Critical Thinking

Critical thinking has become a hot topic in education today.  Not only is it introduced as a subject of study unto itself, the concept of critical thinking is applied in
all subject areas.  It is currently taught as an integral learning tool for teachers in training at schools of teacher education.  Peter Facione states, “Education is nothing more, nor less, than learning to think!”
The common feeling in education today is that students must become critical thinkers in order to assimilate and accommodate information, thus becoming a true learner .The ideas and activities set forth in the following pages will help elementary school students develop a variety of critical thinking skills in grades two through six.  Teachers using these activities will encourage and foster critical thinking among their students.
It may be easier to understand the concepts of critical thinking as it is discussed in terms of student behavior and performance.  Ferrett in Peak Performance(1997).
proposes the following:

Attributes of a critical thinker asks pertinent questions assesses statements and arguments is able to admit a lack of understanding or information has a sense of curiosity is interested in finding new solutions is able to clearly define a set of criteria for analyzing ideas is willing to examine beliefs, assumptions, and opinions and weigh them against facts listens carefully to others and is able to give feedback sees that critical thinking is a lifelong process of self assessment suspends judgment until all facts have been gathered and considered looks for evidence to support assumption and belief is able to adjust opinions when new facts are found looks for proof examines problems closely is able to reject information that is incorrect or irrelevant

Definitions
The term has become so widely used that critical thinking may mean different things depending on its context and application.  Some useful definitions appear on the web site “Critical Thinking Across the Curriculum Project”  Longview Community College; Definitions of Critical Thinking .

Critical thinking is the development of cohesive and logical reasoning patterns.Critical thinking is deciding rationally what to or what not to believe.The purpose of critical thinking is to achieve understanding, evaluate view points, and solve problems. Since all three areas involve the asking of questions, we can say that critical thinking is the questioning or inquiry we engage in when we seek to understand,
evaluate, or resolve.Critical thinkers: distinguish between fact and opinion; ask questions; make detailed observations; uncover assumptions and define their terms; and make assertions based on sound logic and solid evidence.No matter what definition the teacher wishes to use for critical thinking, the underlying idea is that teachers can teach students to think.Thinking is a skill … it can be taught.

Thirteen essential thinking skills:
     Observing
     Comparing
     Classifying
     Imagining
     Hypothesizing
     Criticizing
     Looking for Assumptions
     Collecting and Organizing Data
     Summarizing
     Coding
     Interpreting
     Problem Solving
     Decision Making

Bloom’s Taxonomy
    Finally, the teacher must understand Bloom’s Taxonomy of educational objective .Bloom lists these “abilities” in ascending order:
I.   Knowledge: remembering of previously learned material; recall (facts or whole theories); bringing to mind
II.  Comprehension: grasping the meaning of material; interpreting (explaining or summarizing); predicting outcome and effects
III. Application: ability to use learned material in a new situation; apply rules, laws,methods, theories
IV. Analysis: breaking down into parts; understanding organization, clarifying concluding
V.  Synthesis: ability to put parts together to form a new whole; unique communication;create abstract relations
VI. Evaluation: ability to judge value for purpose; base on criteria; support judgment with reason.

Ways to Encourage Critical Thinking

Awards:  Good Question  -  Good Thinking  -  I Found The Answer Three ways to improve critical thinking is by encouraging students to ask good questions, practice good thinking, and find answers using resources.  I have created a small trophy and certificate for students who exhibit each of these positive critical thinking behaviors.  These awards may be used in all subject areas and at anytime.  For
example, when a students asks a “Good Question”, the trophy goes on the student’s desk for the day, or until another student earns it.  Also, the student is given a paper certificate to be taken home.

Good Question Award
    A “Good Question” is a question that shows the student is thinking about the subject, concepts, or ideas under study.  Generally, these questions are in the higher areas of Bloom’s Taxonomy; application (in the lower grades), analysis, synthesis, or evaluation.  A “Good Question” may also show creativity. As the award is used, students will begin to identify “Good Questions” posed by fellow students and direct the teacher to give the award.

Good Thinking Award
 “Good Thinking” reveals that the student is entering the higher thought processes; analysis, synthesis, or evaluation.  “Good thinking” may also entail solving a
multi-step problem or coming up with an original idea or creative way to solve a problem. Of course, the teacher must challenge the students with questions that require higher order reasoning.

