Intellectual Standards and Virtues Innovative Educators: Part III

StandardsElementsTraits

Intellectual Standards

How do these intellectual virtues interrelate? To what extent should we foster the development of these virtues in student thinking? How does the development of these virtues relate to learning – or does it? How can we teach these virtues to students?

Uncovering the Traits  Write down a vignette illustrating how you personally witnessed the positive contribution of one of the traits to a team on which you served.  Write down a vignette exemplifying how a deficit in one trait had adversely affected a team on which you served.

Think for Yourself (4-1): Intellectual Humility Name a person that you “know” and are interested in. Now make two lists. In the first list include everything you know for sure about the person. In the second list include everything you know you don’t know about them. For example, I know for sure that my grandmother (father’s side) loved to cook, but I’m also sure that I never really understood what her fears and personal desires were. I knew many superficial things about her, but about her inner self I knew nothing. Be prepared to back up what you claim with an explanation of your thinking.

Think for Yourself (4-2): Recognizing Superficial Learning Think of a college course you completed in which you received a high final grade. Take a blank sheet of paper and try to write out and elaborate, without consulting any sources, answers to the following questions: What is ……?(put in the name of subject; history, biology, etc.) What is the main goal of studying this subject? What are people in this field trying to accomplish? What kinds of questions do they ask? What kinds of problems do they solve?

What sort of information or data do they gather? How do they go about gathering information in ways that are distinctive to this field? What is the most basic idea, concept, or theory in this field? How did studying this field change your view of the world? If you find it difficult to answer these questions, consider the hypothesis that you might have gotten your high grade by “cramming” for tests or by some other means of superficial learning. Do you think you are able to begin to identify the difference in your own past learning between what you learned superficially and what you learned (or might have learned) deeply?

For every problem under the sun There is a solution or there is none. If there be one, seek till you find it If there be none, then never mind it.  To me this means…  In other words…  To exemplify…  To illustrate…

Think for Yourself: Intellectual Courage Try to think of a circumstance in which either you or someone you knew defended a view that was very unpopular in a group to which you belonged. Describe the circumstances and especially how the group responded. If you can’t think of an example, what is the significance of that?

Sample Activity U.S. History Developing Empathy & Recognizing Biases in the Text

Directions  Read the passage alone. (30 seconds)  We will discuss the answers to the questions on the slides following the passage. (2 minutes)

“These Native Americans (in the Southeast) believed that nature was filled with spirits. Each form of life, such as plants and animals, had a spirit. Earth and air held spirits too. People were never alone. They shared their lives with the spirits of nature.”

 What point of view is this statement written from?  Do you think that the passage is an accurate representation of Native American religion? Why or why not?

How might a Christian react if his/her beliefs were succinctly summarized in the following way?

“These Americans believed that one great male god ruled the world. Sometimes they divided him into three parts, which they called father, son and holy ghost. They ate crackers and wine or grape juice, believing that they were eating the son’s body and drinking his blood. If they believed strongly enough, they would live on forever after they died.”

 Do these quotes reflect the depth and breadth of each religious view?  How might one reconstruct these statements to reflect a greater degree of fairmindedness?  To what extent do you tend to stereotype and simplify beliefs other than your own?

1. Thesis-Seeking Essay (as opposed to a thesis-supporting essay)  Students construct a narrative that describes their thinking process as they think through a problem.  Easily adaptable to any discipline.  Often encourages student motivation. Example next slide.

Write a first-person, chronologically organized account of your thinking process as you explore possible solutions to a question or problem related to this course. Begin by describing what the question is and how and why you became interested in it. Then, as you contemplate the problem and do research, narrate the evolving process of your thinking. Your exploratory essay should include both external details (what you read, how you found it, who you talked to) and internal mental details (what you were thinking about, how your ideas were evolving).

