"It is a miracle that curiosity survives formal education." ~Albert EinsteinIn my honest opinion the importance of structure and political correctness trumps the necessity for students to think critically, however there is an enormous call for such reform. How can students use higher order thinking skills when today's teachers are becoming scripted robots, losing so much of there own creative control? That doesn't make a heck of a whole lot of sense to me but I will go on in this blog to explain the things that do.
As I teach my students, especially in the subjects of writing, science, and social studies, my goal is for them look at all possible sides of the issue. I want for them to seek reason with regards to their own passionate opinions, however I stress a huge importance in finding out why it is that the opposition chooses the alternative. Such understanding will enhance and grow and better defend prior notions, or perhaps shift the student into a fresh mindset. That requires me to work harder in planning so I can present multiple angles to each story, and then step back and allow for debate, and a demand for evidence.
My goals are to continue to have students inquire about the world and realize that everybody is very different from themselves and their families. I wish to encourage them to think fast and creatively in order to meet difficult challenges. I want to encourage intelligent dialogue between themselves and those of differing views, because it's conversation that creates change and better understanding.
Clayton,
ReplyDeleteYour points are well understood. I think what it boils down to is "fear". We all know that problem solving and critical thinking techniques create thought provoking lessons and learning. The problem is no one has had the courage to prove it in lower education. I've doing research just on this topic, "Does Project-based/Inquiry Thinking Increase Standardized Test Scores?" The only reason why I care, is because someone has to prove to the "higher ups" that it does or else we will continue to teach just what the test looks like, Multiple Choice format. Everyone teaching the exact same thing, with the same handouts and the same tests. How can we bring in the strategies that we know works with that kind of mentality? Someone will just have to take the cookie cutter calendar and experiment and take a risk. Create a great 9 week project- based learning unit where all the components are intertwined......
I agree that teachers are more focused on teaching the content these days. Focusing on the skill of critical thinking doesn't align with test prep very well. I definitely think there are many ways to incorporate critical thinking in the subjects you suggested. Students should be able to evaluate different views of a topic. Hopefully teachers will learn to incorporate it into their teaching while still reaching the standards and preparing their students for the crct.
ReplyDeleteWell said. I agree with you that nowadays so much creativity is stripped from teachers with standardized testing. But what you said about teaching kids to think about the opposite perspective is a good way to incorporate critical thinking into the classroom. It's a good exercise for kids to try wearing someone else's shoes.
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