Thinking and Intellectual Performance Chap. 2

Essential Question: Why is Critical Thinking important? Topic: Metacognition – Thinking about thinking

P. 28 Self Assessment Review the self-assessment and add up your score. If your score falls below 30, reflect of areas to improve.

The role of thinking in study Human learning means a difference occurs within the learner You think differently, behave differently and/or feel differently as a result of mental activity. Good thinking is critical thinking – “the disciplined art of ensuring that you use the best thinking you are capable in a given circumstance” (Paul & Elder, 2012)

Critical Thinking Becoming a critical thinker means that you can routinely use higher order thinking skills based on reason and evidence. It’s not just knowledge based facts that you memorized. An important aspect of critical thinking is the ethical concern of being fair. This is a challenge (especially in an election year!) to listen to all relevant viewpoints equally.

Three Stage Model of Critical Thinking Unreflective Thinking – one who is careless, undisciplined, passive, conforming and unfair in thought Novice Thinking – one who is active, persistent and courageous One who is aware of their thinking One who questions and looks for explanations Advanced Thinking – one who is autonomous, trusts reason, has humility and a sense of justice One who can learn from others and admit the errors of thining One who monitors the thinking, processes and uses a wide range of strategies to improve the thinking

Academic Disciplines Each discipline reflects a distinct way of thinking. You may find some are easier for you than others. For example: Algebra is mathematics with the unknown while physics is the interrelations between mass and energy. p. 30 is a good explanation of this with examples All academic subjects are products of thinking. Thinking creates content.

There are three types of Knowledge Declarative – knowing specific information ab out something. This is usually facts and theories. We call this factual knowledge and conceptual knowledge. Factual knowledge consists of basic pieces of information in a particular academic discipline. Conceptual knowledge is the larger grouping of related ideas. A basic unit of declarative knowledge is known as the proposition, one thought or idea. However, your brain does not think this way. It takes each small part and links it by meaning to may a schemata. A schemata are metal networks of related facts and concepts that influence the acquisition and understanding of new material.

Procedural The second type of knowledge is procedural. Either physically or mentally, you create a result Examples: reading, adding, writing The process of knowing how is call productions. Turn to p. 34-35 and lets compare the two.

Conditional Knowing when and why to use a particular strategy based on understanding the tasks and ourselves. You have become aware of your own learning strengths and weakness and adjust your studying accordingly See p. 36

p. 37 Exercise 2.2 Don’t peak!

Chapter 2 Thinking and Intellectual Performance Types of Knowledge Declarative—possessing specific information about something (facts and concepts; created with proposition (one basic unit for storage) Procedural—knowing how to do something; created with productions (systematic sequence) Conditional—knowing when and why to use a particular strategy based on understanding that task and ourselves. Schemata—mental networks of related facts and concepts that influence the acquisition and understanding of new information (many propositions). 12

Bloom’s Taxonomy Six level system of intellectual performance created in 1956 This was updated and revised in 2001 These six levels are a progression from a simple declarative learning to a more complex creative understanding Draw the chart on p. 38 in your notes.

Chapter 2 Thinking and Intellectual Performance 14

Homework: Read the chapter Especially p. 38-41 We will use this tomorrow in class. (Brush up on your Three Little Pigs story, too.)