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Re: [Phys-l] thinking skills (and how to teach thinking skills)



I agree with Mr. Denker--science is often presented as a set of facts to be memorized at the expense of investigation, analysis, and evaluation. I suspect there has been a backlash against "teaching critical thinking", in the form of a "back to basics" movement, stemming from our failure to effectively communicate what we as educators mean by "teaching critical thinking".

Students are, due to their nascent ability (and desire) to think metacognitively, at pains to define what "critical thinking" is. Educators do not help them, their parents, or the community by failing to define exactly what is meant by "critical thinking". How can one expect another to understand what one cannot articulate?

It may be that many educators do not themselves know what "critical thinking" skills they present. Simply stating that "critical thinking" is a fundamental part of the course of study will come across as "touchy-feely" rather than substantive. Such a perception is unfair, but understandable without specific examples. Small wonder that parents prefer to hear "today we learned that F = ma"--even if it is presented as fact without context--than "we learned to think critically".

If we don't communicate exactly what we mean, we haven't said anything useful.

--Daniel Price, Columbine High School


________________________________

From: phys-l-bounces@carnot.physics.buffalo.edu on behalf of John Denker
Sent: Mon 5/8/2006 12:08 PM
To: Forum for Physics Educators
Subject: [Phys-l] thinking skills (and how to teach thinking skills)



[posted to chemed-l and phys-l ... apologies to those who receive two copies]


A couple of weeks ago I was visiting UC Davis. Among other things,
I was invited to meet with Wendell Potter's "Science Education"
discussion group. The discussion opened with the question, if
you could change one thing about the way science is taught, what
would it be?

My answer was that we should rededicate ourselves to the idea
that _thinking_ is primary and fundamental. Thinking skills
can be taught ... but there is considerable room for improvement
in the way schools teach thinking. There is far too much that
goes on in the school that rewards rote regurgitation and/or
penalizes actual thinking.

A fraction of the problem -- but only a fraction -- can be blamed
on the ECLBE law (Every Child Left Behind Equally).

The topic of thinking skills (and how to teach thinking skills) is
discussed in more detail at
http://www.av8n.com/physics/thinking.htm
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