Critical ThinkingEMILY MILLER, CARLY COOPER, KATHERINE INGEGNERI, & HANNAH BROGAN

Description

Critical thinking is that mode of thinking — about any subject, content, or

problem — in which the thinker improves the quality of his or her thinking

by skillfully analyzing, assessing, and reconstructing it. Critical thinking is

self-directed, self-disciplined, self-monitored, and self-corrective thinking. It

presupposes assent to rigorous standards of excellence and mindful

command of their use. It entails effective communication and problem-

solving abilities, as well as a commitment to overcome our native

egocentrism and sociocentrism.

Characerisitcs

A well-cultivated critical thinker:

Raises vital questions and problems, formulating them clearly and precisely

Gathers and assesses relevant information, using abstract ideas to interpret it effectively

Comes to well-reasoned conclusions and solutions, testing them against relevant criteria and standards

Characteristics Continued

Thinks open mindedly within alternative systems of thought, recognizing and assessing, as needs be, their assumptions, implications, and practical consequences

Communicates effectively with others in figuring out solutions to complex problems

Importance

Critical thinking is important to:

Exercising sound reasoning in understanding

Making complex choices and decisions

Understanding the interconnections among systems

Identifying and asking significant questions that clarify various points of view and lead to better solutions

Framing, analyzing and synthesizing information in order to solve problems and answer questions

Role in 21st Century

The 21st century is constantly changing, and the best way to thrive in a time of change is to use critical thinking to:

Question your assumptions.

Be open to seeing the world in new ways.

Make sure you are working with current information rather than old beliefs.

Understand how to make good decisions more consistently.

Using more in depth thinking to different problems and issues.

Applying the right reasoning in how you analyze and answer decisions about ways to solve a problem, more importantly effective ways.

Critical Thinking plays a giant role in the success and growth of thought processes, decision-making, curiosity, and learning capabilities whether it be in

the classroom, work place, or life in general.

Implementing Technology

What? So What? Now What? 

Students summarize the most important ideas from the lecture or assigned reading. 

 

Then students are asked to determine what is important about the ideas they just listed. Why do they matter? What difference do they make? 

 

Finally, students brainstorm actions … what can they do about the problem or issue?

   

Main Point(s) 

Relation to Prior Part

 

Predict Next Part

 

After Part 1 

  

   

 

After Part 2 

  

   

 

After Part 3 

  

   

 

After Part 4 

  

   

► Prepare the text by marking stopping points where students can think about content

► Student pairs read to each other and answer questions; then the class discusses

► Review prior thought processes at each subsequent stopping point

► Conclude with a reflective discussion

Five Tools

Youtube- allows people from all over the world to entertain, interact, and express themselves through videos. It is a place to find music, comedic videos and even has tutorials.

Photoshop- allows people to crop and edit pictures in many different ways. This tool can be used to manipulate pictures in any way.

Webquest- is an assignment that allows students to use the internet to learn about a specific topic. It is a tool that lets the students discover the point of the lesson on their own.

Podcasts- have a huge variety of topics. The word podcast is a play on broadcast. People from all over use them to communicate topics such as education, politics, religion, cars, etc.

Five Tools Continued

Blogs- allow people from all over the world to intact and express their opinions on many topics. Blogs can be used as diaries, scientific journals, or as a day to day activity that helps people keep in touch with others.

One Example - Blogs

Blogs can be used in the classroom for students to keep in touch, share ideas, and help each other when problems occur. They can also help them expand on current beliefs. Blogs can be worked on at virtually any time, in any place with an Internet-enabled computer. Hence, they can be used by computer savvy teachers to create a classroom that extends beyond the

boundaries of the school yard.

Discussion boards (debates, topics, etc.)

Informative

Tutoring

Motivation

Example:

Our classroom would be a group of fifth graders. They will be given an assignment to blog about something they feel strongly about. After, they will be asked to expand and comment on at least two other students blog posts. They will use critical thinking to respond with the best possible ideas.

My fifth grade class will create their own blog using critical thinking on an opinion they have by the end of the week with 100% accuracy.

Conclusion

“If we want to be better critical thinkers, we can be. People can learn how to recognize assumptions, evaluate arguments, draw conclusions, make better decisions, and perform more effectively. Critical thinking skills are associated with learning, a crucial skill for individuals to stay employed and relevant.”

- Anne and Charles Kreitzberg

Critical Thinking’s association with learning emphasizes it’s importance in 21st century education and the growth/success of all students.

Work Cited

http://www.criticalthinking.org/pages/our-concept-of-critical-thinking/411

http://www.educatorstechnology.com/2012/07/a-quick-guide-to-21st-century-critical.html

http://www.education.com/reference/article/Ref_Critical_Thinking/

http://www.agilecriticalthinking.com/Portals/0/WhitePapers/Critical%20Thinking%20for%20the%2021st%20Century%20for%20Website.pd