For this essay, it doesn’t matter whether you reach a final position or solve the problem; your reader is interested in your process, not your final product. Show us, for example, your frustration when a promising source turned out to be useless. Show us how new ideas continually led you to reformulate your problem through expansion, narrowing, shifting of focus, or whatever. Make your exploratory essay an interesting intellectual detective story – something your readers will enjoy.

StandardsElementsTraits

Standards of Reasoning Clarity: Accuracy: Precision: Relevance: Depth: Breadth: Logic: Significance: Fairness: Understandable, the meaning can be grasped Free from errors or distortions, true Exact to the necessary level of detail Relating to the matter at hand Containing complexities and interrelationships Involving multiple viewpoints The parts make sense together, no contradictions Focusing on the important, not trivial Justifiable, not self-serving (or egocentric)

Standards Questions

Intellectual Standards In each item below, a reason is given then a conclusion is drawn. In each case explain why the reason is not enough to draw the conclusion. Do not disagree with the reason; focus instead on why it is not sufficient.

1. My 80-year-old grandfather smoked a pack of cigarettes a day his whole life. - Cigarettes are not harmful. 2. I’ve studied every night for a week. – I’ll do well on the exam. 3. You have lied to me. – Now I can never trust you. 4. “I cried b/c I had no shoes, until I met a man who had no feet.” – I shouldn’t cry about my own suffering. 5. The Bible says “Thou shalt not kill.” – Capital punishment is forbidden by the Bible.

Making the Standards Intuitive For X in the questions below, substitute the name of your discipline (course). Then answer them. In what ways is it necessary to be clear in X? In what ways is it necessary to be clear in X? What are the areas where people are most likely to be inaccurate in X? What are the most important aspects of X to master? What are the areas where people are most likely to be inaccurate in X? What are the most important aspects of X to master? What are the dangers of giving insufficient responses in X? What are the dangers of giving insufficient responses in X? In what ways are depth and breadth central to X? In what ways are depth and breadth central to X? How is precision most important in X? How is precision most important in X?

Intellectual Standards and Teaching Make a list of the standards that are used in your discipline. Then make a list of ways in which you can better bring the intellectual standards into instruction.

What is Your Philosophy of Education? B Questions C A observes B Questions C A observes C Questions A B observes C Questions A B observes A Questions B C observes A Questions B C observes

What is the difference/relationship between education and the concepts of socialization, indoctrination, and training? C questions A C questions A B observes Focus questions on depth and clarity.

Focusing on a key concept in your course Explain in writing the most fundamental concept in one course you teach. State, elaborate, exemplify

Focus on a key concept in your course. A Questions B C observes A Questions B C observes

Instead of Intellectual Standards, what are the standards people most often use in their thinking? Typical Standards One

Standards Typically Used in Thinking “It’s true because I believe it” (innate egocentrism) “It’s true because we believe it” (innate sociocentrism) “It’s true because I want to believe it” (innate wish fulfillment) “It’s true because I have always believed it.” (innate self-validation) “It’s true because it is in my selfish interest to believe it.” (innate selfishness) Typical Standards Two

More Non-intellectual Standards It’s true because someone in a position of perceived power (or authority) said it is true. It’s true because someone in a position of perceived power (or authority) said it is true. It’s true because it’s beyond my (our) ability to fully understand it. It’s true because it’s beyond my (our) ability to fully understand it.

Non-Critical Thinking Standards Fun Fun Exciting Exciting Feels good Feels good Attention-getting Attention-getting Popular Popular Patriotic Patriotic free free Chic Spontaneous Advantageous Easy Beneficial to me Deeply moving/felt

Typical student beliefs. Learning should be fun. Learning should be fun. Learning should be easy. Learning should be easy. If I do what the teacher says, that’s all that matters. If I do what the teacher says, that’s all that matters.  Learning means doing what the teacher says. All I need to do is the absolute minimum to get the grade. All I need to do is the absolute minimum to get the grade. I shouldn’t have to waste my time learning anything I can’t use. I shouldn’t have to waste my time learning anything I can’t use.  I believe that learning biology is a waste of my time. Cheating to get by is fine because all I need is the piece of paper (the college degree) to get a job anyway. Cheating to get by is fine because all I need is the piece of paper (the college degree) to get a job anyway.

