Teaching for Thinking

Interested in helping students think more critically, creatively, and independently in an age of misinformation, complex problems, and artificial intelligence? Develop practical strategies for teaching thinking with the Teaching for Thinking professional development workshop at UQ.

Critical and creative thinking is a global educational priority, a General Capability of the Australian Curriculum, and one of the most essential skills for students to thrive in the 21st century. As students increasingly navigate misinformation, persuasive media, algorithm-driven content, and AI tools that can produce instant answers, the ability to question, evaluate, reason, and think with intention has never been more important.

This professional development experience is designed for school leaders and teachers who want to build their confidence in explicitly teaching, planning for, assessing, and providing feedback on student thinking. Through expert-led workshops, collaborative activities, practical planning sessions, and access to research-informed resources, you will develop the knowledge and tools to help students become more discerning, curious, and intellectually independent learners.

What you will receive: You will receive a certificate of participation, access to all tools, websites and software used during the PD, a copy of teaching resources and ongoing educational support beyond the PD

Learning Objectives

• Strengthen understanding of critical and creative thinking as explicit teaching priorities
• Explore how misinformation, digital media, and AI are reshaping the need for critical thinking
• Use cognitive verbs with greater precision and intentionality in teaching and assessment
• Develop strategies to help students question, reason, evaluate, and inquire more deeply
• Design learning experiences that promote intellectual values, curiosity, and independent thought

Schedule

8:45 am: Welcome

We will meet at the University of Queensland at the Viewpoint Room.

9:00 am: Knowledge Share: Why Teaching for Thinking Matters

Explore why critical thinking must be taught explicitly in a world shaped by misinformation, persuasive media, digital platforms, and AI-generated content. This session challenges the idea that thinking skills develop automatically through content learning alone. Participants will examine how deep understanding depends on students’ ability to question, analyse, evaluate, connect, and create knowledge with intention.

9:45 pm: Hands-on Workshops

• Critical Thinking in the Age of Misinformation and AI - Students are surrounded by information, but not all information is accurate, reliable, neutral, or useful. This session explores practical ways to help students identify assumptions, evaluate evidence, recognise bias, test claims, and make informed judgements. Teachers will consider how misinformation spreads and how classroom learning can build the habits of mind students need to navigate complex information environments.

10:30 am: Morning Tea

Enjoy morning tea in the Viewpoint Room.

11:00 am: Hands-on Workshops

• Understanding Cognitive Skills - For many years, Bloom’s Taxonomy has provided a familiar language for thinking skills, curriculum planning, and assessment. However, thinking is often more organic, contextual, and complex than a simple hierarchy suggests. In this session, participants will explore a more actionable cognitive framework for understanding student thinking. Using a critical thinking lens, teachers will examine how students interpret information, evaluate claims, use evidence, and make judgements across different learning contexts.

12:00 pm: Hands-on Workshops

• AI, Thinking, and Intellectual Independence - AI tools can support learning, but they can also make it easier for students to bypass the thinking process. This session focuses on how teachers can help students use AI critically and responsibly without outsourcing reasoning, questioning, judgement, or creativity. Participants will explore strategies for designing tasks that require visible thinking, student explanation, reflection, critique, and intellectual ownership.

12:45 pm: Lunch

Enjoy a delicious lunch in the Viewpoint Room.

1:30 pm: Hands-on Workshops

• Questioning, Curiosity, and Cognitive Intent - Strong critical thinking begins with better questions. This session moves beyond simple question stems and explores how teachers can design questions with clear cognitive intent. Participants will investigate how to improve both the quality and quantity of student questions, supporting learners to become more curious, reflective, and precise in their inquiry. Particular attention will be given to how strong questioning can help students challenge misinformation and interrogate AI-generated responses.

2:15 pm: Knowledge Share: Planning and Assessing for Thinking

A key challenge for teachers is how to plan for and assess student thinking with the same precision and intentionality commonly applied to content knowledge. In this practical session, participants will explore how to make the cognitive demands of learning tasks, questions, and assessments explicit. Teachers will work with resources that make planning and assessing thinking more transparent, actionable, and shareable across subject areas and year levels.

Limited spots available. Book yours now!

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