of reasoning, and meaningful discussion. I circulated between groups to monitor progress and provide support as needed.
The rationale for these strategies is grounded in the research of Peter Liljedahl and his framework, Building Thinking Classrooms, which emphasizes active learning, student discourse, and collaborative problem-solving. These methods shift the focus from passive learning to student-centered engagement, promoting deeper understanding, accountability, and improved learning outcomes.
Documentation
Student Work Example
This is a student-developed presentation titled Trade Policy Impact Presentation Project, which examines the economic relationship between the United States and China. The presentation introduces tariffs as a central trade policy and explains how the United States imposed tariffs in response to perceived unfair trade practices by China. The slides integrate text and visuals, such as national flags and financial imagery, to enhance comprehension. Overall, the artifact demonstrates the student’s ability to apply economic concepts to contemporary global trade issues.
Measuring Impact
Bar Graph Showing Overall Student Averages
This bar graph compares student outcomes from the first marking period to the last across a variety of categories. Mastery of Content showed the highest growth at 19.75%, followed by modest literacy gains. However, student performance declined in soft skills, specifically Group Collaboration (-10.70%) and Habits of Mind.
Bar Graph Showing Comparison of Mastery of Content
This bar graph compares each individual student’s overall averages from the beginning to the end of the semester. Overall student averages improved by 5.48% over the six weeks, rising from 53.14% to 58.62%. While most students demonstrated solid growth, a few experienced noticeable grade declines.
Analysis
Visibly Random Grouping (VRG) and curricular tasks proved highly successful in increasing student engagement and participation. I observed that students were more actively involved in discussions and more willing to collaborate when placed in randomized groups. I also noticed that students became more engaged in conversations, especially when I did not provide them with all the information needed to fully understand a concept.
VRG and curricular tasks supported my Problem of Practice by promoting equitable participation and reducing disengagement. I observed the effectiveness of these strategies through student interactions in breakout rooms, improved completion of collaborative tasks, and positive student feedback. Students were more willing to share ideas even when they did not know the correct answer because the group was expected to work collaboratively to figure things out together.
The use of breakout rooms enhanced the learning experience by creating a more interactive and student-centered environment. Students had more opportunities to share ideas, ask questions, and learn from their peers. My initial prediction that random grouping would increase engagement proved accurate, especially in the online setting where participation can be more difficult to foster.
Reviewing student data, including formative assessments and informal feedback, helped me refine group structures. For example, I became more intentional about when to use random groups versus grouping students according to criteria such as skill level in order to better support learning outcomes.
One ongoing challenge is ensuring that all students remain consistently accountable and engaged within their groups, especially when participation levels vary. As with most collaborative settings, some students were more willing to participate than others.
Recommendation
I recommend that faculty within College Now and Early College programs implement strategies such as random grouping and curricular tasks to elevate student engagement and learning outcomes. By assigning groups specific instructional tasks—using random assignments to cultivate community and encourage diverse perspectives in low-entry tasks, while assigning more complex, skill-based challenges simultaneously—instructors can effectively support academic growth.
To maximize the impact of these strategies, it is essential to establish clear expectations, specific deliverables, and structured time limits.
I also recommend that instructors employ more structured curricular tasks within each group to provide better guidance, increase accountability, and ensure that all students can contribute meaningfully.
Additionally, instructors should utilize virtual VNPS platforms, such as Pear Deck, to replicate the classroom environment. This approach enables instructors to monitor student work in real time without needing to enter individual breakout rooms for observation.
Furthermore, given the unique developmental needs of high school students in college-level environments, explicitly modeling collaborative skills is essential. By maintaining flexibility and encouraging regular reflection on group dynamics, instructors can deepen content understanding while building the strong communication and collaboration skills necessary for future college success.
Resources
- Liliedahl, P. (2021). Building thinking classrooms in mathematics: 14 teaching practices for enhancing learning. Corwin.
- Edutopia: A Better Breakout Room Experience for Students. This guide explores methodologies for elevating student participation and effective collaboration through specific role assignment and online breakout room strategies.
- Cornell Center for Teaching Innovation: Zoom Breakout Room Tips. This resource provides essential guidance on structuring breakout activities, establishing clear expectations, and monitoring engagement to ensure an inclusive online collaborative environment.