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Business Writing

Firefly Electric and Lighting Corp.Training and Organizational Development

Human Resources Department

Module 5

Developing Core Thinking Skills

Business Writing

Firefly Electric and Lighting Corp.Training and Organizational Development

Human Resources Department

Module 5

Lesson 1

Cognitive Skills

Module 5Core Thinking Skills

The quality of our life and what we produce, make or build depend on precisely the quality of our thoughts. We acquire knowledge through cognitive skills, that is, the mental processes of knowing and understanding, including such aspects as awareness, attention , perception and reasoning. As we grow older, we use these skills as bases to perform higher mental processes such as interpretation, analysis, inference, evaluation, explanation and self regulation.

Developing Cognitive Thinking Skills

CORE THINKING SKILLS

• Cognitive learning is the process of learning the skills that help a person to learn and process new information. Cognitive learning is a constructive process characterized by change and development of skills such as critical thinking, logical reasoning, decision making, etc.

CORE THINKING SKILLS• Cognitive learning is the foundation of

a person’s educational abilities without which learning new information will be very difficult. Although cognitive learning can be developed at any age, it can be a great advantage to start developing it at a very early age or at the start of a child’s first few years of schooling.

Attention

CORE THINKING SKILLSSteps in the Cognitive learning process:

1. Attention – the first step in the cognitive learning process. This refers to the ability or skill to maintain a single-minded focus on a particular object, action or thought and being able to keep out distractions present in the environment.

Example: Being able to study despite the blaring sound of television, conversation of companions, sounds of passing transport.

CORE THINKING SKILLS2. Memory refers to the ability of the mind to retain knowledge of and information about past events and experiences obtained through our senses, through studying or being taught , and to be able to retrieve them.

Example: In grade school, you learned the rules of changing singular noun to plural noun. The rule that is easily remembered is: To change singular nouns ending in ‘y’, change ‘y’ to ‘i’ and add ‘es’

CORE THINKING SKILLSA useful system of simplifying memory retention would be to associate information being learned using rhymes, putting it into music or using mnemonic device.

Examples:

• Setting the alphabet to music

• Using the mnemonic device (ROYGBIV) to identify the series of colors composing the rainbow.

CORE THINKING SKILLSMemory has three levels:

a) sensory register memory- the impact of an object or information to your senses the first time you encounter it. It is stored for just a second or two.

b) short-term memory is the level of memory that retains the information from 20 seconds to a minute. The length of retention depends on the length of time you dwelt on the information.

CORE THINKING SKILLSc) Long term memory occurs when a longer attention is paid to the object or information such as repeating it over and over, taking notes or studying it. The mind retains the information indefinitely. Long term memory has an unlimited capacity. Information stored in it can be retrieved through encoding, such as linking it with old knowledge, assigning a specific meaning to it or using rhymes and mnemonics.

Thinking

CORE THINKING SKILLS3. Thinking is a skill that enables a person to

use his mind to be capable of reasoning, remembering experiences, making rational decisions in evaluating and in dealing with a given situation.

Example: You encounter a problem. You draw from your experiences how you dealt with a similar problem. Think of options you have and decide on what option is best to follow.

CORE THINKING SKILLS• Attention, memory and thinking are crucial

skills that enable children to process sensory information that will eventually lead to higher thinking skills such as interpretation, analysis, evaluation, inference, explanation, etc.

As already mentioned, the first step in the learning process is attention. To begin learning, a student must be paying attention to what he/she is experiencing.

CORE THINKING SKILLSThese three form the bases of the cognitive

skills that a child must develop especially during the first early years of schooling.

The basic cognitive skills:

a. Short and long term memory

b. Auditory processing

c. Visual processing

d. Processing speed

e. Logic and reasoning

CORE THINKING SKILLS• Short term memory is memory that your

mind holds for a short period of time, from 20 seconds to a minute.

Example: A colleague casually mentions that she will be attending the Pahiyas Festival in Lucban, Quezon on May 15 in honor of San Isidro Labrador. By the next day, you will have forgotten what festival it was, or when, where and in whose honor.

CORE THINKING SKILLS• Long - term memory is area of the memory

that will hold the information indefinitely and has an unlimited capacity.

Example: Your colleague invited you to go with her to Pahiyas Festival and you accepted. You went and you experienced the travel to the place, the colorful procession, the people you met, the décor on the houses, etc. Your brain will organize the information by encoding it so that you can retrieve it later.

