Hi Michael,
This can be a challenge to get students to think quickly on their feet, some people have a natural knack at being a fast thinker and others have to get help from their peers.
Patricia Scales
I teach in a vocational setting and critical thinking is an everyday event trying to get the students to plan ahead as they disassembly complex automotive systems is crucial to not having damage occur,they must be able to think on their feet as the unexpected happens
Hi David,
A great combination of teaching is to give students the theory first and then let them apply through lab what they have learned theoretically.
Patricia Scales
using the lecture to explain how systems operate normaly and then setting up faults in the lab where students would have to diagnose using the normal operating compaired to the symptons woks well.
Hi Alfredo,
This is super! This is learning made real because these are things they would have to do on the job.
Patricia Scales
In the course the young people are required to take theory of operation and go perform the job just described and apply some problems to examples and require them to figure out the solutions for the problems created in the activity
Hi Bari,
Great scenarios! We must do all we can to get students to have better problem-solving skills.
Patricia Scales
Hi Mike,
Sounds like fun, and students love to have fun while learning.
Patricia Scales
I have given ingredients ( some new and some familiar) to students and asked them to taste these and from a list determine what word best represents the flavor. To get them started we do one or 2 as a group. Always great fun!
I like that idea. I teach many business classes and I always tell the students to imagine themselves as a CEO facing a dilemma and to think about how they would react.
Hi Rawn ,
I think this is a good idea! Any scenario that involves think critcally can be utilized.
Patricia Scales
Hi David,
Students enjoy doing hands-on activities. They tend to have a better understanding when they can perform a task.
Patricia Scales
I give them example as to what would they do if show up to work and three of there employee's called in, and how would they handle it. Any other ideas?
My questions to the students are analogous to adding a piece of the puzzle in hopes of being able to place all the pieces in the correct location. Each puzzle piece adds to the overall knowledge, which is reinforced with hands on experimentation and evaluation. The questions relate to achieving specific predefined goals and then devising alternative ways of achieving those same goals while maximizing potential benefits.
Hi Connal,
You give your students plenty of notice to produce an "A" paper. Students have a lot of time to think through things critically.
Patricia Scales
I assign a paper one the first day of class, due on the fourth week. They have plenty of time to do research, learn from class lectures and activities, and talk to me about topics or sources. The subject of the paper is deliberately wide open to encourage the students to find something that they are genuinely interested in and go and learn something. It has been quite successful. Everyone is scared that they have athree page paper to write, but every student has delivered great papers with lots of good information and they have clearly learned something, even if they pick a topic they are familiaar with, and enjoyed themselves in the process.
When discussing cuisine from other cultures I ask student to describe their own experiences taste, textures, aromas so that htey have a vested interest in the cuisine and build on that.
Hi Jennifer,
This is definitely applying learning to the real world. This is a great activity to get students to think critically.
Patricia Scales
I give my student case students and questions along with them for them to discuss in class to whether or not if a client can receive a massage at all due to certain circumstances. Also, I have 2 boxes - one filled with disorders (diabetes for example) and the other medications (advil). I have the students draw a certain amount of disorders and medications and the students have to discuss whether the massage is indicated or contraindicated with the stipulations that the students have drawn.
I like to use moral imperatives with students and place them in positions of taking the different view from their preferred view and arguing from that prespective. For instance if one is for the death penalty they must argue a case against the death penality.In my opinion unless you fully understand both sides of any issue you are not practicing critical thinking.Before an understanding enough to make good decesions one must have a clear understanding of both sides of any problems...paul T. Rougemont
