Getting students to think

Cesar Klauer

Links 4th Workshop for English Teachers

Colegio Trener

27 Sept., 2003

Presentation scheme

Introduction

Characteristics of creative/ critical language learners

Bloom`s taxonomy and critical thinking

Promoting thinking

Sample activities

Bibliography and Internet resources

Introduction

ELT has a new challenge: enabling students for their future lives

Interest in learner autonomy; how languages are better learned/ acquired; what makes a “good” language learner; how can better learning be fostered

Preliminary results of research into thinking skills, learning strategies and learning styles.

Characteristics of creative/critical language learnersFrom different sources – Kabilan 2000

Creative and critical language learners carry out tasks effectivelyIdentify/ cite reasons for opinions/ answersCarefully / deliberately suspend, reject or accept judgementUse ellaborate, intricate and complex thinking patternsCombine responses and ideas in new waysCorrect themselves and others` methods and proceduresAdapt to constraints, special limitations, irregular circumstances, regularities, uniformities and overgeneralizations

Bloom´s taxonomy

Knowledge

Comprehension

Application

Analysis

Synthesis

Evaluation

Knowledge showing previously learned material

Student recalls facts, terms, basicconcepts and answers

List Name

Recognize Choose Label Relate Tell

Recall Match Define

Useful questions:

What is ... ?

Where is ... ?

How / when did X happen?

How would you describe X?

Can you list ... ?

Comprehension demonstrating understanding

Student organizes, compares,

translates, gives descriptions and states

main ideas.

Compare

Describe

Outline

Organize

Classify

Explain

Rephrase

Show

Relate

Identify

Useful questions:

How would you classify...?

How would you compare...?

What can you say about...?

What is the main idea...?

What facts or ideas show ...?

Application solving problems

Student applies acquired knowledge,

facts, techniques and rules in a

different way.

Apply

Construct

Model

Use

Practice

Dramatize

Restructure

Simulate

Translate

Experiment

Useful questions:

How would you use...?

How would you organize X to show Y?

What would result if... ?

What questions would you ask

Analysis examining and breaking information into parts

Student identifies motives or causes,

makes inferences and finds evidence to

support generalizations.

Analyze

Diagram

Classify

Contrast

Sequence

Simplify

Summarize

Relate to

Categorize

Differentiate

Useful questions:

How is X related to Y?

What is the topic ... ?

What conclussions can you draw...?

What evidence can you find...?

Why do you think...?

Synthesis compiling information together

Student combines elements in a new

pattern or proposing alternative

solutions

Compose

Design

Develop

Propose

Adapt

Elaborate

Formulate

Originate

Solve

Invent

Useful questions:

What changes would you make to ...?

What way would you design...?

Can you predict the outcome of ... ?

How would you improve ... ?

Evaluation presenting and defending opinions

Student makes judgements about

information, validity of ideas or quality

of work based on a set of criteria.

Judge

Rank

Rate

Evaluate

Recommend

Defend

Justify

Prioritize

Support

Prove

Useful questions:

Do you agree with ... ?

What is your opinion ...?

How would you compare ...?

What would you recommend...?

Promoting thinking

Let´s look at these two picturesWhat will happen…

What happened ...?How can you describe ...?Let´s read this problem

Let´s compare these two picturesWhat do you predict will happenWhat conclussions can you draw?What evidence do you haveLet´s analyse this problem

Promoting thinking-2

Learners say:I don´t know how to answer this question.I am ready to begin.I like …..

I finished.

Teachers say:What can you do to get started?

Describe your plan of action.What criteria are you using…How do you know you´re right?

Sample activity 1

Correct – incorrect: present series of sentences for students to analyse and correct if necessary. Apply a “Problem Solving” scheme ( adapted from the “ 3 Steps of Decission Making” – Mirman and Tishman ):

1. Identify the problem2. Brainstorm possible solutions3. List pros and cons of each possible

solution4. Decide on the best solution and try it

Example

Correct or incorrect?

