The Critical Skills Classroom

If you don't know Storify, take some time to tour the site.

"PBL can create engaging learning for all students, but that depth of learning requires careful, specific design. Part of this engagement is the element of critical thinking. Complex problem solving and higher-order thinking skills, coupled with other elements such as authenticity, voice, and choice, create an engaging context for learning."

I'm definitely using this video in the next School Change course I teach!

The future of professional learning

"Right now we are grooming our kids to think in a very particular way, which assumes that the right way to be thinking is to be attentive, to stare straight ahead."

"...fourth in a series of posts from PBL World, a global gathering of educators interested in project-based learning."

I heard him speak at a Brain conference earlier this year, and he got a standing ovation from the 1000's of educators, school admins and school psych's attending.

"If you want to succeed in 21st Century business you need to become a critical thinker. Roger Martin of the Rotman School of Management figured this out a decade ago and as dean, has been working to transform his school's business curriculum with greater emphasis on critical thinking skills."

The idea that there is a growing necessity to think broadly and differently to be successful is not limited to progressive educators. It is a concept that is understood and embraced even in…especially in…corporate America too. jf

Question assumptions. Critical thinkers are inquisitive and look to find the what and the why behind every proposition.Adopt different perspectives. Take advantage of the genders and cultures represented in today's diverse ... landscape.See potential. Assumption-busting and harnessing multiple perspectives are deductive skills. Critical thinkers should also have a creative bent that allows them to see opportunities where others see obstacles.Managing ambiguity … you need to get comfortable with operating in an environment where change is constant and rapid decisions are required.In a world of growing uncertainty one thing is certain; we will need sharp critical thinkers who can size up the situation, realize the potential where others may not, and seize opportunities through prompt decision-making.

"The last session of the New Hampshire Legislature was about the budget. This session is going to be about the future of New Hampshire's public schools."

Here is the list that I ended with.  Even though it is numbered, I now see that other arrangements are at least as appropriate as this.
Permission to Identify and Describe a Problem
I added permission here because several times during the day people described environments that were unwilling to admit problems or listen to those who suggested any course other than "business as usual."
Permission to Solve the Problem
This one might actually be tougher to allow than it seems.  Having worked in state government, I know how risky it is to do anything that jeopardizes your reputation - or that of your boss.  In some environments, it is your job to make your boss look good.
This one might better be labeled, "Permission to take a Chance."
Willingness to Let Go
I suspect that many worthwhile innovations fail, because they are simply mounted on top of existing practices, rather than transforming existing practices.  This is illustrated by the three challenges, made by American education reformers, to the Finnish education model (see Finnish Miracles and American Myths).  The U.S. education reform movement seems unwilling to consider letting go of government testing, school competition, and accountability.
Awareness of Other Boxes
This is a bit of a twist from my usual reference to "outside the box" thinking.  It was actually sparked by a previous conversation with the Director of Applications Development at a large school district I recently worked in.  He told me that what he looks for in prospective hires for his programming staff is "creativity."  He went on to say that the best part of his education was all of the history, literature, science, etc. that he took.
I think that innovation does not necessarily come from outside the box, but from having access to other boxes that rearrange our perspectives and enable us to come at a problem from a different angle.
Engineer a New Way
Thi

"The problem with many assessments is they measure what students know not what they can do with that knowledge.How can instructional strategies help learners develop expertise in the content area?"

"1.What is the ultimate goal of teaching and learning? For students to know something on the surface or for students to be able to think and do something differently?"

Lots of stuff here about David Sobel, including two really nifty upcoming workshops he's doing for ACSR!

I head this woman present at EduCon. There's a lot of interesting food for thought here!

Ever wonder if teachers have an image problem? This site is all about "rebranding" teaching. Good downloadable materials.