| Join us for the…
29th Annual International Conference on Critical Thinking and Educational Reform July 20-23 2009
Preconference… July 18-19 Our annual international conference provides a unique opportunity for you to improve your understanding of critical thinking, as well as your ability to more substantively foster it in the classroom and in all aspects of your work and life. This year’s theme focuses on Fostering Intellectual Discipline. The conference will be held in beautiful Berkeley, CA. We encourage institutions to send groups of teachers and administrators who can spearhead critical thinking efforts at your home base. See our special group rates. | New Survey Engine for the Critical Thinking Community At the bottom of this newsletter you will find a link to a survey. This survey is regarding your needs relating to professional development and the obstacles you face incorporating critical thinking in your curriculum. The survey takes less than 3 minutes to complete and we would highly value your input. In the future we will be releasing surveys on topics of critical thinking and educational reform. As a member of the critical thinking community you may contribute to and view the results of these surveys.
Online Critical Thinking Course For Those Who Teach Introduction to Critical Thinking For Instruction and Learning. (CT700) Fall 2009 Semester This course is offered in affiliation with Sonoma State University. It introduces critical thinking theory and focuses on application of critical thinking to classroom instruction. The course fosters understanding of how to teach critical thinking skills to students through any subject, discipline, or grade level (while working within given curricula). In this course, you will be introduced to, or deepen your understanding of, the analysis of thought, the assessment of thought, and the development of intellectual dispositions. You will design critical thinking structures, strategies and lessons, and you will engage in ongoing critical dialogue with colleagues. Fall Course Registration Opens July 1, 2009 Check our website for further details.
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| Fostering Critical Thinking in the Classroom… Explain to the students, when orienting them to the class, what will happen on a typical class day and why. In most classes students need practice in active listening, active reading and writing, and disciplined discussion. Designing a typical class day so that students are required (by design) to be actively and thoughtfully involved is an important goal. Here is a possible format you might use in creating your “typical day.” - At the end of each class period, assign some section from the textbook for students to read.
- Where possible, ask students to write out their answers to key questions within those sections.
- When students come to class on the next class day, place them in pairs or triads.
- Have each student read his/her paper aloud to the group.
- As the student is reading his paper aloud, have the other students in the group give the reader feedback on his paper, focusing on two or three intellectual standards such as clarity, relevance, logic.
- Then lead a brief discussion of the chapter or section you are focused on, using an engaged lecture format or Socratic dialogue.
- At the end of the class period, assign another section for the students to read and on the next class day begin this process again.
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