INTERNET PROJECTS & CRITICAL THINKING

1. INTERNET PROJECTS & CRITICAL THINKING TOM JOHNSON ADMC MY WEBSITE: http://tomchas.googlepages.com/criticalthinking%26internetprojects

2. SOME IMPORTANT QUESTIONS What is critical thinking? Give 3 examples of when stsdon’tthink critically in the classroom? Why might it be important to teach CT? How can we teach it?

3. WHAT IS CRITICAL THINKING “Helping students actively think their way to conclusions; discuss their thinking with other students and the teacher; entertain a variety of points of view; analyze concepts, theories, and explanations in their own terms; actively question the meaning and implications of what they learn” http://www.criticalthinking.org/articles/glossary.cfm “Higher Order Learning”

4. WHAT IS DIALECTICAL ARGUMENTATION? • Students discuss issues from different angles, viewpoints and back arguments with evidence and reference to consequences. • Sts analyze the relative strengths and weaknesses of argumentsand the possible motives or human purposes underlying the viewpoints. • Sts attempt to solve real life problems with the possibility of more than one adequate solution.

5. TEACHING CRITICAL THINKING • Two approaches: • Complete self-contained course, e.g. De Bono’s ‘Six Thinking Hats’ • Adapt existing materials to include materials which force sts to think critically, rubrics that assess CT

6. AVOIDING PLAGIARISM:NOTE-TAKING: THE INTERMEDIATE STAGE • Get students to take notes from the internet. • Close their laptops; then discuss topic in groups • And / or prepare assignment: presentation or report

7. AVOIDING PLAGIARISM: • Get students to do something with the information they find on the internet: • Compare information from different websites and arrive at their own conclusions: • Alternative Energy for cars • Plan something based on the information they get: • Planning for asteroid impact

8. HOW CAN WE TEACH CRITICAL THINKING? Critical thinking & internet projects - 3 components: • Classroom Procedures:note-taking, group discussions, completing discussion follow-up materials, writing assignments and giving presentations • The Teaching Materials: Guided notes, discussion / role-play follow-up feedback forms, presentation feedback forms • The Assessment Materials For The Teacher & Sts: Written assessment criteria & PPT assessment criteria

9. INTERNET PROJECT CLASSROOM PROCEDURE • Take notes or complete guided notes about topic on website[s] • Prepare ideas for discussions from brief or ideas for roles for role-play scenarios • Role-plays or discussions about different groups’ solutions encourage dialectical argumentation • Whole-class follow-updiscussion

10. INTERNET PROJECT CLASSROOM PROCEDURE • Complete follow-up guided notes with information obtained from other groups in whole-class discussion. • Prepare written assignments or presentations based on the completed guided notes. • Submit written assignments or give presentations

11. GETTING THE INFORMATION FROM THE INTERNET Direct sts to websites trawled in advance: ALTERNATIVE ENERGY SOURCES - URL TABLE Sts complete GUIDED NOTES based on information from trawled websites Experienced sts complete ‘BOX CHARTS’

13. MAKING NOTES FROM A TEXT 1.What is the Internet text below about? 2.Only the words in italics have been included in the notes? Why? 3.The underlined words have NOT been included. Why not? 4.What type of words have NOT been included? [nouns, verbs, prepositions etc]? The answers to these questions are at the bottom of this page. INTERNET TEXT Aproblemfaced bydriversis how to keep young children happy in the back of thecaron long journeys. More and morefamiliesarebuying cars, which have“Entertainment centers”. Entertainment centershaveavideo screenso thatchildrencan watch a movie on videocassette in the back seat orlisten tomusic, which they choose on DVD or MP3. Later, they mightplay video games—all while you do the drivingfreefrom worry about the children. Notes Drivers’ problem / keeping children happy on long car journeys Families buying cars / entertainment centers / video screen / children watch movies / DVD / Video-cassette / video games / music / MP3 / driver free

