Higher Order Thinking Skills in The Classroom

Blooms Taxonomy Hosted by: Begona Farwell, Susan Grandle, Susan Kreger and Eva Navarro(H.O.T. Skills)

What is higher order thinking?Higher order thinking essentially means thinking that takes place in the higher-levels of the hierarchy of cognitive processing.

The Griney Grollers Thinking Skills Test

The grineygrollers grandled in the granchy gak.

The griney grollers grangled in the granchy gak.What kind of grollers were they?What did the grollers do?Where did they do it? In what kind of gak did they grangle?

The griney grollers grangled in the granchy gak.

The griney grollers grangled in the granchy gak.

5) Place one line under the subject and two lines under the verb.In one sentence, explain why the grollers were grangling in the granchy gak. Be prepared to justify your answer with facts.If you had to grangle in a granchy gak, what one item would you choose to have with you and why?

Why Higher Level Thinking is ImportantIn addition to content (the what of students learning and achievement) we also need to be concerned with students thinking skills or mental processes( the how in learning).Thinking provides the software for the mind.Higher level thinking allows students memory to be used effectively. Planning for Productive Thinking and Learning by Treffinger and Feldhusen, 1998,p.24

Need for Problem Solving AbilityBecause the pace of societal change shows no signs of slackening, citizens of the 21st century must become adept problem solvers, able to wrestle with ill-defined problems and win. Problem-solving ability is the cognitive passport of the future (Martinez, 1998).

Need for Problem Solving AbilityThinking analytically is a skill like carpentry or driving a car. It can be taught, it can be learned, and it can improve with practice. But like many other skills, such as riding a bike, it is not learned by sitting in a classroom and being told how to do it.

http://www.cia.gov/csi/books/19104/art4.html

Theory

Critical thinking theory finds its roots primarily in the works of Benjamin Bloom as he classified learning behaviors in the cognitive domain. Bloom (1956) developed a taxonomy of learning objectives for teachers which he clarified and expounded upon over the course of approximately two decades. His ideas continue to be widely accepted and taught in teacher education programs throughout the United States.

Six Levels of Blooms Taxonomy

KnowledgeComprehensionApplication

Analysis5. Synthesis6. Evaluation

Blooms TaxonomyBloom classifies learning behaviors according to six levels ranging from Knowledge, which focuses upon recitation of facts, to Evaluation, which requires complex valuing and weighing of information. Each level relates to a higher level of cognitive ability.This taxonomy is useful in designing questions, lessons, tasks for students. Bloom found that 95% of test questions focused on the lowest levelthe recall of information.

Question LevelsCritical thinking may be thought of in terms of convergent and divergent questioning (Guilford 1956, Gallegher and Aschner 1963, and Wilen 1985). Convergent questions seek to ascertain basic knowledge and understanding. Divergent questions require students to process information creatively. Convergent questions tend to align with the first three levels of Blooms Taxonomy of Learning Objectives while divergent questions relate to the latter three levels.

Applying Blooms TaxonomyLevel: Knowledge Materials/Situations: Events, people, newspapers, magazine articles, definitions, videos, dramas, textbooks, films, television programs, recordings, media presentationsMeasurable Behaviors: Define, describe memorize, label, recognize, name, draw, state, identify, select, write, locate, recite

Applying Blooms TaxonomyLevel: ComprehensionMaterials/Situations: Speech, story, drama, cartoon, diagram, graph, summary, outline, analogy, poster, bulletin boardMeasurable Behaviors: Summarize, restate, paraphrase, illustrate, match, explain, defend, relate, infer, compare, contrast, generalize

Applying Blooms TaxonomyLevel: ApplicationMaterials/Situations: Diagram, sculpture, illustration, dramatization, forecast, problem, puzzle, organizations, classifications, rules, systems, routinesMeasurable Behaviors: Apply, change, put together, construct, discover, produce, make, report, sketch, solve, show, collect, prepare

Applying Blooms TaxonomyLevel: AnalysisMaterials/Situations: Survey, questionnaire, an argument, a model, displays, demonstrations, diagrams, systems, conclusions, report, graphed informationMeasurable Behaviors: Examine, classify, categorize, research, contrast, compare, disassemble, differentiate, separate, investigate, subdivide