The girl which you talked to me about was at the party yesterday.

Sample activity 2

Guided questioning ( adapted from the Cooperative Learning web page of the Univ.of Chattanooga,Tenn.US)

Based on a reading text or lecture students produce questions using a list of question stems.Then,ask their questions in small groups and discuss answers

Sample question stems:

•What is the main idea of...?

•What if...?

•How does...affect...?

•What is a new example of...?

•Explain why...?

•Explain how...?

•How does this relate to what I've learned before?

•What conclusions can I draw about...?

•What is the difference between... and...?

•How are...and...similar?

•How would I use...to...?

•What are the strengths and weaknesses

Sample activity 3

Building categories ( adapted from Potts )

1.Students are given a list of words

2. They discuss what part of speech the words are.

3. Students justify their answers.

4. They are given a reading text where the words appear in context.

5. They must locate the words and see if their guesses were right and why.

Example:

Brainstorming

Focused

Class

Generate

Text

Focused listing can be used as a brainstorming technique or as a technique to generate descriptions and definitions for concepts. Focused listing asks the students to generate words to define or describe something. Once students have completed this activity, you can use these lists to facilitate group and class discussion.

Sample activity 4: Goldilocks and the three bears

Knowledge – List the items used by Goldilocks while she was in the Bears’ house.Comprehension – Explain why Goldilocks liked Baby Bear’s chair the best.Application – Demonstrate what Goldilocks would use if she came to your house.Analysis – Compare this story to reality. What events could not really happen.Synthesis – Propose how the story would be different if it were Goldilocks and the Three Fish.Evaluation – Judge whether Goldilocks was good or bad. Defend your opinion.

Sample activity 5 : Litle Red Riding Hood

1.Illustrate the main idea of the story on a poster.

2.Rank the characters from best toworst and explain how you ranked them.

3.Create a new story by placing Red in a modern-day city

What did you think?

1. Application

2. Evaluation

3. Synthesis

Sample activity 6: Little Red Riding Hood

4.Describe what Red did when she first saw the Wolf.

5.Tell what happened to the grandmother in the story.

6.Write out the main events in the story. Cut them apart and sequence them in proper order.

What did you think?

4. Comprehension

5. Knowledge

6. Analysis

Sample activity 7: Three Little Pigs

1.Invent a new ending for the story where the Wolf comes out ahead.

2.Using models, demonstrate which house stood up the best.

3.Describe the materials used to build each home.

What did you think?

1. Synthesis

2. Application

3. Comprehension

Sample activity 8: Three Little Pigs

4.Read the story and list the type of home built by each pig.

5.What is the relationship between the materials used to build each house and what happened to it when the wolf blew on it?

6.Judge the homes from worst to best, according to strength, cost, and building time.

What did you think?

4. Knowledge

5. Analysis

6. Evaluation

Bibliography and Internet resources

Cooperative Learning – University of Chattanooga http://www.utc.edu/Units/teaching-resource-center/FacultyDevelopment/CooperativeLearning/#guidedCreative and Critical thinking in Language Classrooms, Muhammad Kamarul Kabilan University Technology MARA – Malasya. The Internet TESL Journal http://iteslj.org/Techniques/Kabilan-CritcalThinking.htmlStrategies for Teaching Critical Thinking, Bonnie Potts- http://edresearch.org/pare/getvn.asp?v=4&n=3Teaching Critical Thinking ,Sally Reid , Centre for English Language Education – Asia University http://www.asia-u.ac.jp/english/cele/articles/Reid_Critical_Thinking.htmLearning Disabilities Resource Community http://www.ldrc.ca/Bloom´s Taxonomy and Critical Thinking Barbara Fowler -Critical Thinking Acrsos the Curriculum http://www.kcmetro.cc.mo.us/longview/ctac/toc.htm

Thanks a lot

cesarklauer@terra.com.pe