Critical Thinking Across the Language Curriculum

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Critical Thinking Across the Language Curriculum

• Cynthia Kieffer
• University of Oregon
• American English Institute
• ckieffer_at_uoregon.edu

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Introduction

• Homework anyone?
• Topic I Overview
• Activity I Textbook Analysis, A
• Topic 2 Blooms Taxonomy
• Activity 2 Textbook Analysis, B
• Wrap Up, Q A

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Topic One Rationale for Teaching Critical
Thinking

• In the past, we memorized facts.
• Todays global world requires that a person learn
  and make sense of new information through --
  multiple sources-- analysis-- synthesis--
  evaluation

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Topic One Critical Thinking is.

• Reflective and reasonable thinking.
• Providing and requesting evidence.
• Determining authenticity, accuracy, and worth of
  information or claims.
• A frame of mind plus a number of mental
  operations (processes).

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Topic One The research shows that CT skills

• Are needed in todays world
• Can be taught
• Can be infused into curriculum and need not be
  taught as separate skills.

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Topic One Cognitive Research, Blooms Taxonomy

• Knowledge
• Comprehension
• Application
• Analysis
• Synthesis
• Evaluation

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Activity One, Textbook Analysis

• Speed up to the World OutsideIntermediate
  level, Unit 1, Reading, page 12Miguel Angel
  Corzo (mini-biography)
• Sample fact-finding questions-- Where did he
  study and work?-- Read the text. How many time
  expressions can you find?

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Activity One Blooms Question Cues, 1-2

• Knowledge define, list, tell, describe, label
• Comprehension explain, give examples,
  differentiate
• TASK In groups, create knowledge and
  comprehension questions for a biographical figure
  (Miguel Angel Corzo or other).

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Activity One Debrief

• Name of biographical figure
• Age of the students
• Question type (knowledge or comprehension)
• Question or activity
• Keep your biographical figures and questions. We
  will build on them in Activity Two.

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Topic Two Blooms Question Cues, 3-6

• Application calculate, illustrate, classify
• Analysis compare, contrast, infer
• Synthesis substitute, what if?, reconstruct,
  design, invent
• Evaluation measure, recommend, convince, judge,
  defend, decide

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Activity Two

• TASK Now go back to the biographical figure
  (Miguel Angel Corzo or other), and create
  additional questions or activities to elicit
  critical thinking in these categories.

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Topic Two Blooms Question Cues, 3-6

• Application calculate, illustrate, classify
• Analysis compare, contrast, infer
• Synthesis substitute, what if?, reconstruct,
  design, invent
• Evaluation measure, recommend, convince, judge,
  defend, decide

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Activity Two, Debrief

• Name of biographical figure
• Age of the students
• Question type (application, analysis, synthesis,
  or evaluation)
• Question or activity

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Wrap Up Teaching Implications

• Analyze and adapt materials.
• Develop activities that elicit higher order CT
  skills.
• Include appropriate assessment (teach and test at
  comparable CT levels).
• English CT meaningful communication across
  the curriculum.

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Next Steps

• Critical Thinking, Part II FebruaryEstablishing
  and Maintaining a Climate in the Classroom for
  Critical Thinking Skills.
• See web site readings, especially --Taxonomy of
  Socratic Question--Strategy List 35 Dimensions

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Critical Thinking Across the Language Curriculum

• Cynthia Kieffer
• University of Oregon
• American English Institute
• ckieffer_at_uoregon.edu