Who Says Thinking Can’t Be Fun? Engaging Routines with Apps

Hello educators,

Project Zero is an educational research initiative from Harvard Graduate School of Education, focuses on understanding and enhancing how students think, learn, and create. At its core, Project Zero encourages learners to make their thinking visible through simple, structured routines that promote reflection, curiosity, and deeper understanding. By integrating these routines into lessons, teachers can help students actively process information, draw meaningful connections, and engage critically with content rather than passively receiving it.

You can also read this to explore more about Project Zero: https://pz.harvard.edu

With the support of interactive tools and apps, Project Zero routines or Thinking Routines not only make learning more engaging but also provide teachers with valuable insights into their students’ thought processes, guiding more effective and personalised instruction.

One routine that works effectively in any subject is See–Think–Wonder.

How See–Think–Wonder works:

• See – What do you observe?
• Think – What do you think is happening?
• Wonder – What questions do you have?

Classroom Samples:

• Picture Analysis

Students view a picture and answer the worksheet using Freeform

Student Creativity in Action: A See–Think–Wonder activity on Freeform where learners enhanced their observations with text and playful stickers, capturing their thoughts and questions in a fun, visual way.

• Science Observation

Students view a short clip of a volcanic eruption in Keynote

Students watched a video and recorded their responses instead of typing them.

Using the See–Think–Wonder routine in Keynote, students watched a video and recorded their responses instead of typing them. This simple shift gave learners a voice and made their thinking more visible, personal, and engaging.

Combining thinking routines with apps is important because it transforms learning into an engaging, reflective, and interactive experience. It empowers students to express their ideas clearly, track their thought processes, and develop deeper understanding. By making thinking visible and accessible through technology, learners become active participants in their own education, nurturing curiosity, creativity, and critical thinking that extend beyond the classroom.

Take on the challenge:

Turn different thinking routine strategies into your own interactive activity using apps! Make learning come alive, and inspire your students to explore, create, and share like never before.

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