It is a way of thinking in which you don't simply accept
all arguments
and conclusions you are exposed to but
rather have an attitude involving
questioning such
arguments and conclusions.
Why is Critical
thinking important in
teaching English?
Critical
thinking is important because it relates to nearly all tasks,
situations, topics, careers, environments, challenges, and
opportunities. It's not restricted to a particular subject area. Critical thinking is clear, reasonable, reflective thinking focused on
deciding what to believe or do.
Critical thinking is not an
isolated goal unrelated to other important goals in education. Rather,
it is a seminal goal which, done well, simultaneously facilitates a
rainbow of other ends. It is best conceived, therefore, as the hub
around which all other educational ends cluster.
For example, as
students learn to think more critically, they become more proficient at historical and scientific, thinking. They develop skills, abilities, and values critical to success in everyday life. All of this
assumes, of course, that those who teach have a solid grounding
in
critical thinking and in the teaching strategies essential to it.
But
to develop a deep understanding of the
foundations of critical thinking
involves a long-
term approach to learning and applying those
foundations. James Stigler, coauthor of the
book, The Teaching Gap: Best Ideas from the
World’s Teachers for Improving Education in
the Classroom,
comments on the importance
of long term staff development. He says,
“professional development . . . should be long
term. It should be
ongoing – part of a
faculty’s workweek — not something tacked on.
And it should be curriculum based . . . so that
it helps faculty help their
students master the
curriculum at a higher level.” Stigler goes on
to
say, “professional development has been
largely divorced from practice .
. . It has been
haphazard . . . (involving) idiosyncratic kinds
of
professional development . . . not only do
we need to implement
high-quality programs,
but we also need to give faculty the
opportunity
to learn how to participate in
these programs. That’s going to take
time.”
We
agree. It is clear that there is no way to bring
critical thinking
successfully into instruction across
the curriculum with a stand-alone
one or two-day
workshop.
What are the 5 elements of critical thinking?
Critical thinkers:
1-Ask questions.
2-Gather relevant information.
3-Think through solutions and
conclusions.
4-Consider alternative systems of
thought.
5-Communicate effectively.
At best, a one or two-day workshop
can do three
things:
1) function to heighten the awareness of faculty to the challenge of bringing critical thinking substantively into instruction,
2) provide some strategies for up-grading the
effectiveness of instruction, and
3) lay a foundation for follow-up workshops.
But
a long-term approach to critical thinking
professional development
enables faculty to
internalize and apply the fundamentals of
critical
thinking at a deep level. Through a
long-term approach, faculty can
restructure
their courses so that students develop as
inquisitive and
disciplined thinkers and
questioning minds. Its success depends on a
number of variables.
First, One develops as a critical thinker in a
way similar
to the way in which one learns to
perform well in basketball, ballet,
or on the piano.
First of all, one must understand the basic
principles.
Secondly, one must regularly engage in self-
monitored, self-evaluative
practice (putting the
principles to work in practice) progressively
up-
grading one’s understanding and skill thereby.
Faculty
in a long range professional development
program come to recognize explicitly that critical
thinking is not just one of many divergent
educational
aims, but is rather a way of teaching and learning at
a high
level of effectiveness.
They learn to use all other reform trends as a
support for a high level of thinking in both the
teaching and learning process. Commitment to
critical thinking affects how one thinks through
the design of instruction and how one thinks
through the content one is
learning. In short,
over time instructors come to recognize that:
Teaching in a critical manner is
essential for:
1-Skilled reading, writing, speaking, and listening
2-Skilled reasoning within all subject areas
3-Skilled decision-making and problem-solving
4-Skilled analysis and evaluation of one’s
5-Intelligent choices in human relationships
6-Emotions and values intelligent choices in
human relationships skilled civic and personal
choices, etc . . .
7 steps to critical thinking
1-Identify
the problem. Before you put
those critical thinking skills to work, you
first need to identify the problem you're
solving. ...
2-Research. ...
3-Determine data relevance. ...
4-Ask questions. ...
5-Identify the best solution. ...
6-Present your solution. ...
7-Analyze your decision.
The most critical
skills for leaders
Five critical skills
1-Creativity:
Turning challenge into opportunity
In this white
water world of work, creativity helps
organizations maintain peak
performance in the
face of constant change. Creativity is needed in
every role to solve problems, innovate at product
and service levels,
and help organizations create
new sources of value. As leaders,
creativity helps
us turn challenge into opportunity. For example,
whenever resources are constrained (time, capital,
or support), it takes
creativity to solve pressing