Thinkabout was an American educational television series developed and produced by the Agency for Instructional Technology (AIT) in 1979. Designed primarily for fifth and sixth-grade students (ages 10-12), the series aimed to develop fundamental learning and problem-solving skills across various academic disciplines.
Overview
- Production Company: Agency for Instructional Technology (AIT)
- Original Air Date: 1979
- Target Audience: Grades 5-6
- Number of Episodes: Typically cited as 60 programs, each approximately 15 minutes in length.
- Format: Each episode integrated dramatic vignettes, animated segments, and real-world scenarios to illustrate and teach specific learning strategies.
Purpose and Educational Goals
Thinkabout was groundbreaking for its focus on how to learn, rather than exclusively what to learn. Its core objective was to equip students with cognitive tools and strategies essential for academic success and lifelong learning. Key educational goals included:
- Problem-Solving: Encouraging students to identify problems, analyze information, generate solutions, and evaluate outcomes.
- Critical Thinking: Developing skills in observation, inference, analysis, and judgment.
- Information Processing: Teaching methods for organizing, categorizing, memorizing, and recalling information effectively.
- Reading Comprehension: Enhancing abilities to understand main ideas, identify supporting details, and interpret text.
- Mathematics Concepts: Introducing strategies for approaching mathematical problems and understanding foundational concepts.
- Scientific Inquiry: Fostering curiosity and methods for asking questions, conducting experiments (mentally or practically), and drawing conclusions.
- Decision Making: Guiding students through processes for evaluating options and making informed choices.
The series sought to empower students to become independent learners by providing them with a "toolbox" of cognitive strategies applicable across subjects.
Content and Structure
Each 15-minute program typically addressed a specific learning skill or strategy, often introduced through a narrative involving young characters facing a challenge. These challenges would require the application of the featured skill. Animated segments were frequently used to provide visual metaphors or clarify abstract concepts. The series emphasized active engagement, encouraging students to pause and reflect, discuss with peers, or apply the strategies presented.
Distribution and Impact
Thinkabout was widely distributed to schools across the United States, often broadcast by public television stations for in-school viewing or used directly by teachers with video playback equipment. It became a staple in many elementary school curricula during the 1980s and 1990s, particularly in fifth and sixth-grade classrooms. Its comprehensive approach to learning skills made it a significant resource in educational television, influencing pedagogical practices by highlighting the importance of metacognition and strategic thinking.