promoting critical thinking by myrtis mixon 35now

Promoting Critical Thinking

By Myrtis Mixon

www.riomediagroup.com/blanche35now/

What do you know about C.T.?

Pair off …. What do you know? What do you want to know?

I will use….

I will remember….

I didn’t know that….

A Critical Thinking Activity

Naming Tradition

Why were you named …. ?

I will model what the ‘naming tradition’ is in my family.

Reading “My Name”

Choral reading Echo reading Shadow/Lip reading

Chunk reading

Think about Esperanza & names

Non-stop writing…

Write for 4 minutes without stopping. Pen to the page…. don’t think.

What is Critical Thinking?

Critical Thinking is an ABSOLUTE NECESSITY for the 21st century

It makes one able to make decisions, evaluate, analyze, synthesize

Thus… to choose, to be a life-long learner!

What is Critical Thinking?

A distinct field of study

Actively thinking about, engaging, and analyzing the topics you are learning about..

(handout)

Critical Thinking

As teachers, we always help students develop thinking skills, but in this new field, we ask students to focus on thinking itself, on the process of developing metacognitive skills

Critical Thinking

Adding Critical Thinking to your lessons will help motivate your students

Critical Thinking

Critical Thinking is being aware of thinking

CT concentrates on developing higher orders of thinking and promoting that in our lessons.

What are the higher orders?

The Higher Orders

Application Analysis Synthesis Evaluation

Carolyn Graham

Creating Good Questions

Good questions are a central skill of Critical Thinking

(First use comprehension questions to be sure)

Then, apply the “Higher Orders”Application; Analysis; Synthesis; Evaluation

New?

Are they new?

Strategies for improving the effectiveness of people’s reasoning abilities and critical attitudes

Thinking can be developed

It is improved by becoming aware of the process

A good way to do this: start with a short piece of writing– There’s Always a Bright Side

• (Omani folktale?)

Exploring the Story

Exploring with CT

Students summarize a story in one sentence

Students ask a question that would evoke that sentence

These questions will indicate their comprehension of the material

Tell them to avoid simple/factual questions

summary of “Bright Side”

The king forgives the friend when he learns that there is always a bright side when the cannibals release him.

(left out the friend’s last sentence. The king learns the friend is right when

his lost finger proves to be a blessing for both him and the friend.

Exploring with CT ExercisesChoosing Revising

Arranging Composing

Organizing Creating

Planning Chronology

Scanning Mind-mapping

Prediction Making inferences

Making decisions

Issues to explore

Point of View

Create questions about point of view How would this be different if it was

written:

Through the eyes of the friend?

Issues to explore

Assumptions:

What are the assumptions in this story?

What beliefs are taken for granted here?

Issues to explore

Inferences Making conclusions and inferences from

writing & listening is an important thinking skill, learning to go beyond the literal

What inferences do you make:

about the king? the friend?

about the future friendship?

Issues to explore

Implications/Consequences– Decisions cause implications and

consequences.

What will come out of this story?

Four Important areas:

Four important areas for Critical Thinking

Working toward goals Problem solving Decision making Analyzing issues

Summary Writing

Summary exercises on reading

Summary- paragraph by paragraph Individual In Pairs Group Summary Three Sentence Summary

Tips for summary writing

1. Read the entire piece before summarizing

2. List the main ideas (without looking back)

3. Review for potentially missed things of importance

4. Write a summary of the main ideas, using your own words.

Tips for summarizing, cont.

A. Write a clear statement of the main ideas as your first sentence

B. Stick to the important information: names, dates, places

C. Avoid examples, description or adjectives - Leave out details

D. Conclude with a sentence that ties all the point together

Tips for summary writing

Your summary should be no more than 1/3 as long as the original

Do not make critical comments. Don’t judge when you summarize

I will remember….

I will use…..

I didn’t know….

Promoting Critical Thinking

End of session

www.riomediagroup.com/blanche35now/

www.riomediagroup.com/blanche35now/

myrtis101@mac.com