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Critical Thinking

Critical Thinking. The Presentation What is Critical Thinking?

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Page 1: Critical Thinking. The Presentation What is Critical Thinking?

Critical Thinking

Page 2: Critical Thinking. The Presentation What is Critical Thinking?

The Presentation

Page 3: Critical Thinking. The Presentation What is Critical Thinking?

What is Critical Thinking?

Page 4: Critical Thinking. The Presentation What is Critical Thinking?

Definitions

• Critical thinking...the awakening of the intellect to the study of itself. (http://www.criticalthinking.org/aboutCT/define_critical_thinking.cfm )

• Critical and Creative Thinking can be described as qualities of good thinking processes and as types of thinking. (http://www.sasked.gov.sk.ca/docs/policy/cels/el4.html)

Page 5: Critical Thinking. The Presentation What is Critical Thinking?

Example

How Old Are You Now?

Eight years ago, Mary was half as old as Jane will be when Jane is one year older than Tim will be at the time when Mary will be five times as old as Tim will be two years from now. Ten years from now Tim will be twice as old as Jane was when Mary was nine times as old as Tim. When Tim was one year old, Mary was three years older than Tim will be when Jane is three times as old as Mary was six years before the time when Jane was half as old as Tim will be when Mary will be ten years older than Mary was when Jane was one-third as old as Tim will be when Mary will be three times as old as she was when Jane was born. How Old Are They Now?

http://www.teach-nology.com/worksheets/critical_thinking/logic/5/

Page 6: Critical Thinking. The Presentation What is Critical Thinking?

Bloom’s Taxonomy

Which level(s) contain critical thinking?

Image from: http://faculty.chass.ncsu.edu/slatta/hi216/images/gifs/blm.gif

Page 7: Critical Thinking. The Presentation What is Critical Thinking?

Why Should I Care?

Why do I want to emphasize Critical Thinking in class?

Page 8: Critical Thinking. The Presentation What is Critical Thinking?

Thinking Skills

• Of course, our goal is to help people learn to think!

Page 9: Critical Thinking. The Presentation What is Critical Thinking?

Test Prep• As a teacher who gives departmental Exams, I

never know what type of questions will be asked. So, how do I help my students prepare?“You should not lose your self-sufficient state of mind. This does not

mean a closed mind, but actually an empty mind and a ready mind. If your mind is empty, it is always ready for anything; it is open to

everything. In the beginner's mind there are many possibilities; in the expert's mind there are few."

Shunryu SuzukiZen Mind, Beginner's Mind

Page 10: Critical Thinking. The Presentation What is Critical Thinking?

Lifelong LearnersWhat would critical thinkers think of these news stories?

•“Birther” Movement

•Climate Change Myth

•American Border Fence

•Mortgage Crisis

•Debate on Socialized Medicare

•Professor “Skip” Gates

Can these controversies be avoided?

Page 11: Critical Thinking. The Presentation What is Critical Thinking?

How Do I Use This?

(in Math)

Page 12: Critical Thinking. The Presentation What is Critical Thinking?

Theory

• Critical thinking can be seen as having two components: – a set of information and belief generating and processing skills, and – the habit, based on intellectual commitment, of using those skills to guide

behavior. • It is thus to be contrasted with:

– the mere acquisition and retention of information alone, because it involves a particular way in which information is sought and treated;

– the mere possession of a set of skills, because it involves the continual use of them; and

– the mere use of those skills ("as an exercise") without acceptance of their results.

http://www.criticalthinking.org/aboutCT/define_critical_thinking.cfm

Page 13: Critical Thinking. The Presentation What is Critical Thinking?

In the AirLogic Puzzles“Ancient Egyptian pyramids were built as royal tombs. Within these massive stone structures

were rooms, halls, and connecting passageways. Look at the figure below. Can you draw four paths that connect the matching symbols? The paths may not cross, they may not

enter a non-matching pyramid, nor may they go outside the larger pyramid boundary. “

Page 14: Critical Thinking. The Presentation What is Critical Thinking?

In the Air

• Four Fours

“Challenge: Using four 4's and any operations, try to write equations that have the numbers from 0 to 100 as the answer. “

(4 4) (4 4) 1

Page 15: Critical Thinking. The Presentation What is Critical Thinking?

In the Air

• Sudoku are great examples of problem solving!

Page 16: Critical Thinking. The Presentation What is Critical Thinking?

In the Content

• As you now doubt learned in school, choosing questions that fit different levels will promote critical thinking.

Page 17: Critical Thinking. The Presentation What is Critical Thinking?

Example

• Solve the following systems of equations

The sum of two numbers is 12. Three times the larger minus 4 is equal to 5 times the smaller. What are the numbers?

The total number of people attending a concert was 1200. If adult tickets cost $15.00 and student tickets cost $10.00 and the total receipts were $16,500, how many adults attended the concert?

The perimeter of a rectangular playing field was 400 m. The length of the rectangle exceeds three times the width by 10 meters. Find the dimensions of the rectangle.

3 4 17

5 7 1

x y

x y

3 2 10

4 3 13

x y

x y

2 4 14

3 14

x y

x y

Adapted from: http://www.saskschools.ca/curr_content/matha30/index.html

Page 18: Critical Thinking. The Presentation What is Critical Thinking?

What Can the Teacher Do?

• Model Problem Solving

• Teach how you learn

• Put the responsibility back onto the student

• Have the students compare their answers with the “expert” opinion

• Be the Devil’s Advocate

• Debate and Discuss

• Give detailed feedback

• Model Thinking

Page 19: Critical Thinking. The Presentation What is Critical Thinking?

Bibliography• Michael Scriven, and Richard Paul. "Defining Critical Thinking." The Critical Thinking

Community - Foundation for Critical Thinking. Summer 1987. Foundation for Critical Thinking. 11 Aug 2009 <http://www.criticalthinking.org/aboutCT/define_critical_thinking.cfm>.

• Saskatchewan Education, Understanding the Common Essential Learnings - A Handbook for Teachers. Regina, SK: The names of authoring organizations, e.g., a research foundation, government agency, school district, or university responsible for the intellectual content of the document. Saskatchewan Dept. of Education, 1988. Digital.

• Rusbult, Craig. "Critical Thinking Skills in Education and Life." Critical Thinking in Education. 5 Dec 2008. American Scientific Affiliation. 11 Aug 2009 <http://www.asa3.org/ASA/education/think/critical.htm>.

• Elder, Linda. "I think critically, therefore I am." Times Higher education. 6 Aug 2009. Times Higher Learning. 11 Aug 2009 <http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/story.asp?sectioncode=26&storycode=407700&c=1>.

• Searls, J. Matt. "Applying Critical Thinking to Teaching and Learning." PEN International. 13 July 2006. PEN International - Rochester Institute of Technology. 11 Aug 2009 <http://www.pen.ntid.rit.edu/newdownloads/workshop/philippines/2006/Critical_Thinking/powerpoint.pdf>.