Applying Blooms TaxonomyLevel: SynthesisMaterials/Situations: Experiment, game, song, report, poem, prose, speculation, creation, art, invention, drama, rulesMeasurable Behaviors: Combine, hypothesize, construct, originate, create, design, formulate, role-play, develop

Applying Blooms TaxonomyLevel: EvaluationMaterials/Situations: Recommendations, self-evaluations, group discussions, debate, court trial, standards, editorials, valuesMeasurable Behaviors: Compare, recommend, assess, value, apprise, solve,criticize, weigh, consider, debate

Steps to Constructing a Mini-Center Using The Engine-Uity ProcessSelect a topicBrainstorm 6 concepts related to the topicUsing a grid select a verb from Blooms Taxonomy for each level, one of the concepts, and a product for each taskTranslate grid into complete sentences.

Example of Grid-Comprehension Level

Concept:Verb:Product:Range and population of the mountain lionIdentifymap

Example Mini-Center Comprehension Level Task Draw a map with a legend identifying the current range and population of the mountain lion.

What is Critical Thinking?This involves using your own knowledge or point of view to decide if something is right or wrong about someone elses ideas.http://www.cdl.org/resources/reading_room/print/hot_and_successful.html

CRITICAL THINKING SKILLSInductive thinkingDeductive thinkingDetermining reality and fantasyDetermining benefits and drawbacks

CRITICAL THINKING SKILLSIdentifying value statementsIdentifying points of viewDetermining biasIdentifying fact and opinion

CRITICAL THINKING SKILLSDetermining the accuracy of presented informationJudging essential and incidental evidenceDetermining relevance

Looking For Evidence Of Critical Thinking You may be a critical thinking teacher if...

Learners are active and in a continuous dialogue with teacher Learning is constructing, not feedingTruth is discovered, not delivered Teacher "leads from behind" Teacher functions as a facilitator/mentor instead of lecturer Questions are answered with explanations or questions, not simply "yes" or "no"

Looking for Evidence of Critical Thinking

Pertinent discussions on related issues often break out Debate is common Peers exchange ideas Learner and teacher satisfaction increases "Rabbit chasing" becomes an art - explore related issues, yet remain on task Teachers often face questions for which they have no answers Social interaction and acceptance in the class is generally high

Personal Check-upAnswer the following questions:

Are your teaching objectives, activities, and assessments are tied to higher level behavioral verbs? Do all learners have the opportunity to interact with you and others? Do you allow time in your course for debating? Do your learners have to use inductive and deductive strategies? Do you find yourself using "shock" statements and questions to get learners' minds running?

Personal Check-upIf you could say "yes" to most of these questions, critical thinking is probably happening in your classroom.

Bibliographyhttp://www.lgc.peachnet.edu/academic/educatn/Blooms/critical_thinking.htmhttp://www.bena.com/ewinters/Bloom.htmlPlanning for Productive Thinking and Learning by Treffinger and Feldhusen, 1998, p.24Sandra Kaplan, National/State Leadership Training InstituteEngine-Uity, Ltd.,P.O. Box 9610, Phoenix, Az 85068Martinez, M. E. (April, 1998) What is Problem Solving? Phi Delta Kappan. 605-609.

1. What kind of grollers were they?The Secretary of Labors Commission on Achieving Necessary SkillsWhen did you last experience the following?Queilmalz divides thinking into five categories a: recall, analysis, comparison, inference, and evaluation. The categories of analysis, comparison, inference and evaluation are collectively called higher order thinking skills (HOTS) or critical thinking skills. Each category is described in the table below. The table also contains sample trigger words that are associated with each category and some sample questions. The trigger words can be used as clues to help you figure out what skill a question is intended to measure.Wiederhold, C. (1997). The Q-Matrix/Cooperative Learning & Higher Level Thinking. San Clemente, CA: Kagan Cooperative Learning.)Example: Say the pledge.Example: Explain what indivisible , liberty, and justice mean.Example: Create your own pledge to something you believe in.Example: Discuss the meaning of and to the Republic for which it stands in terms of its importance to the pledge.Example: Write a contract between yourself and a friend that includes an allegiance to a symbol that stands for something you both believe in.Example: Describe the purpose of the pledge and assess how well it achievesthat purpose. Suggest improvements.