Center for Learning and Teaching

1. What is Critical Thinking? Center for Learning and Teaching Dr Aziza Ellozy aellozy@aucegypt.edu

2. To understand what critical thinking is To demonstrate critical thinking in action Objectives of this workshop Susan Haak, 1997. 24 October 2004. www.csicop.org/si/ 9711/preposterism.html

3. What is critical thinking? “Critical Thinkingis the ability to think about one’s thinking …to…recognize its strength and weaknesses,and…to recast the thinking in improved form.” Three definitions of critical thinking. 1996. Center for Critical Thinking. 22 October, 2002. <http://www.criticalthinking.org/University/univlibrary/library.nclk.>

4. The Essential Thinking Skills The Gathering Skills The Organizing Skills The Generating Skills The Recognizing Skills The Analyzing Skills Please refer to you handout

5. Six Levels Knowledge Comprehension Application Analysis Synthesis Evaluation Bloom’s Taxonomy More complex and abstract mental levels Please refer to you handout

6. Critical Thinking in Action:Finding hidden assumptions Find our lost alumni. 24 Sept. 2004. <http://www.unmc.edu/alumni/lost/lostmain.htm> • What are assumptions? They are unstated beliefs that we take for granted and upon which we base our actions or rest our arguments

7. From analycorp.com/uncertainty/ Flaw of Averages  Average depth 3 ft What assumptions am I making when I show you this cartoon?

8. Critical Thinking in Action:Finding hidden assumptions Find our lost alumni. 24 Sept. 2004. <http://www.unmc.edu/alumni/lost/lostmain.htm> • Form groups of four or five • Read the letter1 in your handout • Answer the questions individually and then discuss them as a group • Record your group answers [1] Jonas, A., Raths, L., Rothstein, A. and Wassermann, S. (1986) Teaching for Thinking. Teachers College Press, NY. P 148-149.

9. Center for Learning and Teaching THANK YOU