5 tips to improve your critical thinking - Samantha Agoos History of Critical Thinking “The intellectual roots of critical thinking are as ancient as its etymology, traceable, ultimately, to the teaching practice and vision of Socrates 2,500 years ago who discovered by a method of probing questioning that people could not rationally justify their confident claims to knowledge. Confused meanings, inadequate evidence, or self-contradictory beliefs often lurked beneath smooth but largely empty rhetoric.” “He [Socrates] established the importance of seeking evidence, closely examining reasoning and assumptions, analyzing basic concepts, and tracing out implications not only of what is said but of what is done as well. More on critical thinking through the ages is available here. 1.
How to improve your Critical Thinking skills: Interview with Dr. Gerald Nosich – Life Lessons In this article I interview an expert on Critical Thinking, Dr. Gerald Nosich from the Foundation for Critical Thinking, who has been teaching Critical Thinking since 1977 to find out how we can improve our Critical Thinking skills. In this article you will learn: Let’s start at the beginning… Michael: What is Critical thinking? Dr. One it’s reflective. So if I’m making a decision I can ask myself : “What assumptions am I making about this?” Or I can ask myself about the implications: “Well, if I make this decision, what’s likely to happen?” “And if I make this other decision, what’s likely to happen?” Notice I’m not just thinking about the decision I have to make, but I’m also reflecting on how I’m going about making the decision, that is I’m reflecting on my thinking about the decision. Now reflectiveness is a major part of critical thinking, but reflective all by itself does not make something “critical thinking”. Dr. “What assumptions am I making about how my child is doing in school?” Dr.
Critical Thinking Cheatsheet for Teachers August 2, 2017 Critical thinking is a disruptive cognitive process that explores alternative ways of thinking about something with the purpose of uncovering silent and untold meanings. Critical thinkers do not settle with the obvious and the taken for granted. They always delve into the deep layers of meaning and engage in profound intellectual altercations to formulate a better and holistic understanding. In a world where information obesity is the norm, critical thinking skills become essential survival skills. relevant : 6 Questions Every Critical Thinker Should Ask What we have for you today is an excellent infographic on critical thinking created and shared by the folks in Global Digital Citizen.
Writing a Critique | IOE Writing Centre A critique (or critical review) is not to be mistaken for a literature review. A 'critical review', or 'critique', is a complete type of text (or genre), discussing one particular article or book in detail. In some instances, you may be asked to write a critique of two or three articles (e.g. a comparative critical review). In contrast, a 'literature review', which also needs to be 'critical', is a part of a larger type of text, such as a chapter of your dissertation. Most importantly: Read your article / book as many times as possible, as this will make the critical review much easier. Contents 1. Read and Take Notes To improve your reading confidence and efficiency, visit our pages on reading. Further reading: Read Confidently After you are familiar with the text, make notes on some of the following questions. What kind of article is it (for example does it present data or does it present purely theoretical arguments)? ^ Back to top Organising your writing Summary Why is this topic important?
How do you know that what you know is true? That's epistemology How do you know what the weather will be like tomorrow? How do you know how old the Universe is? How do you know if you are thinking rationally? These and other questions of the “how do you know?” Epistemology is about understanding how we come to know that something is the case, whether it be a matter of fact such as “the Earth is warming” or a matter of value such as “people should not just be treated as means to particular ends”. It’s even about interrogating the odd presidential tweet to determine its credibility. Read more: Facts are not always more important than opinions: here's why Epistemology doesn’t just ask questions about what we should do to find things out; that is the task of all disciplines to some extent. Epistemology has the job of making those methods themselves the objects of study. Epistemology, therefore, is concerned with the justification of knowledge claims. The need for epistemology This is precisely the job of epistemology. Epistemology and critical thinking
Style Journal Article Reporting Standards (APA Style JARS) We have published a revised version of our Privacy Statement. Please read these updated terms and take some time to understand them. Learn more Got it skip to main content Highlights Supplemental Resource on the Ethic of Transparency in JARS APA Style JARS Supplemental Glossary Guidelines Quantitative Research Use JARS–Quant when you collect your study data in numerical form or report them through statistical analyses. Qualitative Research Use JARS–Qual when you collect your study data in the form of natural language and expression. Mixed Methods Research Use JARS–Mixed when your study combines both quantitative and qualitative methods. What is APA Style JARS? APA Style Journal Article Reporting Standards (APA Style JARS) are a set of guidelines designed for journal authors, reviewers, and editors to enhance scientific rigor in peer-reviewed journal articles. The guidelines include information on what should be included in all manuscript sections for: For more information on APA Style JARS:
Critical Thinking Across the Curriculum | Big History Project Jillian Turner, Big History Teacher Sydney, Australia The chief aim of any teacher is to equip our students to think. In an age of “fake news” and conflicting truths, the significance of logical, reasoned argument and critical thinking is painfully apparent. In my year 10 (or tenth grade, is Americans call it) history elective class this week I had an experience that inspired me to try harder to incorporate critical thinking into all of my lessons. As students reviewed the sources I provided, they made the conclusion I see regularly: they believed the most recent source without considering that it was the age of the source and not its merits that was swaying them. The ensuing discussion was genuinely exciting. Explicitly teaching students how to think critically and then giving them opportunities to practice this skill is at the heart of Big History.
