Picture Me Thinking
Explicit Structure for the Inquiry-to-Writing Process
The research-based Picture Me Thinking Model helps teachers and students structure
their thinking during inquiry and argumentative writing instruction, across disciplines.
This 2.5-hour online course was created by Karen Amende, M.Ed., M.Sped., University of
California instructor for the GSE course "Advanced Curriculum Modification and Supports."
The Picture Me Thinking Tools have an average rating of 96% from in-service teachers.
On-Site Online Educator Training
A self-paced online video course for middle school and high school academic educators. Segmented into 5 levels of 25-30 minutes per level. Each level contains 2-4 videos plus tools.
Revolutionary Inquiry Tools
The Picture Me Thinking Model is a research-based system of scaffolding for the inquiry-to-writing process. It is used to structure inquiry into disciplinary core concepts, across subjects.
Powerful Writing Outcomes
The Picture Me Thinking Model makes the parallel structure of inquiry and essay writing transparent. It focuses collaborative inquiry on building evidence-supported arguments.
Professional Learning Communities
Thinking is a pre-skill for writing."
Instruction framed by the PMT model teaches students how to apply disciplinary core concepts in problem-solving tasks, while writing about their solutions clarifies their thinking.
Integrating inquiry and essay writing is a priority goal of the standards for language arts, STEM, and social studies. Research has shown that blending inquiry instruction and writing instruction is the best method for improving students' writing because it promotes reasoning. (Miller, Scott & McTigue, 2018, https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1170233)
The PMT course makes it easy for educators to meet teaching standards for scaffolding the inclusion of diverse learners in inquiry-to-writing instruction in grades 6-12. Proper scaffolding supports equity in education.
When students, from middle school through high school, know how to use the same robust model for the inquiry-to-writng process, they arrive ready to jump into collaborating.
The Picture Me Thinking Model
"The DNA of the Inquiry Process"
The graphic/verbal PMT Model makes the structure and core cognitive strategies used for the inquiry-to-writing process explicit. The model simplifies the universal structure of scientific research and makes it transparent. The Model cues students to outline evidence-supported arguments for essays during their collaborative inquiry.
Each organizer has its own thinking scripts and connecting vocabulary that cue the steps in the inquiry process. The PMT model can frame student initiated inquiries or scaffold published curriculum. It also makes it easy to frame inquiry using multi-media content from internet sources.
The PMT Model scaffolds inquiry that is phenomenon-based, model-driven, argument-driven, and concept-based, and makes these approaches transparent and cohesive.
Students who read below grade level need reasoning skills broken out and taught explicitly. Socially-situated inquiry is the best forum for this because teachers and peers model the process. The PMT tools support inclusion of all students in the CCR goals for reasoning, research and essay writing.
As more student trajectories shift toward vocational schools, it becomes increasingly important for public education to provide all students with the higher-order thinking skills traditionally taught in universities. Thinking is a life skill!
The Course Videos Provide Case-Study Demonstrations
It's so easy to try out!
Time-efficient and affordable, at $10 per level or $45 for the full five-level course!
Take one level at a time, at your own pace, or use the course to collaborate with peers.
The PMT Course will be in your library for 18 months. You can review sections whenever you like!
