What are critical thinking skills and why are they important? Wikipedia defines thinking as "purposeful reflective judgement concerning what to believe or what to do" or : the process of thinking that questions assumptions." Michael Scriven and Richard Paul from The Critical Thinking Community define critical thinking as "that mode of thinking about any subject, content, or problem in which the thinker improves the quality of his or her thinking by skillfully analysing, assessing, and reconstructing it."
Are teachers really developing the skills that students so desperately need? As an educator and trainer, I have observed many classrooms and I am not convinced that teachers truly understand the quality of instruction that must take place for students to learn, analyze and synthesize information. The quality of work seems to waddle between the lowest basic learning levels of Bloom's taxonomy. I see teachers asking students to recite, remember, and simply acquire basic knowledge about a single subject or topic. Learning would be so much more comprehensive if teachers would show the connections and allow students to transfer information into their everyday lives.
Educators can use simple techniques to enhance the productivity in the classroom by utilizing the following "TIPPS" to assure that students are evaluating, creating, and learning how to solve problems.
- Create assignments that allow students to explore. These assignments may not have one right answer.
- Allow students to create their own assignments (with teacher guidance) regarding the subject/standards being taught.
-Don't isolate the learning process. Allow students to collaborate.
-Ask students high level questions that make them think. Avoid yes/no questions.
- Allow students to reconstruct the lesson. This will allow you to assess the student's level of comprehension of the subject.
If you or someone you know needs assistance in the classroom, contact Northstar Educational Consulting Group, LLC. at info@northstaredu.net for more TIPPS.
