Critical and Creative Thinking in the English Language Classroom

1. Critical and Creative Thinking in the English Language Classroom Toni Hull March 2010 English Language Fellow th.in.tesol@hotmail.com

3. Critical thinking is the process of • exploring questions about and solutions for issues which are not clearly definedand for which there are no clear-cut answers. • exploring = process • not clearly defined = ambiguity • no clear-cut answers = no one right answer aaahq.org/aecc/intent/glossary.htm

4. A Critical Thinker … • identifies, analyzes, and evaluates issues • collects relevant data • looks at questions and answers from multipleview-points • recognizes and moves beyond assumptions and personal biases • formulates and presents persuasive reasons in support of conclusions • makes reasonable decisions about what to believe and what to do • thinks for himself / herself

5. Rock or Feather? • Read each pair of words. • Circle the word in each pair that best describes you. • Share your choices with your group and explain why you chose them.

6. 1. rock feather • 2. city country • 3. breakfast dinner • 4. plastic cotton • 5. yes no • 6. river pond • 7. drums flute • 8. yellow blue • 9. motorcycle bike • 10. mountains valley

7. Bloom’s Taxonomy

8. (Anderson & Krathwohl, 2001) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:BloomsCognitiveDomain.svg

9. Bloom’s Taxonomy in teaching and testing Lower Order Thinking: • Knowledge = recalling pieces of information • tell, list, choose, arrange, find, match, name, spell • Comprehension = understanding meaning • translate, reword, define, explain, outline • Application = using what you know • solve, use, develop, design, operate, demonstrate • adapted from http://www.learnnc.org/lp/pages/778?style=print

10. Higher Order Thinking: • Analysis = answering why and seeing relationships • break down, take apart, examine, simplify, compare • Synthesis = assembling pieces into a new whole and creating new insight • create, combine, predict, generate, invent, compose • Evaluation = judging the value of information for a specific purpose • judge, rate, rank, critique, grade, assess, decide

11. Practice • When designing class activities and assessment questions, think about which level of B.T. you are activating. • Handout Task: What critical thinking skills are being targeted in the questions and activities? • NOTE: There may be more than one right answer!

12. QUESTIONS 1. Do you think this is a good or bad thing? 2. Can you explain what must have happened then? 3. What were the events that happened, according to the text. 4. What was the main idea in this text? 5. Can you see a possible solution to this problem? 6. Can you provide an example of what you mean? 7. Is this statement true or false? 8. From the information given, can you develop a set of instructions?

13. QUESTIONS EV 1. Do you think this is a good or bad thing? SYN 2. Can you explain what must have happened then? KN 3. What were the events that happened, according to the text. CO 4. What was the main idea in this text? SYN 5. Can you see a possible solution to this problem? AN 6. Can you provide an example of what you mean? CO 7. Is this statement true or false? AP 8. From the information given, can you develop a set of instructions?

14. TASKS 1. Recite a poem by heart 2. Make a list of the main events 3. Conduct a debate about an issue of special interest 4. Write a biography of the person we are studying. 5. Prepare a list of criteria to judge a show. 6. Create a new product. Name it and plan a marketing campaign. 7. Design a questionnaire to gather information. 8. Retell the story in your own words.

15. TASKS K N 1. Recite a poem by heart KN/CO 2. Make a list of the main events AN/SYN 3. Conduct a debate about an issue of special interest K/C/AP 4.Write a biography of the person we are studying. SYN 5. Prepare a list of criteria to judge a show. AP/SYN 6. Create a new product. Name it and plan a marketing campaign. AP/AN/SYN 7. Design a questionnaire to gather information. CO 8. Retell the story in your own words.

16. Using Critical Thinking Skills

17. Comparing/Contrasting (Analysis) • How are the two dancers similar? • How are the two dancers different? • Think about their style, their ability, their training, their preparation. PLAY

18. How is dancing similar to /different from learning and speaking a foreign language – like English? • This is an ad for Nike brand athletic sportswear. Do you know the Nike slogan? Just do it!

19. HSBC’s “Your Point of View” Ad Campaign

20. What words would you associate with this picture?

21. fate fear fairy tale “The more you look at the world the more you recognize that people have different ideas about what’s important.”

22. 1picture – 3 words

23. 1 word – 3 meanings (in 3 pictures) What image would you use to illustrate the word ACCOMPLISHMENT “I would use an image / a picture of ________.”

24. 1 word … 3 meanings …

25. Now you try it … • The word is DANGEROUS • Think of 3 different images that express 3 different points of view about the word Think of 3 words that express 3 different points of view about this picture. The words should all belong to the same word class. 1 picture – 3 words 1 word – 3 images

26. A Critical Thinking model for students to use

27. In pairs or small groups, talk about the picture.1 person take brief notes.

28. The “D.I.E.” Approach to Critical Thinking • D = Describe • I = Interpret • E = Evaluate

29. D = Describe • Visual – What do you see/hear? • only observed / objective facts

30. I = Interpret • Ask a variety of “wh-“ questions about the subject. • Who? • What? • When? • Where? • Why ? • How? • Asking the questions is more important than actually knowing the answers. • Be sure you don’t evaluate at this stage!

31. E = Evaluate • Judgment based on describe and interpret • What do you feel/think about the subject? • No right or wrong answers as long as they are supported

32. DescribeInterpretEvaluate Try it again!

33. Describe Interpret Evaluate

34. DescribeInterpretEvaluate

35. WALL-E • Watch the first 10 minutes of WALL-E. • After watching, go through the DIE process with your group. • First, describe what you observed? Do not interpret (don’t talk about causes or how you feel about what you saw). • Second, interpret what you observed using your question words (still don’t talk about how you feel about what you saw). • Third, evaluate what you observed. Now you can judge what you saw. How did the film make you feel? Do you think the film succeeded in its purpose?

36. Good idea? Bad idea? 1. People wear nametags all the time, everywhere. 2. A pill is invented that makes it possible for humans to live to age 150. 3. Another pill is invented that makes it unnecessary for humans to sleep. 4. One more pill is invented that provides all the nutrients needed to sustain life: no more food!

37. Thank you for your participation! Toni Hull th.in.tesol@hotmail.com Workshop PowerPoint and materials are available at: www.italldepends.pbworks.com

38. Improve on these sneakers in as many ways as possible to increase sales.

39. Find the link Both of them are/have/can … Neither of them are/have/can …

40. In pairs … • A girl who was just learning to drive went down a one-way street in the wrong direction, but didn't break the law. How come? • How can you throw a ball as hard as you can and have it come back to you, even if it doesn't hit anything, there is nothing attached to it, and no one else catches or throws it? • Two students are sitting on opposite sides of the same desk. There is nothing in between them but the desk. Why can't they see each other?