I Found The Answer Award 
The “I Found The Answer” award is given when a student has taken the initiative to look for and find an answer using a resource other than the text.  This award will motivate students to find answers, rather than simply accepting “I Don’t Know” as the
answer.  Students through application and practice will learn to use the dictionary,almanac, thesaurus, encyclopedia, index, glossary, maps, and the internet.  Also, students should learn to ask people for answers, The best questions for research come out of daily classroom lessons and discussions in
all subject areas.  The teacher may also pose a “Question of the Day” to be researched. In order to use these awards to their highest potential, the teacher must be competent and comfortable in asking higher order questions, accepting more than one
possible answer to a question, and practice not answering all student questions.

Games and Puzzles
Games can be a useful learning tool.  While playing games students may apply their knowledge and skills while interacting in a small group.  Most games involve planning, observation, logic and reasoning, calculations of chance, observing, using information, and creating and testing possible solutions.  All of these “game skills” are components of critical thinking.
Puzzles come in a wide variety of types from purely academic, which rely on knowledge
or reasoning skills, to those which require acute observation, such as a jigsaw puzzle.  No matter what the puzzle, the one commonality of all puzzles is they require critical thinking.

Why jigsaw puzzles?  In order to complete a jigsaw puzzle students must observe and compare size, shape, color, and patterns; use trial and error to complete the task; and develop visual memory.  Students experience working together toward a common goal, and participate in an activity that requires days or weeks to complete.

Encourage Creativity
    SCAMPER is an excellent classroom activity which encourages students to think creatively.  In this activity the student looks at an object and develops original ideas about the object and different uses of the object.  SCAMPER is an acronym which helps
direct students in this process.Substitute some aspect of it Combine elements with something else Adapt or Alter an aspect of it .Minify or Magnify an aspect of it
Put some part of it to other uses. Eliminate an aspect of it .Reverse an aspect of it

Scamper may be used as an independent, small group, or whole class activity.
Students must be allowed to brainstorm ideas, making it clear that all ideas must be accepted.  I usually have the students work independently for 5 - 7 minutes, then share their ideas with the class.  Teachers may use small groups and develop a scoring system,
giving a point for each idea that no other group has written. 

Visit “Robert Alan Black’s Creativity Challenges”, Creativity Challenge Table of Contents, an excellent site of 52 challenges which will increase your creativeness, expand your creative thinking skills, spark your creativity, and encourage you to learn fun ways to tap and improve your creativity.

What Do They Have in Common?
A simple activity that promotes critical thinking and creativity is listing 2 words and asking “What do they have in common?”  While students may easily see differences among items, finding similarities will be much more challenging.  This activity also promotes oral communication and explaining your answer.  This may done individually,with a partner, small groups, or even as a whole class brainstorming session.  This
activity is part of my students’ first assignments as they come in the morning.  Students are asked to write an answer and then we discuss their responses as a whole class.
    Teachers should accept any answer that may be explained as a commonality,being sure students only deal with the attributes of the items and not what they could be or do.  For example, for “bell and whistle” I would accept both are “made of metal” or
“make a sound” but would not allow “I own both of them.”
    For a real challenge, have students write names of objects on a small piece of paper and put them all in a bag.  Each day select a pair of words and challenge the students to recognize “What do they have in common?”

Another Version
    “What Do they have in common?” may be taken one step farther.  Using a pair of words, the commonality must be expressed in one word.  Students must think of multiple
meanings and multiple uses of the words.

For example:   clothes and money > change   record and down > break
The game TriBond lists three words and the player must recognize what word is common among all three.
Word Chains
    Words Chains is an oral language game that encourages critical thinking by requiring students to think about items and classify items into categories.  The teacher gives a category, and selects a volunteer for the first word.  Then each next word must
start with the ending letter of the preceding word.

Category - Things found in the ocean
 fisH  > HerrinG  > Ghost craB  >  BasS  >  SanD  >  Darkness

To speed the game along, change the category once either group is unable to quickly answer.
Words Chains may be played in a variety of ways: one vs. one, small group vs.small group, half of class vs. half of class, or whole group.
Scoring: If you wish to keep score:
   1 Point - correct response
   -1 Point - incorrect or repeated response or unable to answer

    Words Chains encourages creativity as students try to connect words they know into a classification.  I use Word Chains as a short filler when the class is waiting in line and as a whole group thinking activity.