The Thinker Builder: Step In, Step Out: A Strategy for Thinking Deeply About Text You're sitting at your guided reading table, your little group gathered around you, wide-eyed. Or are you the one who's wide-eyed? Sure, you know what you're doing, but maybe right now you're thinking your lesson plan doesn't fit the book like you thought it would. Or that maybe your lesson plan is just lame. Or maybe you don't have a lesson plan and are winging it (oh, come on, we've all been there). "Boy, I could really use a mini-lesson right now," you think. Here's something to try: I call it the "Step In - Step Out" strategy. Step In! Asking students to "step in" to the story means that students enter the world of the story to analyze the choices the CHARACTERS make. Why did this character make this choice? Step Out! Asking students to "step out" of the story means that students look at the story as a piece of writing, and analyze the choices the AUTHOR makes. Why did the author decide to write this part? Let's get back to your lesson. "Let's go back to when Sue Ellen went to the park.
35 Psychology-Based Learning Strategies For Deeper Learning 35 Psychology-Based Critical Thinking Strategies by Sara Briggs, opencolleges.edu.au Have you ever considered letting your students listen to hardcore punk while they take their mid-term exam? Here are 35 critical thinking strategies, straight from the mind of Sigmund Freud. 35 Psychology-Based Critical Thinking Strategies 1. Definition: It is easiest to recall information when you are in a state similar to the one in which you initially learned the material. Application: Urge your students to sit in the same room they studied in when they complete their take-home quiz. 2. Definition: The tendency to overemphasize internal explanations for the behavior of others, while failing to take into account the power of the situation. Application: Sometimes students need your help distinguishing between internal and external factors that affect academic performance. 3. Application: Unfortunately, effort does not always correlate positively with performance. 4. Application: F. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11.
Studying for exams? Here's how to make your memory work for you Have you ever thought about how your brain works when you study? Knowing this may improve your ability to retain and recall information. There are three main memory structures: sensory, working and long-term memory. 1. Activating your sensory memory is the first step. So think about it – to activate your sensory memory, you should activate as many senses as possible. Instead of just reading your textbook, try learning using podcasts, visual aids such as posters, presentations and online blogs. When we activate our sensory memory, we engage in the processes of attention and perception. Humans must pay attention to learn and the more cognitive resources we allocate to a task, at any given time, the faster we learn. Sensory and working memory are so limited, learners need to allocate their resources to important information as selectively as possible and with minimal distraction. Read more: Study habits for success: tips for students 2. Read more: Comic explainer: how memory works 3.
Thinking about Thinking: The Power of Noticing | To Make a Prairie According to Einstein, “Education is not the learning of facts, but the training of the mind to think.” I completely agree that learning to think should be one of the essential goals of education, but as I wrote in an earlier post, many of the tasks we set for kids and the scaffolds we teach them to use don’t really seem aimed at fostering thinking as much as completing those tasks. In that post, I offered an example of what a lesson focused on actual thinking might look like. One of the most common definitions you’ll find online is that “Thinking is a purposeful organized cognitive process that we use to make sense of our world.” So for how to think, I turn to writers, who not only engage in making sense of the world but can express how they do that in ways that, to me, feel more accessible, practical and authentic than the words of reference books or science. This is what The Fault in Our Stars author John Green thinks about people who notice things: Like this: Like Loading...
How to write better essays: 'nobody does introductions properly' | Education As the government begins its crackdown on essay mill websites, it’s easy to see just how much pressure students are under to get top grades for their coursework these days. But writing a high-scoring paper doesn’t need to be complicated. We spoke to experts to get some simple techniques that will raise your writing game. Tim Squirrell is a PhD student at the University of Edinburgh, and is teaching for the first time this year. When he was asked to deliver sessions on the art of essay-writing, he decided to publish a comprehensive (and brilliant) blog on the topic, offering wisdom gleaned from turning out two or three essays a week for his own undergraduate degree. “There is a knack to it,” he says. Poke holes The goal of writing any essay is to show that you can think critically about the material at hand (whatever it may be). “You need to be using your higher cognitive abilities,” says Bryan Greetham, author of the bestselling How to Write Better Essays. Critique your own arguments
Bloom's Digital Taxonomy Verbs [Infographic] When using Bloom’s Digital Taxonomy (a revised take on Bloom’s devised by educator Andrew Churches), it helps to have a list of verbs to know what actions define each stage of the taxonomy. This is useful for lesson planning, rubric making, and any other teacher-oriented task requiring planning and assessment strategies. The Bloom’s Digital Taxonomy verbs in this handy infographic apply specifically to each stage of the taxonomy. According to Churches on his wiki Edorigami, “Bloom’s Revised Taxonomy describes many traditional classroom practices, behaviours and actions, but does not account for the new processes and actions associated with Web 2.0 technologies …” This means the verbs listed below are applicable to facilitating technology use in the modern classrooms. A Quick Reference Tool for Bloom’s Taxonomy Verbs We hope you find this infographic of Bloom’s Digital Taxonomy verbs useful in your classroom practices. Poster Files For You
Empathy in Leadership: Coaching Leaders to Manage Their Stories When leaders struggle with staff morale or direct reports failing to thrive, a lack of empathy is the lead domino. These leaders forget that, as humans, we tend to make decisions based on our stories about other people. These stories impact our every interaction with others because we can’t hide the emotions behind them. Our stories also determine our broader management tactics, which can be as wildly off the mark as our stories themselves. Negative stories about others that we hold as leaders come from what Heath and Heath call the “Fundamental Attribution Error” (Switch, 2010). The antidote is what I have come to call the noble story. Much of my coaching involves helping school leaders connect personally with teachers and parents who have disappointed them, who are actively resisting them, or who just don’t share their race, class, gender, or philosophy. This line of coaching begins when I hear my leaders start to explain their report’s behavior with their negative stories.