2. Promoting Critical Thinking By Myrtis Mixon www.riomediagroup.com/blanche 35now/

3. What do you know about C.T.? Pair off …. What do you know? What do you want to know?

4. I will use…. I will remember…. I didn’t know that….

5. A Critical Thinking Activity Naming Tradition Why were you named …. ? I will model what the ‘naming tradition’ is in my family.

6. Reading “My Name” Choral reading Echo reading Shadow/Lip reading Chunk reading

7. Think about Esperanza & names Non-stop writing… Write for 4 minutes without stopping. Pen to the page…. don’t think.

8. What is Critical Thinking? Critical Thinking is an ABSOLUTE NECESSITY for the 21 st century It makes one able to make decisions, evaluate, analyze, synthesize Thus… to choose, to be a life-long learner!

9. What is Critical Thinking? A distinct field of study Actively thinking about, engaging, and analyzing the topics you are learning about.. (handout)

10. Critical Thinking As teachers, we always help students develop thinking skills, but in this new field, we ask students to focus on thinking itself, on the process of developing metacognitive skills

11. Critical Thinking Adding Critical Thinking to your lessons will help motivate your students

12. Critical Thinking Critical Thinking is being aware of thinking CT concentrates on developing higher orders of thinking and promoting that in our lessons. What are the higher orders?

13. The Higher Orders Application Analysis Synthesis Evaluation

14. Carolyn Graham

15. Creating Good Questions Good questions are a central skill of Critical Thinking (First use comprehension questions to be sure) Then, apply the “Higher Orders” Application; Analysis; Synthesis; Evaluation

16. New? Are they new? Strategies for improving the effectiveness of people’s reasoning abilities and critical attitudes

17. Thinking can be developed It is improved by becoming aware of the process A good way to do this: start with a short piece of writing –There’s Always a Bright Side (Omani folktale?)

18. Exploring the Story

19. Exploring with CT Students summarize a story in one sentence Students ask a question that would evoke that sentence These questions will indicate their comprehension of the material Tell them to avoid simple/factual questions

20. summary of “Bright Side” The king forgives the friend when he learns that there is always a bright side when the cannibals release him. (left out the friend’s last sentence. The king learns the friend is right when his lost finger proves to be a blessing for both him and the friend.

21. Exploring with CT Exercises Choosing Revising Arranging Composing Organizing Creating Planning Chronology Scanning Mind-mapping Prediction Making inferences Making decisions

22. Issues to explore Point of View Create questions about point of view How would this be different if it was written: Through the eyes of the friend?

23. Issues to explore Assumptions: What are the assumptions in this story? What beliefs are taken for granted here?

24. Issues to explore Inferences Making conclusions and inferences from writing & listening is an important thinking skill, learning to go beyond the literal What inferences do you make: about the king? the friend? about the future friendship?

25. Issues to explore Implications/Consequences –Decisions cause implications and consequences. What will come out of this story?

26. Four Important areas: Four important areas for Critical Thinking Working toward goals Problem solving Decision making Analyzing issues

27. Summary Writing

28. Summary exercises on reading Summary- paragraph by paragraph Individual In Pairs Group Summary Three Sentence Summary

29. Tips for summary writing 1. Read the entire piece before summarizing 2. List the main ideas (without looking back) 3. Review for potentially missed things of importance 4. Write a summary of the main ideas, using your own words.

30. Tips for summarizing, cont. A. Write a clear statement of the main ideas as your first sentence B. Stick to the important information: names, dates, places C. Avoid examples, description or adjectives - Leave out details D. Conclude with a sentence that ties all the point together

31. Tips for summary writing Your summary should be no more than 1/3 as long as the original Do not make critical comments. Don’t judge when you summarize

32. I will remember…. I will use….. I didn’t know….

33. Promoting Critical Thinking End of session

34. www.riomediagroup.com/blanche3 5now/ www.riomediagroup.com/blanc he35now/ myrtis101@mac.com