3rd+Grade

- Question based problem solving strategies should be implemented into daily instruction. - Generate critical and creative thinking questions through the use of interactive thinking modeled by teacher and peers. - When we relate questioning strategies that are revelant to the students everyday life will help students become more invested in their education. - These are life long strategies that kids must learn. - Being able to look beyond the correct answer and being able to construct meaning from the question is key. - By using these strategies, students become more effective questionares, thinkers, and learners in all areas of their lives. :) **
 * __ Educational Leadership Article- Helping Students Ask the Right Questions __


 * students actively engaged.
 * teacher facilatating work
 * teaching real life situations
 * making connections
 * disscussion and debates
 * review prior knowledge before disscussions

Post your grade level's responses here.

After reading through the article, it is easy to see why many educators are confused about what exactly critical thinking is. It can be baffling at times to know how to go about helping students think in this way. As I read through the article, I was able to understand that there __is not one specific way__ to teach students to think critically. Not having a concrete set of steps to teach students, means that teachers have to incorporate a variety of instructional techniques to help students become critical thinkers. One problem that many teachers deal with is the fact that students cannot always relate to how to think critically because they do not have the background knowledge about a specific subject. Although I have only been a classroom teacher for a short amount of time, I am able to confirm this is definitely true. From this article, I have learned that modeling a set of metacognitive skills can enhance the ability of a student to think critically. Applying and practicing these skills in varied situations and subject areas is also an important part of the critical thinking process. I strongly believe that it is also crucial to remember that not all students think the same way, but are capable of being critical thinkers. J

In order for students to think critically, they must have sufficient background knowledge of any particular subject. If this is lacking, it becomes very difficult for students to make connections, and to comprehend the actual concept of critical thinking. One such example is justifying answers on tests. If the students have little or no knowledge of a particular skill, they are at a loss as to how to explain why they chose a particular answer. In order for them to become more efficient in thinking about their thinking, we must continue to use modeling strategies in the classroom and make them relevant to real-life situations.

Critical thinking is not a process that is automatic embedded. Teachers must tap into the students' background knowledge in order for them to make connections, always encouage real-life situations, and in turn this could teach the students to scratch the surface and dig deeper for meaning when responding to questions. We must model and practice the above strategies many times to ensure that students will become comfortable and efficient in analyzing their thoughts.

It was interesting to read that after twenty years education professors and education policy makers have determined that we really are unable to teach students how to think critically. Lack of background knowledge and lack of time to study and discuss critical and important issues in depth, has made our society unable to go beyond “sound bites”. It would be more helpful if educators were allowed more time to spend analyzing and discussing the subjects we are required to teach, rather than teaching a list of unrelated facts. With as much curriculum as we have to cover in such a short amount of time, it is no wonder our students can’t think critically.


 * Accountability to Knowledge**

Students show accountability to knowledge by justifying their answers. By justifying, they are learning to "think about their thinking." They are required to show proof that an answer is correct. When reading a text in all subject areas, they must use their questioning strategies (Right There, Think and Search, or On Your Own) to prove an answer correct. A statement such as "it makes sense", or "I know it is correct" is unacceptable. In math, they must justify their answers by showing how they solved the problem. Parents and teachers should encourage more read alouds to help students monitor their reading in order to clarify/enhance their comprehension skills. If students are taught at a young age to ask questions and make connections relevant to real-life situations then accountability to knowledge could/will increase.