Enhancing English Education through Critical Thinking GIST 2010 Indonesia and Vietnam

1. Enhancing English Education through Critical ThinkingGIST 2010Indonesia and Vietnam Jonathan Strahl United States-Indonesia Society Asia Pacific Leadership Program Honolulu, Hawaii strahlj@aplp.eastwestcenter.org

2. The Problem • Pesantren IMMIM Makassar 2007. • Learning is: Rote memorization. Assessment is: Repetition. • Teacher-Student-Teacher (TST) cycle • Teachers teach the same way they were taught as students. • Teachers want to be better! • Often, they lack the resources.

3. My Contribution • A fresh perspective on education • B.A. Cognitive Psychology • Successful teaching experience in Indonesia • My project: • “Critical Thinking and Language Learning” teacher training workshop

4. The Project • Approximately 4-hour presentation to secondary school teachers • critical thinking for language learners, student interaction, new lesson plans, online resources • Workshops conducted in: • Hanoi (Vietnam National University) • East Jakarta • Depok/Cinere • Bogor • Pati/Kajen (Central Java) • Denpasar/Ubud Bali (school visit) • Makassar (South Sulawesi)

5. Teaching Models Palmer (1998) Lecture-based Passive Truth is passed from teacher to student Discussion-based Interactive No objective “Truth”

6. Think Pair Share • How do you define critical thinking? • On your own (3 mins writing) • With a partner (3 mins speaking) • As a group (4 mins volunteering)

7. Critical Thinking • Using cognitive skills and strategies that increase the probability of a desired outcome (Halpern, 2003) • Purposeful, reasoned, goal directed • Solving problems, formulating inferences, calculating likelihoods, and making decisions • Mindful of and pertinent to context

8. Really…What is Critical Thinking?! • In my workshop, a ‘critical thinking’ teaching style: • Is context-based (caters to student interests) • Effectively mixes teaching models • Requires students to interact and form opinions • Case studies, concept maps, role plays, discussion

9. Why CT? • Memorizing facts is not good enough • Facts are easily accessible. Students should learn how to use information effectively • Students must discern valid sources of information • Why Critical Thinking and English? • Any content can be taught in a language class. • Scholarships, study abroad

10. My Workshop • Emphasize Student Interaction • Exchange of ideas and opinions • Critical thinking attitude • Healthy classroom environment • Passive correction • Student motivation • Incentives • Personal relationship with teachers

11. My Workshop • 4 skills • Determine causality • Inference • Analysis • Synthesis • Using those skills in new contexts • Case studies, role play, ethics, multiple solutions • Thinking about the process of language learning (metacognition)

12. Sample Lesson PlanChallenging Assumptions • What is a hero? • What is a villain? • Examples?

15. 1. The giraffe is about to give birth.2. One of the lions has died.3. Small children are scared of the crocodiles as they walk into the zoo.4. The zoo has a new panda.5. Monkeys are very noisy, disturbing animals.6. The camel stinks.7. All enclosures must be filled.8. Harmless animals should not be placed next to predators. (In case there is an escape)9. The zoo wants to buy a new species. It can buy either two wolves or four flamingoes or a pair of small deer.

16. The Result • 5 Full workshops • 10 School visits • 122 Participants • 51 schools • 36,600 students potentially influenced!

17. Feedback Data • 70 Participants • 7 Questions: Rate 1-7 • I learned something useful from this workshop. • M = 6.414 SD = 0.999 • My students will benefit from this workshop. • M = 6.243SD = 0.875 • I plan to utilize critical thinking teaching styles and lesson plans in the future. • M = 6.171SD = 0.932 • The lesson plans presented in the workshop are appropriate for my students. • M = 5.771SD = 1.253 • I understood the content of the workshop. • M = 5.843SD = 1.044 • I understood Mr. Jon as he was speaking throughout the workshop. • M = 5.985SD = 0.985 • I plan to investigate the additional materials online. • M = 5.871 SD = 1.296 • I would recommend this workshop to fellow teachers. • M = 6.174SD = 0.907

18. Testimonials • “Critical thinking influence me and give me spirit for my English class tomorrow. It helps me refresh my mind that teaching English can be more fun and at the same time more effective for the students (increase their abilities) and for the teacher (give positive atmosphere inside my heart).” • “Do it regularly. I mean the workshop. Please.” • “Thanks for your presentation. I've got something different which is very useful in appreciate the new method, model and technique in teaching English and I think this is what we call the 'new paradigm' to be a good teacher. I hope we will have another opportunity to have a workshop like this from Mr. Jonathan.”

19. Indonesian Education SystemChallenges • Low teacher expectations • Don’t use English in the classroom • Don’t know the names of their students • Student motivation • 3-4 great students per class • Lack of capital • Rooms, teacher pay

20. Indonesian Education SystemChallenges • Contextual variety • East Jakarta – under-resourced but high motivation • Pati – under-resourced and low motivation • Bali – Sufficiently resourced and very high motivation • Makassar – under-resourced and moderate motivation • The ujiannasional(national exam)

21. Indonesian Education SystemSolutions • 5-year management plan: Pesantren IMMIM Putra Makassar • 1 teacher 1 school • Teachers need their own classroom • Simplifies planning • Teacher’s domain • Emphasize communication! • Internet is an asset • Motivated by scholarships

22. Acknowledgements • A big thanks to the host organizations: • Vietnam National University Hanoi • YayasanYasmin Jakarta • Cahaya Guru Jakarta • Lazuardi school Cinere • Mathali’ulFalahPesantrenKajen • Taman Ramah school Denpasar • Teachers of SMA 2 Ubud • IMMIM Makassar

23. Contact Information