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Teaching critical thinking

Learning without thought
is labor lost
Confucius

• Thinking critically
• Reading critically
• Prereading strategies
• SQ3R reading method
• KWL reading method
• Reading difficult material

Critical thinking, as it pertains to teaching and learning,
can be considered an open-minded process of

• discovery and understanding
• analysis and application
• synthesis and evaluation.

These three groupings and their six components reflect B. S. Bloom’s (et al-1956) hierarchical taxonomy or breakdown of cognitive educational objectives.

Teaching students to be critical thinkers presumes an environment
where learners, building upon their knowledge and experience set, strive to understand how data and information can be used to develop, recognize, and/or critique general patterns of knowledge. The facility to work in patterns may be affected by the learner's "intelligence" as defined by Howard Gardner in three groupings:

• object related: visual/spatial, body motion/kinesthetic, naturalist
• symbol-related: verbal/linguistic, logical/mathematical, musical
• person-related: interpersonal, intrapersonal, existential

What does the application of critical thinking look like in the class or school room?

• New learning is introduced with what is already known (Ausubel 1968)
• Goals and objectives, and their framework, are clear
  for considering and acquiring new material
• Generalization and conceptualization are integrated
  into the learning process; and are frameworks for understanding what is taught
• Internalization of knowledge is a goal,
  and a risk
• Learning not only draws upon the teacher,
  but also fellow learners and content in many media formats, and can follow non-traditional avenues
• Inquiry and questioning are teaching tools;
  as is lecture
• Demonstration of learning is integral to the learning process
• Standards of evaluation are clear at the outset

What does a typical class period look like? (accommodates 20 minute attention spans)

• Introductory phase
  Review previous day, homework assignments
  Bridge new material with advanced organizers
• Lecture or content presentation
  Perhaps through Socratic method of questioning
• Small group discussions and tasks
• Period of reflection or exercises in applying new material,
  or review
• Reports
• Summaries/exercises/developmental/application/demonstration activities

Helpful Techniques & Guides related to teaching critical thinking

• Questioning
  Strategies for using questioning in the classroom
• Socratic method exercise
• Problem-based learning
  An active learning technique
• Thinking aloud
  Demonstrate thinking through problems, also that answers are not always readily available
  Model the process of developing ideas, solutions, etc.
• Active listening
• Cooperative conflict resolution
• Concept mapping
  As an alternative to outlining or environment for brainstorming
• Learning portfolios/records of progress
  Develop opportunities for individuals and groups to develop documents
  that reflect learning progress over time (minutes/journals; blogs/media productions; speeches/presentations)
• Classroom space accommodates interaction
  between small and larger groups of students as well as the teacher
• Seize the moment/Gestalt/ah ha
  Intentionally attack a current controversy or issue
  Strive to develop mutual understanding of the issues on both sides
  as well as the alternative processes of arriving at resolution(s)
• Illustrate concepts
  with examples out of the students' own experiences to correlate concepts and applications
• Provide feedback to the learner; considerations:
  Were the objectives and standards understood?
  What external events influenced behavior/outcome?
  What will feedback contribute to the learner's self-understanding and development?
  Is feedback based upon the results/answers/etc. or how they were developed (process)?

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