CRITICAL THINKING THEORIESCritical thinking is a skill that every student must learn to master. It cannot be learned alone, but can only emerge from interactive learning. It is obtained over the course of many years and through continuous engagement with others. It is important for teachers to know how to engage students in critical thinking, moving students away from 'what to think' and more towards 'how to think.' When teaching sensitive issues such as Violence in America, which can have a deep direct impact on many students unearthing many emotions, it is important to use critical thinking to not only understand the material at hand, but the larger concept as well. It is important to teach students how to think critically about how the material being taught affects their world. Additionally, it is crucial for teachers to use appropriate critical thinking assessment styles to measure students' growth.
Each of the following critical thinking theory categories to the right provide a summarized discussion of each particular theory and reference a lesson plan that teachers and administrators can use to effectively implement critical thinking in the classroom. The lesson plans can be found under the sub-unit tab of this website. |