The main purpose of using critical thinking technologies is to teach a person to use independently and meaningfully: firstly, educational materials, and secondly, other information sources. The authors of such technologies are educators from America: Kurt Meredith, Charles Temple and Jeannie Steele.
Think critically
In Russia, methods and technologies of critical thinking have been used since about the mid-nineties. The technology is based on the concept of the dialogue of culture by V. Bibler and M. Bakhtin, research on the psychology of L. Vygotsky and others, as well as pedagogy based on the collaboration of Sh. Amonashveli. So what does critical thinking technology mean?
This way of thinking means: independence and freedom, as well as analytics, evaluation and reflection. It is divided into three stages:
- The challenge stage is the constant replenishment of the already existing stock of knowledge and the manifestation of interest in obtaining relevant information, as well as the setting by the person of his own learning goals.
- Stagecomprehension is the extraction of new knowledge and the introduction of amendments to previously set learning goals.
- The stage of reflection is deep reflection and immersion in oneself in order to gain higher knowledge and one more setting of updated tasks.
Challenge of Knowledge
The work of a teacher during this stage of applying the technology of developing critical thinking is primarily intended to challenge the student with those stocks of knowledge that the latter already has, as well as bringing this knowledge into an active state and awakening the desire to work on oneself in further.
The student must find in his memory the knowledge that relates to the material that he is studying. After that, the information is systematized until new material is received. He asks questions he wants answered.
A possible method here is to create a list of currently available information:
- a story is a sentence based on "keywords";
- graphic systematization of acquired knowledge (all sorts of tables, lists, etc.);
- search for true and false statements.
All the data that were received at the stage of the call to knowledge are carefully listened to, they are being recorded and further discussed. All work can be carried out both individually and in the presence of a couple or even a group.
Making sense of data
At this stage of the methods of critical thinking technology, teaching activities are aimed at maintaining a he althy interest in the topic by working together with a new information block, andalso stepping up from received data to more relevant data.
At this time, the student listens or reads the text, using active reading methods (marking in the margins or writing in a journal) as new pieces of information arrive.
The most accessible at this stage is the method of active reading, with markings in the margins. In addition, it is necessary to look for new answers to questions that were posed in the previous phase.
Reflection and reflection
The one who teaches at this level must return the student to the original records in order to update the data. It is also necessary to provide creative and research work based on the material already covered.
The student should match the information recently received with what was originally given, using data from the previous step.
From the methods and techniques of applying critical technologies, it is worth noting the filling of plates and clusters with data. In addition, it is necessary to establish causal relationships among all the knowledge gained. A return to key expressions, as well as true and false statements, will help in this. The main task is to find answers to questions. Creativity and organized discussions on the topic are also good tools.
During reflection, analysis and creative processing are carried out, along with a comparison of all the data received. Available for individuals, couples or groupswork.
List of critical technologies
"Inventory" is the compilation of order from the information already received. The student makes notes about the topic known to him. After that comes the combination of old data with new ones and their addition.
"Do you believe in …?" is a kind of game of right and wrong statements. During the challenge phase, the student selects the correct answers from those offered by the teacher on a given topic and conducts a description of it. In the next phase, they check the correctness of the original choice.
"Words-keys" - the teacher pronounces these words, according to which the student must understand the topic of the lesson or a certain task.
"Thick questions" are questions like "Explain why…?", "Why did you think that…?", "What is the difference between…?", "Make a guess what would happen if…?" and the like.
"ZZhU table" - drawing up a student's own table according to the type "I know - I want to know - I already received the information".
INSERT and Zigzag
A technique of critical technology called "Insert" is marking your text with information with certain icons as you study it.
This is an interactive, markup system for effective reading and reflection. Possible options for marking your text:
- V - already know it;
- + - something new;
- - - I think otherwise, I do not agree with thisstatement;
- ? - not clear, questions remain.
"Zigzag" is a work with text in a group. There is a acquisition of knowledge and optimization of large volumes of material, for which information is divided into passages according to the meaning so that students teach each other. Naturally, there should be exactly the same number of data fragments as there are students in the group.
