Science, Reason and Critical Thinking Questioning – Top Ten Strategies “Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow. The important thing is to not stop questioning.” – Albert Einstein Questioning is the very cornerstone of philosophy and education, ever since Socrates ( in our Western tradition) decided to annoy pretty much everyone by critiquing and harrying people with questions – it has been central to our development of thinking and our capacity to learn. Most research indicates that as much as 80% of classroom questioning is based on low order, factual recall questions. Effective questioning is key because it makes the thinking visible: it identifies prior knowledge; reasoning ability and the specific degree of student understanding – therefore it is the ultimate guide for formative progress. 1. 2. Taken from ‘Mock the Week’, this simple little technique sparks the inquisitiveness within students – just by quickly reversing the standard question and answer dichotomy it can deepen their thinking. 3. 4. 5. Q1. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. Added Extras:
Critical Thinking On The Web Top Ten Argument Mapping Tutorials. Six online tutorials in argument mapping, a core requirement for advanced critical thinking.The Skeptic's Dictionary - over 400 definitions and essays. The Fallacy Files by Gary Curtis. Best website on fallacies. What is critical thinking? Nobody said it better than Francis Bacon, back in 1605: For myself, I found that I was fitted for nothing so well as for the study of Truth; as having a mind nimble and versatile enough to catch the resemblances of things … and at the same time steady enough to fix and distinguish their subtler differences; as being gifted by nature with desire to seek, patience to doubt, fondness to meditate, slowness to assert, readiness to consider, carefulness to dispose and set in order; and as being a man that neither affects what is new nor admires what is old, and that hates every kind of imposture. A shorter version is the art of being right. More definitions... Program for Critical Thinking Program for better decision making
High School Teachers These Thinker's Guides are available through electronic license for educational institutions. Faculty and administrators - email cct@criticalthinking.org to inquire. This set includes the thinker’s guides which focus on the foundations of critical thinking. RationalWiki How to teach mind mapping and how to make a mind map Mind mapping is a visual form of note taking that offers an overview of a topic and its complex information, allowing students to comprehend, create new ideas and build connections. Through the use of colors, images and words, mind mapping encourages students to begin with a central idea and expand outward to more in-depth sub-topics. Mind Map Example Definition of a Mind Map A mind map is a visual representation of hierarchical information that includes a central idea surrounded by connected branches of associated topics. Benefits of Mind Maps Help students brainstorm and explore any idea, concept, or problem Facilitate better understanding of relationships and connections between ideas and concepts Make it easy to communicate new ideas and thought processes Allow students to easily recall information Help students take notes and plan tasks Make it easy to organize ideas and concepts How to Mind Map Mind Maps in Education and Teaching with Mind Maps Mind Mapping Software
Official Doctrine and Guidelines for the Church of Critical Thinking 1. Be Kind - Show Kindness - um, Be Kind! Be Kind to Yourself both Mentally and Physically Be Kind to Others both Loved Ones and Strangers Be Kind to Other Living Things and the Planet that Provides You Sustenance Be Kind In Every Aspect of Your Life and it Shall be Returned There ya have it! Not to difficult to grasp now, is it. 2. Ok kids, this is an important one so pay attention. It takes so little time and effort but the rewards are outstanding. We need to start now and we need to be consistent. 3. While others are told to have faith in some charming yet ridiculous fairy tale of some enigmatic bearded yet spiritual supreme being with his crib in the clouds creating everything we know in about a weekand the that allegedly created them, - wink wink -, we merely ask that you have faith in yourself as a supreme individual being. 4. 5. Try saying your prayers to the innermost sub-atomic atoms and cells that make up your conscious and physical being. Try it! 6. 7. 8. 8. 9. 10.
