COG101- Critical Thinking Skills in the Preschool Environment -Handout

Welcome to COG101 Critical thinking skills are essential for good decision-making and long-term academic and professionalsuccess. This course examines critical thinking skills through the lens of Bloom’s Taxonomy, whichcategorizes the different ways humans interact with knowledge. Participants will explore basic, practicalclassroom strategies that support the development of critical thinking skills in young children.

Course Objectives:

By taking notes on the handout and successfully answering assessment questions, participants will meetthe following objectives as a result of taking this course:

Identify skills and indicators associated with each level of Bloom’s TaxonomyDemonstrate an understanding of the importance of word choice in the development of learningobjectives and promoting critical thinking skillsIdentify the purpose of specific activities in relation to Bloom’s Taxonomy and higher-order thinkingskillsDemonstrate an understanding of developmentally appropriate practicesDemonstrate an understanding of open-ended questionsIdentify the purpose of effective strategies for promoting critical thinking in the classroom

At one point in this course, participants are expected to reflect and write about topics related to their ownlearning and teaching experiences in relation to course content.

References:

Clark, Don. (2015). Bloom's taxonomy of learning domains. www.nwlink.com/~donclark/hrd/bloom.html.

Lau, Joe; Chan, Jonathan. (2016). Module: What is critical thinking.www.philosophy.hku.hk/think/critical/ct.php.

Paul, Richard. (1995). The art of redesigning instruction. www.criticalthinking.org/.

(2016). "Critical thinking." Grayson H Walker Teaching Resource Center. University of Tennessee atChattanooga.

www.utc.edu/walker-center-teaching-learning/teaching-resources/ct-ps.php#strategies

Thirty-five dimensions of critical thought.(2016) www.criticalthinking.org/.

Herr, J. (2016). Working with Young Children. 8th Edition. Goodheart-Wilcox Company.

Follari, Lissanna. Foundations and Best Practices in Early Childhood Education, 3rd Ed. (2014). PearsonHigher Ed.

Bloom’s Taxonomy

Bloom’s Taxonomy was developed in the 1950s to classify how people use knowledge. It was laterrevised in the 1990s to include the following categories:

Remembering

Understanding

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Applying

Analyzing

Evaluating

Creating

Setting Objectives

Remembering

Understanding

What Is Critical Thinking, Really?

One popular definition of “critical thinking” comes from the National Council for Excellence in CriticalThinking, which defines it as: Now let’s try to rephrase or summarize it:

Characteristics of Critical Thinkers

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People who are adept at critical thinking demonstrate a set of behaviors that help them processinformation:

Asking lots of questions

Reflecting

Keeping an open mind

Gathering facts

Remaining flexible

Critical thinking skills are:

Activities that Promote Critical Thinking

Observing

Comparing

Contrasting

Sorting

Discussion helps build and reinforce ______________________________________.

Logic

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Fact vs. Opinion

True or False

Story and Writing Activities

Brainstorming

Why Are Open-Ended Questions Important?

Additional Teaching Strategies that Promote Critical Thinking

Model Critical Thinking

Create Ambiguity

Rethink Classroom Management Tools

Take a Step Back

Promote Collaboration

Read-Aloud Discussions

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Group Problem Solving and Decision Making

Expand Objectives

By changing the objective and corresponding activity, teachers can promote the use of criticalthinking skills. Theme Original Objective Revised Objective

Oceans Students will describe lifeunder the ocean.

Students will compare/contrast ocean lifeto life on a farm.

Pets Students will identify a petthey would like to own.

Students will design a habitat for a petthey would like to have.

ConstructionStudents will duplicate afour-block house, as shown ona cue card.

Given four blocks, students will create ahouse.

PlantsStudents will name theconditions necessary for a seedto grow.

Students will experiment on two sets ofseeds to determine what seeds need togrow.

Fire Safety Students will repeat the stepsof “Stop, drop, and roll”.

Students will act out the steps of “Stop,drop, and roll”.

Introduce New Materials

Evaluate Computer Software

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