| Teachers and Faculty:
Register now for our online course in teaching Critical Thinking.
CT700 Critical Thinking for Instructors:
Spring 2010 Semester
This course is offered in affiliation with Sonoma State University. It introduces critical thinking theory and focuses on the 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.
For more information about class registration, cost and credit options, check the online learning section our website for further details. | Spring 2010 Workshops in Critical Thinking
March 20 - 21, 2009
Berkeley, CA
Make plans now to attend one of our Spring Workshops in Critical Thinking. These workshops will cover fundamental critical thinking concepts and principles, in addition to practical applications and methods for bringing critical thinking into the classroom. Choose one of the following workshops:
- Integrating a Comprehensive Understanding of Critical Thinking into Effective Design for Teaching and Learning Academic Content
- Placing a Robust Framework for Critical Thinking At the Heart Of Your Institution’s Mission, Accreditation or Reaccreditation Process
- Approaching Students as Thinkers; Cultivating the Intellect
As always we encourage groups to attend. We offer reduced registration for groups. Click for More Information on rates or to Register Online! | Fostering Critical Thinking in the Classroom…
Model skilled thinking for your students: Part II
It is most likely the case that your students are unaware of what highly skilled thinking looks like. Most of the time quality thinking is implicitly modeled rather than made explicit. Rather than just thinking well in front of students, we advocate explicit modeling of skilled “moves.” This means not only thinking aloud in front of students, but also calling attention to the “moves” you are making. For example, high quality thinking:
- Focuses on Accuracy: Whenever I am reasoning through a problem, I want to make sure I am using accurate information. Whenever it seems that other people are using questionable information in their thinking, I want to check to see if the information is accurate rather than simply accept it as true. I might ask the person how they know the information they are using is accurate. Or I might just look up the information for myself – depending on the circumstances.
- Focusing on Relevance and Precision: Whenever I am reasoning through a problem, I want to make sure I use information relevant to the problem. I do this by writing out the question at issue as precisely as possible and then writing down the information I am using in thinking through the problem. In this way I can check to make sure the information is relevant to the precise question I am dealing with.
- Focusing on Breadth: In reasoning through this issue it seems that it is important that I consider multiple ways of looking at the issue. I know this because whenever I am dealing with a problem that can reasonably be viewed from multiple relevant viewpoints I want to make sure I fully consider those viewpoints. If I fail to do so I will be reasoning in a narrow-minded way. So let me begin by stating the basic arguments that can reasonably be made with respect to this issue. Then you can see whether I have left out an important perspective.
| "The best teacher is the one who suggests rather than dogmatizes, and inspires his listener with the wish to teach himself." ~ Edward G. Bulwer-Lytton (1803-1873) British politician, poet and critic. | |
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