Problem Solving Labs Program : Teaching Critical Thinking

Many studies prove that teaching creative thinking skills helps students gain better achievements. The result of research at Dong Hu Junior High School, for instance, presents that "The overall performance of the students was significantly better on both the academic and technical subjects compared to that in the traditional teaching" (Jeng, YC, Hsu, SL, Xie, J, Lin, R & Huang, CC 2010, P.37). In addition, applying the CASE (Cognitive Acceleration through Science Education) at King's College London, a program of teaching thinking skills, 19% of participating students achieve A-C grades in GCSE (the General Certificate of Secondary Education) science more than those using traditional methods ('Thinking skills' 2003). In English and Maths, the result amazingly varies from 15 to 16% of better achievement. Scientific guidance and lectures from facilitators will effectively motivate pupils’ process of brainstorming, mind-mapping ideas and organizing them in a logical structure, which significantly contributes to the success of their assignments. Moreover, this may even be applied much further into their life because of improving not only knowledge, but also thought processes. Furthermore, being familiar with wise thoughts, students will be confident in learning and considering things thoroughly before going to analysis and then evaluating their tasks or duties. As a result, creative thinking will really help to improve performance of people from

To survive in such a multifaceted and diverse world we as people must possess the ability to think critically in highly complex situations. The world is an extremely challenging place, all of us are forced to adapt by constantly challenging existing principles and performing certain methods to ensure our growth both physically and mentally. Many claim that contemporary society needs a skill called critical thinking to adapt and survive. Critical thinking is a higher level of intellectual progression that makes use of diverse information, skills and attitudes in interpreting situations and confronting problems. Critical thinking is done

Another way I plan to develop students’ critical thinking skills is by including more information-based texts in my curriculum. An article in the Early Childhood Education Journal discusses how two second grade teachers incorporate this into their classrooms (Calo, 2011). My favorite way that the teachers used informational texts was by choosing readings related to what was going on in the students’ lives. In one classroom, they had weekly visits from service dogs, so the teacher chose texts about dogs. For elementary students, this is a great way to get them engaged, ask deeper questions, and promote critical thinking.

In research, there is no right or wrong process; although there are many heuristics that can be passed on. Appropriate use of information requires that we see knowledge acquirement as fluid and varying. (Jones, 1996)

       Public schools have discovered the importance of critical thinking, many people are trying to teach children how to do it. The problem is that very few teachers know how to do. Robert Sternberg, an early advocate of critical thinking in teaching,

Public education in America needs reforms to adjust to today's fast paced, technology based society. "Changing Educational Paradigms Animation" by RSA Animate and "Reinventing Education for the 21st Century" by Tony Wanger, prompted me to wonder how does teaching problem solving and critical thinking skills in schools socially and economically benefit students? Both of these videos touched on critical thinking and problem-solving skills and their importance in educating today's work force, but Tony Wanger blew me away with High Tech High, a Sandiego high, middle, and elementary school dedicated to teaching problem solving skills to a wide range of students (Wanger). This school system was an excellent model of students working on their own to create, utilize problem solving skills, and display their hard work. This gave me the idea that we need to shift our education to focus on critical thinking and problem-solving skills to better benefit students entering the work force.

I received a score of four on the Realistic scale, a score of eleven on the Investigative scale, and a score of nineteen on the artistic scale. I got a score of twenty-six on both the Social and Enterprising scale and a score of two on the Conventional scale. I was slightly surprised by the results because I did not think I would receive such a high score on the artistic scale. I have never viewed myself as a creative person before so it was interesting to see myself receive that result. I anticipated the Social, Enterprising, and Investigative scale would have been my highest three scales. I chose the future job zone, within that I chose an extensive job preparation. My reason for choosing an extensive job preparation is because I wanted to make the exercise/activity as realistic as possible. I see myself going into a graduate program after graduating from the University of Maryland and I wanted to observe potential careers and examine the results.

This unit contains all the resources needed for teaching Grades 5 & 6 Unit 2: Critical Thinking.