Word Chains Category Ideas
Something you would find in (at)  a(n)
    school   grocery store   garage   carnival   mall   doctor’s office   laboratory   hospital kitchen   sports stadium   restaurant   campsite   beach   television station   barber shop desert   skating rink   art class   purse   computer   toy store   library   car post office   amusement park   arcade   museum   cruise ship   National Park fire station   rodeo   zoo

things made of: glass, plastic, metal, wood, cloth
things that are soft, hard, fragile, strong, bendable, smooth, heavy, light
things that are bigger than …,  smaller than …, heavier than …
things that are connected with a holiday
subject area or the topic under study
geographic names  people’s jobs  cars   plants
electronic devices  transportation  furniture  clothing
things you wear  inventions  names   plants
capitalized words  games/toys  music/songs  animal

Words with Multiple Meanings
 A critical thinker looks at words and realizes many words may be used in
different ways.  Introducing this skill to students will improve their reading and writing.
When discussing word meanings the concepts of literal and figurative meanings must be
taught. [See Appendix for word list]

Classroom Use
Word A Day - Put a new word on the board each morning.  Allow students time to think about or look up the word.  Discuss later in the day.

Spelling or Vocabulary Lists - Look at the list (word) and ask students what words could have more than one meaning.

New Words - As new words are encountered in class, list them on the blackboard.
When you have that extra minute ask students if they remember the meanings or can use them in a sentence.
Keep this ongoing list in a corner of the blackboard.  Do not erase the words daily.
Erase the “old” words when the list becomes more than 5 - 7 words.  As the “old” words come down you may add them to a Word Wall, a writing bulletin board, or make a small card for each and put them in a box for future use.

Acronyms
    “Acronyms” is a linguistic critical thinking activity which requires some creativity.  Students must create their own meanings for common acronyms.  Acronyms are words made up of the initial letters of its meaning, such as SCUBA, self-contained underwater breathing apparatus and SNAFU, situation normal all fouled up.  Acronyms may be pronounced letter by letter, such as CPR.  Initialism is the term for an abbreviation pronounced as the names of the individual letters.
    This idea originated when I was wearing a shirt that said “NYC” in my fourth grade class.  Most students did not know what the letters represented and started coming up with their own ideas.  Their responses included; “Nice Young Children”, “Never Yell
Chocolate”, “Nine Yummy Cookies”, and my favorite, “No You Cant”.
    These abbreviations are everywhere and are part of our everyday life.  They are businesses (ATT, IBM, TWA), government agencies (NASA, CIA, FEMA), television networks (ABC, CNN, ESPN),  organizations (NATO, UN, NOW), items (BMW, CRT,
VCR),  jobs (EMT, CPA, RN), and a mainstay in sports (RBI, TKO, TD).

'Believe in What You Teach'

As teachers, we know all too well how tough it is to get (or keep) our energy level up to teach students who sometimes don’t want to learn. I’ve even heard students describe us (teachers) as being “just a speed bump to a grade.”

It is true that more and more students are not mastering the necessary basic skills to succeed. It’s also true that more and more students are taking their education for granted and not respecting the process and institution of learning. However, these obstacles also offer us an opportunity to make a huge impact on our students.

One of the cardinal rules of teaching is that students will not believe in you until you first believe in them and in what you’re teaching them.

As discouraging as some students’ attitudes are, nothing should negate the fact that as teachers, we have an opportunity to take a closed mind and replace it with an open one. In essence, that’s our number one priority…to get students to think.

Your class gives you a great opportunity to get students to open their minds and challenge themselves beyond their limits. You’re not only teaching them basic skills, you’re teaching them “life skills” – skills that will impact them well beyond the classroom. Unfortunately, if you don’t believe this is true, neither will your students.

To get yourself in the right mindset for teaching your class, skim through your learning objectives. Then ask yourself, “Would I have benefited from this material as a student?” If not, then you definitely should not be teaching the subject, because you will have no conviction in the classroom. And we’ve all heard the saying, “When it comes to children, you can’t kid a kid.” The same is true about students. Students can detect an insincere teacher faster than a fake I.D.