CORE THINKING SKILLS• Auditory processing refers to the ability of the

brain to perceive and interpret sound information, hearing the sound that are spoken, distinguishing similar sounding words, understanding and processing what was said.

Example: Some people would pronounce /p/ as /f/ as in Last Suffer instead of Last Supper. Unless the listener has auditory processing issues, he will base the words in context and still interpret it as Last Supper and understand what the speaker means.

Listening = learning

CORE THINKING SKILLS• Visual and spatial processing refers to the

ability of a person to process visual stimuli and create a mental image, to figure out the relationship between spatial objects and to visualize images and circumstances that can take place.

Example: A small girl cuts her long hair. In her mind’s eye she can picture the reaction of her mother, what her mother will say; how she will look.

The brain can process an image in just 13 milliseconds

CORE THINKING SKILLS• Processing speed – refers to how rapidly a

person can sort out new information and connect it to the stored information in his brain. Processing speed is aided by sustained attention and the ability of the person to ignore distractions in the environment.

Children who fail to process information quickly enough may have difficulty in understanding the incoming information that follows.

CORE THINKING SKILLSExample: In a mathematical sentence:

12 + 13 + n =30; What is the numerical value of n? A child can process the problem by adding the sum of 12 and 13 and subtracting it from 30. A child with difficulty in processing the information may wonder why n is included in mathematics and may take a long time before he can get to the correct answer.

CORE THINKING SKILLS

• Logic and Reasoning:

Logic is the study of the methods, principles and criteria used to distinguish correct reasoning from incorrect reasoning as well as the method for applying those criteria to produce understanding or a firm conviction.

CORE THINKING SKILLSReasoning is the use of logical thinking to

find results or draw conclusions. It is a special mental activity called inferring or drawing conclusions based on premises –available data, information, fact, etc.

The reasoning process begins with input or premise in order to produce an output or conclusion.

Example: You see smoke (available data). The inference is there is fire. (conclusion)

CORE THINKING SKILLS

Let’s Review

CORE THINKING SKILLSChoose which of the given choices below is the

best answer.

1. A child who is unable to differentiate the two words in this sentence: “Which is the witch?” when spoken has:

a) short term memory

b) spatial issues

c) faulty reasoning

d) auditory processing issues

e) processing speed

CORE THINKING SKILLS2. The foundation of a person’s educational

ability is :

a) sustained memory

b) cognitive learning

c) information processing

d) attention

e) logic

CORE THINKING SKILLS

3. The first step in cognitive learning process is:

a) attention

b) auditory processing

c) visual processing

d) avoiding distractions

e) developing long term memory

CORE THINKING SKILLS4. Which of these is not a basic core thinking

skill?

a) awareness b) attention c) analyses d) visual processing e) reasoning

5. Using the mind to reason, remember, rationalize, make decisions is classified as:

a) memory b) thinking c) critical thinking

d) reasoning e) logic

CORE THINKING SKILLS6. Crucial skills that enable children to process

sensory information consist of:

a) reasoning and logic

b) speed processing

c) memory

d) attention, memory and thinking

e) all of the above

CORE THINKING SKILLS

7. The ability of the mind to store and retain information is called:

a) retention

b) memory

c) reasoning

d) practice

e) information processing

CORE THINKING SKILLS

8. Learning the skills to learn is known as :a) critical thinking b) cognitive development c) cognition d) cognitive learning e) cognitive process

CORE THINKING SKILLS

9. Memory can best be retained by: a) linking new information to old

knowledgeb) setting new knowledge to musicc) using mnemonic deviced) using rhymese) all of the above

CORE THINKING SKILLS

10.Core thinking skills are best developed :

a) during early stages of education

b) at any age

c) through critical thinking

d) through sustained attention

e) by speedy mental processing

CORE THINKING SKILLS

If you got a score of 6 or less in the practice exercises, please review the notes on Core Thinking Skills before taking the quiz.

CORE THINKING SKILLS

.

CORE THINKING SKILLSLet’s test your power of observation:A. Give 2 similarities shared by the three

objects below:1. bee, butterfly, mosquito____________________ _________________2. search, broach, crouch___________________ __________________3. 11, 17, 31__________________ ____________________

CORE THINKING SKILLSB. Order the items below from smallest to largest4. sentence, word, phrase, clause______________________________________5. province, town, city, hamlet_______________________________________6. scene, speech, act, play_______________________________________7. artery, circulatory system, capillary, heart_______________________________________

CORE THINKING SKILLSC. Use your reasoning power.

