promoting critical thinking by myrtis mixon who am i? where am i from? what do i do there? about my...
TRANSCRIPT
Promoting Critical Thinking
By Myrtis Mixon
Who Am I?
Where am I from? What do I do there? About My family Why am I here? Who are you?
What is Critical Thinking?
Critical Thinking is an ABSOLUTE NECESSITY for the 21st century
It makes one able to make decisions, evaluate, analyze, synthesize
Thus… to choose, to be a life-long learner!
What is Critical Thinking?
A distinct field of study
Actively thinking about, engaging, and analyzing the topics you are learning about..
(handout)
Critical Thinking
As teachers, we always help students develop thinking skills, but in this new field, we ask students to focus on thinking itself, on the process of developing metacognitive skills
Critical Thinking
Adding Critical Thinking to your lessons will help motivate your students
The first step in critical thinking is acknowledging/creating/declaring goals
Goal Settingincreases student motivation
What are your goals for this session?
What are my goals?
(index cards)
Critical Thinking
Critical Thinking is being aware of thinking
It’s concentrating on the development of the higher orders of thinking and promoting that in our lessons.
What are the higher orders?
The Higher Orders
Application Analysis Synthesis Evaluation
Creating Good Questions
Good questions are a central skill of Critical Thinking
(First use comprehension questions to be sure)
Then, apply the “Higher Orders”Application; Analysis; Synthesis; Evaluation
New?
The cognitive ( thinking) process
and Strategies for improving the
effectiveness of people’s reasoning abilities and critical attitudes
Thinking can be developed
It is improved by becoming aware of the process
A good way to do this: start with a short piece of writing– Abuk
• African folktale
Exploring the Story
Exploring with CT
Students summarize each paragraph in one sentence
Students ask a question that would evoke that sentence
These questions will indicate their comprehension of the material
Tell them to avoid simple/factual questions
Exploring with CT ExercisesChoosing Revising
Arranging Composing
Organizing Creating
Planning Chronology
Scanning Mind-mapping
Prediction Making inferences
Making decisions
Issues to explore
Point of View
Create questions about point of view How would this be different if it was
written:
Through the eyes of Abuk’s father?
Through the eyes of Abuk’s mother?
Issues to explore
Assumptions:
What are the assumptions in this story?
What beliefs are taken for granted here?
Issues to explore
Inferences Making conclusions and inferences from
writing & listening is an important thinking skill, learning to go beyond the literal
What inferences do you make:
about the young man? about Abuk?
about the future happiness of the couple?
Issues to explore
Implications/Consequences– Decisions cause implications and
consequences.
What will come out of this story?
Issues to explore
Concepts:
What are the concepts underlying this story?
Theories Definitions Laws Models
Four Important areas:
Four important areas for Critical Thinking
Working toward goals Problem solving Decision making Analyzing issues
Summary Writing
Summary exercises on reading
Summary- paragraph by paragraph Individual In Pairs Group Summary Three Sentence Summary
Tips for summary writing
1. Read the entire piece before summarizing
2. List the main ideas (without looking back)
3. Review for potentially missed things of importance
4. Write a summary of the main ideas, using your own words.
Tips for summarizing, cont.
A. Write a clear statement of the main ideas as your first sentence
B. Stick to the important information: names, dates, places
C. Avoid examples, description or adjectives - Leave out details
D. Conclude with a sentence that ties all the point together
Tips for summary writing
Your summary should be no more than 1/3 as long as the original
Do not make critical comments. Don’t judge when you summarize
Promoting Critical Thinking
End of session