14. BOX CHARTS _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

15. ROLE-PLAYS / DISCUSSIONS: THE 'JIGSAW' APPROACH • Sts directed to different websites according to role or perspective: • GUIDED NOTES - Energy Sources for Cars • Hydrogen-powered cars • Ethanol-powered cars • Electric cars • Hybrid cars

16. 'DIFFERENT BRIEF' APPROACH Sts take notes from same website[s], but from different perspectives: Threat of Asteroid Impact GROUP 1 – Responsible for evacuation GROUP 2 – Housing & power GROUP 3 – Food & water GROUP 4 – Law & order / Communication

17. GUIDED NOTES: ADVANTAGES & DISADVANTAGES

18. GUIDED NOTES: SITUATION, PROBLEM, SOLUTION, EVALUATION

19. ROLE-PLAY / DISCUSSION SCENARIOS T’s handout sets up scenario based on information in website [s] ROLE-PLAYS & DISCUSSION SCENARIOS Sts are assigned roles [role-plays] or viewpoints [discussions] Sts prepare for discussions or role-plays using notes from websites Sts perform the above in ‘remixed’ groups: each member representing the different roles or viewpoints.

20. ROLE-PLAY / DISCUSSION SCENARIOS - II Whole-class discussion of conclusions / solutions reached by different groups Sts complete guided notes with information the other groups researched Sts prepare written assignments or presentations based on this information

21. PRESENTATIONS PROCEDURE:BEFORE Sts prepare presentations based on notes taken from the internet Sts read / choose questions to ask presenters after their presentations More experienced and/or able students prepare their own questions about other sts’ presentations.

22. PRESENTATIONS PROCEDURE: DURING & AFTER • Sts give their presentations • Sts take notes on one or two questions, either during or after presentation on Presentations Feedback Form • Students provide critical feedback on arguments, evidence or conclusions in other students’ presentations

23. PRESENTATIONS FEEDBACK FORM Listen carefully to the presentation and try to answer ONE of the questions about what the presenter said. If you don’t understand anything during the presentation, you can ask the presenter at the end of the presentation. • What’s the presenter’s opinion about this topic? • What evidence does the presenter give to support his opinion? • What different solutions or points of view has the presenter shown? • What solution does the presenter propose? • Is this a good solution? Why? Why not? • What are the possible consequences of this solution? • What solution would you propose to the problem and why? • Do you agree with the presenter’s position / opinion? Why? Why not? • What’s the main / most important thing you learned from the presentation?

24. SOME QUESTIONS How do we assess CT in sts’ writing? How do we assess CT in sts’ presentations? How do we teachsts to use CT in their writing and speaking?

25. CT ASSESSMENT RUBRICS For The Teacher: CT Written Assignment Evaluations Criteria CT Presentations Evaluations Criteria For the student: CT Components for PPTs & Written Assignments

26. C T – WRITTEN ASSESSMENT CRITERIA Obviously, some important CT skills only, not totally comprehensive list • List, label or identify information in the website [s] • Define, explain, summarize, take effective notes • Solve problems, apply solutions to a new situation, transfer knowledge to a new situation • Compare, contrast, differentiate between items, websites, other solutions, approaches to the topic • Back up, support proposed solutions with reasons, evidence • Evaluate information: evidence, explanations , reasoning • Draw inferences, conclusions according to evidence, data • Predict possible outcomes of proposed solutions • Synthesize different positions, develop own approach • OTHER: e.g. recognize, evaluate assumptions, bias

27. PRESENTATIONS EVALUATION CRITERIA To what extent has the presenter: • defined, explained or summarized information? • compared and contrasted different approaches to the topic? • supported proposed solutions with evidence? • evaluated evidence, explanations or arguments? • recognized assumptions, bias in the material? • drawn inferences, come to conclusions based on the data? • predicted possible outcomes of proposed solutions? • applied solutions to a new situation? • synthesized different positions to develop own approach? • demonstrated any other critical thinking skills not mentioned above? • responded effectively to questions from the audience?

28. EXAMPLES OF CRITICAL THINKING SKILLS