Choose four of the non-critical thinking standards. Choose four of the non-critical thinking standards. Describe how each opens the mind to distortion and misguided application. Describe how each opens the mind to distortion and misguided application.

Intellectual Standards: Make our thinking transparent Make our thinking transparent Invite critique and accountability Invite critique and accountability Provide a common language for evaluation Provide a common language for evaluation

 Open-ended thesis-governed assignment: students choose their topic/problem/question to answer or address. 1. Permits free choice of topics while guiding students toward a thesis-governed paper outlined in the introduction. 2. Focus on questions encourages/models process of inquiry w/in a discipline. 3. Easy to coach. (prospectus, shorter assessment)

Write an essay of X pages on any topic related to this course. Use the introduction of your essay to engage your reader’s interest in a problem or question that you would like to address in your essay. Show your reader what makes the question both significant and problematic. (continued next page)

The body of your essay should be your own response to this question made as persuasive as possible through appropriate analysis and argumentation, including effective use of evidence. Midway through the course, you will submit to the instructor a prospectus that describes the problem or question that you plan to address and shows why the question is (1) problematic and (2) significant.

2. Reflection Papers. (a.k.a. “reader-response paper” or “personal reaction paper”)  Purpose is to explore connections between course material and a student’s individual life or psyche.  Assigned to elicit students’ responses to complex, difficult, or troubling readings.  Invites the writer to “speak back” to the reading in a probing and questioning way.

In a two- to three-page reflection essay, consider the following statement by Aristotle (Ethics II, 2) with respect to your own life: We are not studying in order to know what excellence is, but to become good, for otherwise there would be no profit in it…[We must therefore] consider the question of how we ought to act. Are you studying in order to become good? Explain what you think Aristotle is getting at and then explore your own response.

 STATE in your own words what someone else has said or written or the key concept, problem or question at issue.  ELABORATE on your statement. In other words…  EXEMPLIFY: give an example of the concept from your life and from the content.  ILLUSTRATE: create an analogy, metaphor, simile, graph, chart, cartoon, etc.

Work in pairs. a. Person B reads one sentence aloud, then states in his/her own words what has been read. In other words, person B interprets the sentence. b. Person A then either agrees with the interpretation or offers a different interpretation, adds to the interpretation, etc. c. Do not critique, merely interpret. d. Move on to next sentence.

 Groups of 3  ‘A’ answers ‘B’s questions  ‘B’ questions ‘A’ on defined topic or concept  ‘C’ observes  Rotate when prompted (3 min to teach, 1 minute for feedback)

 Partners  ‘A’ teaches ‘B’ the main points of what was recently discussed/covered/analyzed/ etc.  ‘B’ questions ‘A’s explanation focusing on standards such as clarity, accuracy, relevance, depth.  Switch roles (and focus if desired) when directed.  This activity works well since both students have been exposed to the same content.  Motto: If you can’t teach it, you don’t own it.

 Partners  Purpose: Address two differing interpretations to an issue or problem.  ‘A’ takes a pro side.  ‘B’ argues con side.  Switch when prompted. ◦ Usually after 2-3 minutes.  Develops intellectual depth and empathy.

1. What is the main purpose of the reasoning? 2. What are the key issues, problems, and questions being addressed? 3. What is the most important information being used? 4. What main inferences are embedded in the reasoning? 5. What are the key concepts guiding the reasoning? 6. What assumptions are being used? 7. What are the positive and negative implications?

 Periodically stop class and have students write down a question they have as they think through the content. ◦ If they do not have a question, write: “I am not thinking well enough to have a question.”  Periodically stop class and have students write down the question at issue (under discussion)

 Lecture for no more than 10 minutes.  Have students process for at least 3 minutes

 List ten of the most significant things we have learned today.