One of the biggest challenges that our students face when completing a writing assignment tends to be their lack of critical reasoning and problem solving skills, as well as creativity. There are many reasons why it is so. While the lack of free time that our students have available to ponder and reflect on the problem they are solving seems to be one of the culprits, biased thinking, the Web, or simply - lack of interest, and, therefore, zero creativity, add to the list. However, we keep hearing the word "critical thinking" without giving it, I think, a special attention. What is it, critical thinking, anyway?
Why is Critical Thinking so important?
Nadya: This is a fascinating topic, and one that is relevant to the teaching of writing because it has been said (and proven!) that writing is our representation of complex thought, a visual representation of the process of critical thinking. Writing is one of the most complex activities we can ask our students to engage in, activating both sides of the brain and the body as we hammer out any given text. I also like that you've begun with a critical question: What IS critical thinking? Yes, please!
ReplyDeleteA pet peeve of mine is how many people confuse "being critical" with "critical thinking." I do not understand "critical thinking" to mean "the act of criticizing something or someone or pointing out its flaws." Critical thinking goes way beyond such trivial measures to ask us to engage our moral compass, our life experience, our problem-solving synapses, our gut instinct, our autobiographies, our geographical sense of place, our educational histories, and our knowledge and area expertise to synthesize thought into a communicable, articulate idea that we are able to express to others. Phew. So, yes, what is it? What does it look like? Maybe you should begin by defining what is NOT critical thinking. What educational practices DO NOT allow for or invite critical thinking? Maybe defining what it is not is an easier place to begin than defining what it is. Keep going! Explore this unknown territory!
Nadia,
ReplyDeleteThis is such a great topic! In nigh school I never had to write a critical paper. Now that I have to do them all the time, I wonder why I was never thought those skills. They are essential to understanding yourself and the world you live in. They are the key to understanding the material as well as your surroundings.
I think if critical thinking was a part of the curriculum then the students problem-solving and life-skills would blossom.