Thinking Skills Critical Thinking Analyzing Creative Thinking Synthesizing Reflective Thinking Metac

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Thinking SkillsCritical Thinking -
AnalyzingCreative Thinking - Synthesizing
Reflective Thinking - Metacognition

• Dr. Diane E. Newby
• Central Michigan University

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Creative Thinking

• Students create, devise, plan and
  generate(Synthesis)
• Students determine the workable from the
  unworkable(Evaluate)

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Critical Thinking

• Analyzing and interpreting data in ways that lead
  to
• Hypothesizing about similarities and differences
• Evaluating explanatory hypotheses in light of
  additional information
• Making plausible inferences
• Drawing conclusions and or generalizations

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Problem Solving

• There are two types of problem solving
• Students work through problems and identify the
  one correct answer.
• Use situations where there are best, more
  appropriate, or even multiple answers.

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MetacognitionStudents consciously controlling
and directing their thinking.

• Conscious choosing
• Categorizing with multiple criteria
• Paraphrasing what is heard
• Reflecting on how the answer was derived
• Engaging in I think activities
• Making Plans
• Limitations

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Think Skills for Inquiry Process

• Identify Problems

• Hypothesizing and Inferring

• Gathering and Interpreting Data

• Generalize

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Techniques that teachers can use to enhance their
students involvement and create a feeling that
they are dealing with their problems. (Cognitive
Dissonance)

• Creating mystery-type situations
• Providing limited information at the onset of an
  activity
• Using speculative-heuristic questions

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Fact Sheets Culture Cards

• A sheet you provide students that contains a few
  selected but uninterpreted facts.
• Students must use the uninterpreted facts to make
  inferences about the topic.
• Data on the fact sheet should permit comparisons
  but should not reflect unique one-of-a-kind
  information.

• Culture cards are captionless pictures or
  photographs of a particular culture.
• Using captionless pictures
• Separate pictures of culture just studied from
  other cultures
• Group pictures according to certain criteria
• Add captions to photos or pictures.

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Teaching Students to Discuss Controversial
Public Issues(CPI)

• CPI is an unresolved question of public policy
  that sparks significant disagreement.
• 3 Attributes
• The controversy is live.
• Some public either informs or makes a decision
  about the issue
• There is significant disagreement about the best
  solution

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How to Improve CPI discussions

• Teachers show examples of good CPI discussions.
• Students co-construct rules and norms from the
  examples.
• Specific skills are taught through modeling and
  practice.
• Ask probing questions without insulting someone.
• Make a transition to another point.
• Invite the participation of students who have yet
  to participate.

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CPI Discussions

• Teachers should be facilitators.
• Important factors that influence participation
• Knowledge of the topic
• Interest in the topic
• Time to think before speaking
• Feeling safe in the discussion environment

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References

• Welton, David A. Children and Their World.
• Melendez, Wilma Robles de., Vesna Beck and Melba
  Fletcher. Teaching Social Studies in Early
  Education.
• Hakes, Judith A., Marilyn J. Eisenwine. An
  Electronic CLASP, Connecting Children and Social
  Studies. Social Studies, 94 no 2, Mr/Ap 2003.
• Harmon, Kelly, Millett, Miranda, Spencer,
  Tina. Contributions to this PowerPoint
  Presentation.