Critical Thinking Skills
The Elements of Reason
in the classroom
Why is Critical Thinking Important?
We all think, its in our nature to do so, but much of thinking is geared towards our own prejudices. The quality of our life is what we make it and it can depend on our quality of thought.
This holds true in the classroom as well with our students thought process.
All thinking is defined by the Eight Elements that make it up. Eight basic structures are present in all thinking. Whenever we think, we think for a purpose within a view point based on assumptions leading to implications and consequences. We use concepts, ideas and theories to interpret data, facts and experiences in order to answer questions, solve problems, and resolve issues.
Thinking then:
-
Generates purposes (Goal or Expectations)
-
Raises questions (Problem or issue)
-
Uses information (data, facts, experiences)
-
Utilizes concepts (theories, definitions)
-
Makes inferences (conclusions and countermeasures)
-
Makes assumptions (opinions)
-
Generates implications (consequences)
-
Embodies a point of view (perspective)
These steps allow students to think if different ways to understand "why" they may be learning certain core content. It helps them understand by asking questions and analyzing their answers.
This process enhances the QUEST Four-Step problem solving process in many ways. These processes together promote evaluative skills, problem identification, countermeasures to problems, selection of criteria, monitoring and tracking , as well as standardizing best practices. Our main purpose in QUEST is to ensure student engagement and to prepare them for real life situations.
For students to evaluate what they are thinking they must grasp and apply the intellectual standards in order to solve problems.
-
Clarification- grasping the meaning or intent
-
Accuracy- no errors, or discrepancies
-
Precision- exact to level of detail needed
-
Relevance-relating to the task at hand
-
Depth-cause and effect relationships
-
Breadth-multiple points of view from the group
-
Logic- no discrepancies, everything making sense
-
Significance-focusing on what is important or what can we impact
-
Fairness-working together as a team
When thinking about these concepts think about your students becoming better thinkers in the classroom. Student engagement is an essential part of making them accountable for their learning. The critical thinking process is an avenue to do so.
Critical thinking, when systematically and deliberately cultivated in the classroom, can transform students as learners. Not only does it provide them with the tools to take charge of their thinking, thus paving the way to proficiency, it also is an elegant technique for differentiating instruction. The quality of everything we do is determined by the quality of our thinking. This workshop will introduce the basic components of critical thinking and ways to build those components into what you teach, enabling you to overtly and purposefully foster the critical thinking abilities of your students. You will not need to change what you teach, just modify how you teach it so that students will be deeply engaged in your content. No matter what grade level you teach, or what content you have to cover, curriculum can be designed so that students learn the essential intellectual skills of critical thinking as a means for "taking ownership" -or becoming proficient-in the content. Participants will learn how to conceptualize and design curriculum from a critical thinking perspective. The focus will be on rethinking curriculum for the whole of a course, for specific units and for individual lessons.
Reference material from- Richard Paul
For more information on training sessions available please contact Tracey Richardson, Senior Consultant, CQPO