However, if you truly believe that the knowledge and information contained in your class has or would have proven to be beneficial to you as a student, then ask yourself, “How?” The rest is simple; simply take your conviction and passion, and then put it into the curriculum and class discussions.

The fact of the matter is, students will only care about your class to the degree to which you do. If you don’t care about a thing, that “thing” can and will become a burden on you. Likewise, if you do a “thing” for the wrong reasons, you become a burden on others. And quite frankly, if you don’t care, you shouldn’t teach.

'How to Teach and Motivate the Un-motivated Students'

It’s been proven that the number one reason why most students drop out of school (mentally and emotionally) is a lack of purpose (typically described as: “school is boring and a waste of time.”

Lack of purpose refers to a lack of clear, compelling reasons for “sticking with the program,” which results in the misuse and abuse of a limited resource called time. As a teacher, your job is to make sure that your students do not fall victim to this infamous culprit.

In actuality, there’s only so much you can do to emotionally connect with a student and save him from his own demise. Quite simply, there are things beyond your direct control.

Poor living conditions, lack of family support, peer pressure, and social problems are all factors that can negatively influence the school success formula for each student in your class.

However, there are indeed some things you CAN control in the classroom that can offset a lot of the negative issues students face outside of the classroom. In reference to communicating the importance of an education, the best thing you can do for your students is to model success in the classroom.

In other words, share your own methods, stories, strategies, and ideas for success. Also, don’t be afraid to share your horror stories on how you “used to be,” when you didn’t apply the concepts you currently teach.

If you’re currently struggling with a lack of motivation, tell them so, and agree to work through it with them as a participant in the class, not just as a teacher. The level of trust you will build with your students will be immeasurable, and at the same time, you will grow as a professional.

The key is that you must have conviction for the material and concepts you’re teaching. No one is going to believe the messenger if she doesn’t believe in the message – they’re inseparable.

Teach and lead by example. Have your students stop by and talk to you about the struggles they’re having with motivation. Assure your students of their self worth by separating them from their problems. Constantly remind them that failure is not permanent, but neither is success.

5 Things All Great Teachers Have in Common

The quality of someone’s teaching does not just refer to how much information they manage to get into their student’s heads or the results that they produce. It also refers to their technique and presentation. Many teachers have a fantastic amount of knowledge that would be greatly useful to students, but they have no idea of how to express it. Great teaching often has less to do with wisdom and skills, but more to do with their attitude to their student, their subject and their work. This article explains the top five characteristics of great teachers, and how to incorporate them into your own lessons.

1. Passion: Without truly loving what you do it is impossible to be really good at what you do. If you don’t adore your subject, then how can you expect your students to do the same? Never be afraid to show that you love what you are talking about, even if your students look at your like you are crazy when you discuss algebra with a look of love in your eyes. Your enthusiasm and interest will soon rub off on them.
2. Creativity: Students love a teacher who is able to make dull subjects more interesting by incorporating colorful and exciting printables into lessons or by making up games. Standardized tests and the constant offensive of new curriculums will be making this harder, but it is still extremely important. Simply teaching the given material to your students does make you a good teacher, but to be a great one, you have to be prepared to develop unique learning methods and custom lesson plans.
3. Flexibility: Being a teacher is a committed profession. If a student does badly on a test then you have to be prepared to offer yourself to tutor them after school. Make yourself available whenever you are requested and make this information public so that the students who need the most help know that they can get it.
4. Integrate: Everyday life is not left isolated, and neither should education. It doesn’t matter if you are the only one in the entire school who is integrating, you should continue to do so. If you aren’t quite ready explain complex algebra with music, then take small baby steps by integrating one lesson with another discipline and seeing how things go from there. If you search online there will be many teaching resources that will give you ideas that you can begin to build on. This skill is all about trial and error.
5. Connection: You cannot possibly hope to teach effectively without having a connection with your students. A solid and trustworthy connection needs to be built between yourself and each individual student that you teach. Strictly speaking, you are the representation of the knowledge that forms the connection. Over time, the students will come to trust you, but you have to be interesting. It was mentioned before that you have to possess true passion for your subject, but it should not be your only one. Take up hobbies such as writing, athletics or playing a musical instrument. That way you will have something in common with the students which help to break down any barriers in place by the student/teacher differences. You need to be able to connect with your students.