Planting SEEDs: Episodes for Thinking and Feeling is a Community of Practice that sets a different stage for learning, thinking, and talent identification. During each session, teachers will experience how to engage students in convergent, divergent, cooperative, and reflective thinking through episodes using the “power of puzzles and the significance of stories”.
Learning Outcomes are:
- Educators will describe, recognize, and implement convergent and divergent thinking within their content and standards to support student thinking.
- Educators will experience the activation of four types of thinking within story, creative activities and puzzles in order to understand how to enrich thinking and diagnose talent.
- Educators will understand the role of collaborative and reflective thinking, and how they work alongside divergent and convergent thinking to complete the experience of both deep learning, critical thinking, and metacognition.
SEED: Silverquicken Episodes for Enrichment and Diagnosis, by Brian Housand, Leslie Kerner, and Chris Ryan is the basis for this engaging, exciting, and active Community of Practice. As co-author Brian Housand states, “SEED integrates cognitive challenges with emotional intelligence, creating immersive and meaningful learning experiences”. Action, adventure, beauty and wonder in stories offer an avenue to rich learning.
Teachers will leave each session with the skills and materials needed to implement SEED with their students. Teachers will also gain experience in activating and implementing thinking skills in their lessons. Each experience offers a glimpse into how students think and reason, which can help spot those hidden gifted gems in our classrooms and develop their talent to its fullest.
Dates: August 25, September 8, September 29, October 27, November 17, 2025, January 5, February 2, March 2, April 13, 2026
Tucson Values Teachers is providing limited scholarships for educators to attend PD opportunities, if you are interested, click here for more information
- For questions regarding this resource, please contact Pima County School Superintendent's Office (PCSSO).
- Contact Name: Marianne Landrith
- Phone No: 520-724-8451
- Email Address: marianne.landrith@pima.gov