In today’s current school systems, the question of whether or not schools are correctly teaching students the right curriculum is coming up for debate. In the Article,"Teaching Critical Thinking by Marcia Clemmitt, she goes into extensive research of the U.S. Department of Education’s crisis of standardized testing. Most learning activities include standardized testing which lacks many students to express creative and critical thinking. Critical thinking is defined as the examination and evaluation of ideas, events and arguments in their contexts which introduces students to interrogate assumptions and identifying biases (Clemmitt)Pure critical thinking involves investigating a text more than just memorizing, but to apply theirself in other ways of techniques, meaning schools should stimulate more analytical methods of teaching. This would not only free students from a sheltered test culture,but will allow students to think in a deeper,more passionate way than before.

I was so gleeful about this example of critical thinking theory, that I am going to share with my classmates. Hope that it will be an asset for future reference dealing with a similar case you might encounter. E.g. A 14-year-old African American male is referred to the school social worker for talking back to the teacher. This student has been sent to the principal’s office on more than one occasion for fighting with white peers. Additionally, the teacher is requesting that the student be suspended from school for refusing to comply with expected classroom behavior. The school social worker, who is white, listens initially to the students’ explanation of what has occurred. The student becomes angry during the sessions, stating that the teacher is racist and so is everyone at this school. The social worker states that she is not racist and that the student should calm down so she can help him sort this out. The social worker attempts to assist the student in considering what he could have done differently to avoid getting in trouble. The social worker suggests that perhaps the students is overreacting because the teacher is a good person and probably did not intend to offend him. As the session proceeds, the

Critical thinking is a vital task that must be done in our everyday lives. In “Becoming a Critic Of Your Thinking” found at criticalthinking.org, Dr. Linda Elder and Dr. Richard Paul explain critical thinking as “the disciplined art of ensuring that you use the best thinking you are capable of in any set of circumstances”. Even tough there are many different types of methods to achieve a better quality of critical thinking, Dr. Elder and Dr. Paul discuss four specific ones in the article. All strategies, however, force you to put yourself in an uncomfortable and difficult position to develop a better quality of thinking.

Every day as an instructional aide I use my critical thinking skills when deciding whether an impending conflict will escalate to violent behavior, deciding on how to approach a student Everyday many employees of organizations use their critical thinking skills in countless decisions, critical thinking skills are not the only skills used by employees, but they are the most important. As an employee I use my critical thinking skills when applying to the policies and procedures of my organization, making determinations, making predictions and problem solving more so on-the spot decision making, and

The concepts of critical thinking and creative thinking are both gaining increasing importance in the world today. Critical thinking allows people to understand difficult concepts in a manner that is clearer and more defined. They can more readily understand those concepts if they employ critical thinking. In all portions of everyday life, a person is expected to make independent judgments. Those judgments are based on experience and knowledge. Without the ability to think critically, every situation that a person comes across would have to be considered in isolation from all other situations. When a person encounters a problem that is a new one, he or she may be able to use critical thinking to solve those problems.

Although schools have recently incorporated requirements to help the development of critical thinking, it remains a skill that is often learned outside of the classroom. Through the program of Common Core, schools have created an environment of higher standards and problem solving courses. Along with critical thinking, abstract thinking looks at the deeper meaning of things, and they both begin in young ages in children. The jump from concrete to abstract and critical thinking comes with time and lessons from not only the classroom, but everyday experiences. How do schools help children develop critical thinking skills and move on from concrete to abstract thinking?

When defining the term “critical thinking” it can seem overwhelming and daunting, especially for young learners. In laments terms, you are teaching your student how to think for him or herself when it comes to problem solving. Instead of giving the student the answer, you give them the tools to discover the answer him/herself. Critical thinking is an important component of any classroom. No matter the age group, these skills stay with a child for the rest of his or her life. As a teacher, it is important to understand what critical thinking pertains to and how to structure part of your lesson plan around developing critical thinking skills.