8. If you take half of your brother’s a dozen oranges, how many do you have? __________________9. What is it that appears once in a minute, twice in a week, once in a year but disappears in the month?

________________________

10. In Indonesia, you can’t take a picture of a man with a wooden leg. Why?_______________________________________

CORE THINKING SKILLS

D. Stretch your vocabulary. Form 3 other words from the letters that compose the given words below.

11. team _________/__________/_________

12. post _________/_________/ __________

13. spear ________/ _________/___________

14. east __________/__________/___________

CORE THINKING SKILLS

If you got a score of 8 or less in the practice exercises, please review the questions on Core Thinking Skills practice exercises and formulate explanations for the answers before taking the quiz.

CORE THINKING SKILLS

The answersFor

Let’s Review

CORE THINKING SKILLSChoose which of the given choices below the

best answer.

1. A child who is unable to differentiate the two words in this sentence: “Which is the witch?” when spoken has:

a) short term memory

b) spatial issues

c) faulty reasoning

d) auditory processing issues

e) processing speed

f)

CORE THINKING SKILLS2. The foundation of a person’s educational

ability is :

a) sustained memory

b) cognitive learning

c) information processing

d) attention

e) logic

CORE THINKING SKILLS

3. The first step in cognitive learning process is:

a) attention

b) auditory processing

c) visual processing

d) avoiding distractions

e) developing long term memory

CORE THINKING SKILLS4. Which of these is not a basic core thinking skill?

a) awareness b) attention c) analysis

d) visual processing e) reasoning

5. Using the mind to reason, remember, rationalize, make decisions is classified as:

a) memory b) thinking c) critical thinking d) reasoning e) logic

CORE THINKING SKILLS6. Crucial skills that enable children to process

sensory information consist of:

a) reasoning and logic

b) speed processing

c) memory

d) attention, memory and thinking

e) all of the above

CORE THINKING SKILLS

7. The ability of the mind to store and retain information is called:

a) retention b) memory

c) reasoning

d) practice

e) information processing

CORE THINKING SKILLS

8. Learning the skills to learn is known as :a) critical thinking b) cognitive development c) cognition d) cognitive learninge) cognitive process

CORE THINKING SKILLS

9. Memory can best be retained by: a) linking new information to old knowledgeb) setting new knowledge to musicc) using mnemonic deviced) using rhymese) all of the above

CORE THINKING SKILLS

10. Core thinking skills are best developed :

a) during early stages of education

b) at any age

c) through critical thinking

d) through sustained attention

e) by speedy mental processing

CORE THINKING SKILLS

The answersFor

CORE THINKING SKILLSLet’s test your power of observation:A. Give 2 similarities shared by the three

objects below: Possible answers1. bee, butterfly, mosquito

all are insects, capable of flying, has 6 legs, wings

2. search, broach, crouchall are verbs, contains 6 letters, ends in ch

3. 11, 17, 31 all are 2-digit numbers, prime numbers, divisible by 1 only

CORE THINKING SKILLSB. Order the items below from smallest to largest.4. sentence, word, phrase, clause

word, phrase, clause, sentence5. province, town, city, hamlet

hamlet, town, city, province6. scene, speech, act, play

speech, scene, act, play7. artery, circulatory system, capillary, heart

capillary, artery, heart, circulatory system

CORE THINKING SKILLSC. Use your reasoning power.

8. If you take half of your brother’s a dozen oranges, how many do you have? 6 oranges9. What is it that appears once in a minute, twice in a week, once in a year but disappears in the month? The letter e

10. In Indonesia, you can’t take a picture of a man with a wooden leg. Why? A wooden leg cannot take pictures; a camera can

CORE THINKING SKILLS

D. Stretch your vocabulary. Form 3 other words from the letters that compose the given words below.

11. team meat/mate/tame

12. post stop/pots/ spot/ tops/opts

13. spear pears/ reaps/rapes/ spare/ pares

14. east seat/ eats/ teas/sate/ seta

Module 5, Lesson 1 Core Thinking Skills Quiz

1. Please proceed to www. Quia.com/web

2. On the space provided, enter your log in name and your password.

3. Under “Quiz”, please select Lesson 5, Quiz 1

4. Follow the instructions in the quiz.

5. Follow these same steps when you go to succeeding quizzes after every lesson.

End of Module 5, Lesson 1