How Can We Develop Critical Thinkers? “Everything flows.” (Panta rei.)

1. How Can We Develop Critical Thinkers? “Everything flows.” (Panta rei.) (Brookfield, S.D. (1987). Developing Critical Thinkers, Jossey-Bass Publishers, San Francisco.)

2. Model critical thinking: • Clarity • Consistency • Openness • Communicativeness • Specificity • Accessibility Mara Alagic: Critical Thinking

3. Critical thinkers (1) • reject standardized formats for problem solving • consider a range of related and divergent fields • take multiple perspectives on a problem • view the world as relative and contextual rather than universal and absolute Mara Alagic: Critical Thinking

4. Critical thinkers (2) • view the world as relative and contextual rather than universal and absolute • frequently use trial-and-error methods in their experimentation with alternative approaches • have a future orientation • have trust in their own judgment Mara Alagic: Critical Thinking

5. Techniques for Imagining Alternatives • Brainstorming • Envisioning Alternative Futures • Developing Preferred Scenarios • Futures Invention • Esthetic Triggers Mara Alagic: Critical Thinking

6. Brainstorming is an exercise in structuredspontaneity: Actively thinking of as many varied, even outrageous, ideas as you can Mara Alagic: Critical Thinking

7. Brainstorming rules • the most outrages ideas may contain kernels of truths that can be extracted in the process of analysis • as many ideas as possible (quantity => quality) • build upon, integrate and develop upon ideas already voiced => analysis Mara Alagic: Critical Thinking

8. Envisioning Alternative Futures: Creating in one’s mind an image of the desired future organizational state that can serve as a guide to interim strategies, decisions and behaviors Mara Alagic: Critical Thinking

9. Critical thinking comprises two interrelated processes • (1) Identifying and challenging assumptions • (2) Imagining and exploring alternatives • Note that, what frequently happens is that one process occurs without the other: critical of the assumptions not stopping to suggest alternatives; or, inventing multiple alternatives without stopping to analyze critically the assumptions underlying these. Mara Alagic: Critical Thinking

10. Critical thinking is a continuous process composed of alternating phases of • reflecting on a problem or theme • testing new solutions, strategies, or methods on the basis of that reflection • reflecting on the success of these actions in particular contexts, and • further honing, refining, and adapting these actions according to alternative contexts Mara Alagic: Critical Thinking

11. The central point: Thinking is an action The action phases of critical thinking may be • internal (mental) or • external (behavioral) Mara Alagic: Critical Thinking

12. More about Critical Thinking • Processes of critical thinking are person-specific • Emotions are central to critical thinking • Intrinsic and extrinsic reasons for thinking critically are both important • Critical insight often occurs unexpectedly • Peer support is crucial to thinking critically Mara Alagic: Critical Thinking

13. Facilitating Critical Thinking • There is no standard model of facilitating critical thinking • Diversity in methods and materials is necessary • Perfection is impossible • Learner satisfaction is not the sole aim of critical thinking • Risk taking is important Mara Alagic: Critical Thinking

14. Modeling Risk Taking • Risk taking is essential in the process of critical thinking; specific to the context • For example, ... • the ability to make informed departures from the script of a carefully planned lesson Mara Alagic: Critical Thinking

15. Modeling Assumption Analysis Critically analyzing assumptions is one of the most difficult of all capacities to model, since it entails a willingness to scrutinize one’s existing givens - an activity that can frequently be threatening and anxiety - producing Mara Alagic: Critical Thinking

16. Atmosphere of Trust Building an atmosphere of trust between teacher and students • the teacher models openness, honesty, and integrity • students sense that the teacher’s word can be relied upon; that she is not attempting to keep from them information about informal organizational norms or prejudices Mara Alagic: Critical Thinking

17. Developing critical Thinking as Learning Conversation • Good conversations are reciprocal and involving • The course of good conversation cannot be anticipated • Good conversations entail diversity and disagreement Mara Alagic: Critical Thinking

18. Critical thinking is • a productive and positive activity • a process, not an outcome • triggered by positive as well as negative events • emotive as well as rational Mara Alagic: Critical Thinking

19. Manifestations of critical thinking vary according to the context in which occurs Example: Mara Alagic: Critical Thinking

20. Components of critical thinking • Identifying and challenging assumptions is central to critical thinking • Challenging the importance of context is crucial to critical thinking • Critical thinkers try to imagine and explore alternatives • Imagining and exploring alternatives leads to reflective skepticism Mara Alagic: Critical Thinking

21. Learning Contract(750i) - Mode of Alternative Assessment • A title for the project • A statement of purposes and objectives • A description of resources (for example, experts, colleagues, books, videos, computer software, internet) • A summary of methods (for example, literature reviews, interviews, questionnaires, observations) • A specification of criteria for assessment • A specification of indicators for judging whether or not these criteria have been met • A description of data collection techniques by which evaluative evidence will be collected • A self-evaluation Mara Alagic: Critical Thinking