Models -- Instructional Design The Taxonomy Table -- Faculty Resources -- OSU Extended Campus -- Oregon State University How to Write Objectives Adapted from A Taxonomy for Learning, Teaching, and Assessing: A Revision of Bloom's Taxonomy of Educational Objectives. Lorin W. Andersin, David R. To dispell the confusion between the means and ends of instruction, contemplate these definitions: Ends Objectives describe intended results, outcomes, and changes. Means Instructional activities, such as reading a textbook, listening to lectures, conducting surveys, and observing field work, are means by which objectives are achieved. For an objective or outcome to be measurable, learning a fact, concept, or procedure is implied. Examples taken from OSU Extended Campus distance courses are attached to each category in the Cognitive Process Dimension and the Knowledge Dimension in the taxonomy table below. For consultation regarding writing objectives and activities for distance courses, please contact: Dianna Fisher, Director of Project Development & Training Office: (541) 737-8658 Cell: (541) 230-4029 Extended Campus
The Critical Thinking Muslim « Margari Aziza —Image from ModDB “Knowing a great deal is not the same as being smart; intelligence is not information alone but also judgment, the manner in which information is collected and used.” – Carl Sagan The Muslim world possesses a wealth of knowledge, especially in regards devotional literature, theology, and jurisprudence, yet we have not transformed our knowledge into thoughtful and well-executed ways of addressing our most pressing needs. Muslim communities throughout the world face a plethora of problems: poverty, authoritarianism, civil war, neo-colonialism, occupation, sectarianism, sexual exploitation, corruption, social inequality, civil war, natural disasters, etc. As Muslims, the command to “seek knowledge” is almost like a mantra. Do they not contemplate within themselves? The word for “Intellect” is ‘Aql عقل, meaning sense, sentience, reason, understanding, comprehension, discernment, insight, rationality, mind, intellect, intelligence. References Adsit, Karen I. Moosa, Ebrahim.
Toulmin Model Stephen Toulmin, originally a British logician, is now a professor at USC. He became frustrated with the inability of formal logic to explain everyday arguments, which prompted him to develop his own model of practical reasoning. The first triad of his model consists of three basic elements: A claim is the point an arguer is trying to make. The claim is the proposition or assertion an arguer wants another to accept. The claim answers the question, "So what is your point?" example: "You should send a birthday card to Mimi, because she sent you one on your birthday." example: "I drove last time, so this time it is your turn to drive." fact: claims which focus on empirically verifiable phenomena judgment/value: claims involving opinions, attitudes, and subjective evaluations of things policy: claims advocating courses of action that should be undertaken Grounds refers to the proof or evidence an arguer offers. example: "It looks like rain. grounds can be based on: warrants can be based on:
Art Lynch's Blog: Listening and Critical Thinking Listening and Critical Thinking a. Adults listen 50% or less b. Teenagers listen 25% or less c. d. e. f. g. h. i. j. k. l. m. n. o. p. q. r. s. t. u. understand all sides in an issue. v. compromise and the ability to persuade instead of attack. Bloom’s Taxonomy by Patricia Armstrong, Assistant Director, Center for Teaching Background Information In 1956, Benjamin Bloom with collaborators Max Englehart, Edward Furst, Walter Hill, and David Krathwohl published a framework for categorizing educational goals: Taxonomy of Educational Objectives. The framework elaborated by Bloom and his collaborators consisted of six major categories: Knowledge, Comprehension, Application, Analysis, Synthesis, and Evaluation. While each category contained subcategories, all lying along a continuum from simple to complex and concrete to abstract, the taxonomy is popularly remembered according to the six main categories. The Original Taxonomy (1956) Here are the authors’ brief explanations of these main categories in from the appendix ofTaxonomy of Educational Objectives (Handbook One, pp. 201-207): The 1984 edition of Handbook One is available in the CFT Library in Calhoun 116. The Revised Taxonomy (2001) Why Use Bloom’s Taxonomy? Further Information
CREATIVITY, CRITICAL THINKING and CONTENT « LJHS Social Studies Blog I divide each Social Studies unit into content and conceptual mastery, analysis and creative interpretation because public education, has three core objectives: 1. To impart a body of knowledge and academic skills deemed valuable by society. 2. 3. The first goal has been delved into depth by educational researchers and gurus like E.D. The second goal is reflected in what used to be termed ” liberal education” or “Great Books” programs or the upper tiers of Bloom’s Taxonomy. Schools do this less effectively across the nation but there is still a fair emphasis on eliciting critical thinking in public education, most of all in Honors and AP classes, gifted and talented classes and special programs like and Paideia and International Baccalaureate. Ken Robinson, noted educational expert, giving a lively talk on creativity and public education ( 20 minute video clip): Like this: Like Loading...