How To Promote Higher-Order Thinking In The Classroom: Reflecting And Writing, Not Reciting And Reacting with Reflection
!"estions# Lynne A. Hammann, Ph.D. Objectives: To elicit and support higher-order thinking in the classroom 21st Century Thinking Deman s: The society of the 21st Century is a rapidly changing one, presenting individuals with deluge of data !alpern, 1""#, p$ %&'($ )ducational practices are changing focus from the a*ility to remem*er and repeat information$$$+to *eing a*le, to find it and use it -ransford, -rown, . Cocking, 2''', p$ &($ !hat "s Higher#Or er Thinking$ Higher-Order Thinking Skills !/T0( include critical thinking, concept identification, concept mapping, decision making, creativity, convergent thinking, divergent thinking, pro*lem solving, pro*lem-*ased learning, transfer, making connections, metacognitive awareness, finding and evaluating information, comparing and contrasting %te&s t' Pr'm'ting Higher#Or er Thinking: 1. Determine thinking &r'cesses y'u (ant y'ur stu ents t' be 'ing : 1n any classroom, the level of thinking that occurs is influenced *y the level of 2uestions asked$ 3e can use particular 2uestions to induce whatever specific thinking processes we wish$$$$critical-thinking 2uestions induce high-level cognitive processes, such as analysis of ideas, comparison and contrast, inference, prediction, evaluation, and the like 4ing, 1""&, pp$ 15-1%($ 2. )rame *uesti'n 'r &r'm&t using the re+evant verbs: a. Use a learning taxonomy: -loom6s Ta7onomy: 4nowledge, Comprehension, 8pplication, Analysis, Synthesis, Evaluation 8 Ta7onomy for 9earning, Teaching, and 8ssessing: :emem*er, ;nderstand, 8pply, Analyze, Evaluate, reate italici<ed words indicate higher-order thinking processes( !. Use Text Organization: =escription 3hat are its characteristics>
0e2uence 3hat happened> !ow do you do$$$$> Cause?)ffect 3hat were the events that$$$> @ro*lem?0olution 3hat should *e done a*out$$$$> Compare-Contrast !ow are A and B alike> different> Pr'm&t ,-am&+es Com$are and contrast the cognitive theories of @iaget and Cygotsky$ analysis($ Constr"ct a lesson plan that includes *oth @iaget6s and Cygotsky6s theory synthesis($ Choose the three most im$ortant concepts from either @iaget6s or Cygotsky6s theories evaluation($ Create a lesson plan for your learners6 age and content area that includes @iaget6s and Cygotsky6s theories as well as meets appropriate professional standard s( create($ .. C'nstruct the +earning activity: formal paper, informal?in-class reflection paper, small group activity to report or create DvisualD and shareE thinkpair-shareE large-group concept map, large-group chart$ Learning Activities )ach small group will construct a concept map paper to show the three most important concepts from @iaget6s or Cygotsky6s theories$ Concept maps will *e constructed on large newprint sheets and taped on the *oard with sides slightly overlapping$ )ach small group will share the reflecting and reasons, e7plaining the maps$ Then students will volunteer *e called on( to identify and mark connections among the maps from at least two different groups$ 0tudents will complete a large chart on the *oard or on newsprint( with the following headings: 8ge of learners, content area, @iaget6s Theory Concept, Cygotsky6s Theory Concept$ Learning Outc'mes 9earners will *e engaged in active learning e$g$,( knowledgetransforming, knowledge-construction, concept formation$ 9earners will use prior knowledge and connect with information they are learning to make new knowledge -ereiter . 0cardamalia, 1"#F($ 9earners will *ecome Dmore active *uilders of their own knowledge in all domains -ereiter . 0cardamalia, 1"#F, p$ 5G5($ "or #urther $uestions, %lease &onta&t
9ynne 8$ !ammann, @h$=$ =epartment of )ducation . 0pecial )ducation 2'5C :etan Center, GG2-%&G1 Hansfield ;niversity lhammannImansfield$edu :eferences
8nderson, 9$ 3$ and 4rathwohl, =$ :$ 2''1($ A taxonomy #or learning, tea&hing, and assessing: A revision o# 'loom(s Taxonomy o# Edu&ational O!)e&tives$ Jew Bork: 9ongman$ -ereiter, C$, and 0cardamalia, H$ 1"#F($ The %sy&hology o# *ritten &om%osition$ !illsdale, JK: 9awrence )rl*aum, @u*lishers$ -ransford, K$, -rown, 8$$ 9$, and Cocking, C$ :$ )ds$($ 2''1($ Ho* %eo%le learn: 'rain, mind, ex%erien&e, and s&hool. 3ashington, =$C: Jational 8cademy @ress$ -runing, :$!, 0chraw, L$K, and :onning, :$:$ 1""1($ ognitive %sy&hology and instru&tion 5rd ed$(. Colum*us, /!: @rentice-!all$ !alpern, =$M$ 1""#($ Teaching critical thinking for transfer across domains: =ispositions, skills, structure training, and metacognitive monitoring$ 8merican @sychologist, &5, %%"-%&&$ !ammann, 9$ 8$ 2''&($ +e#le&ting and ,riting, -ot +ea&ting and +e&iting: .romoting HigherOrder Thinking in the lassroom. @resented at Thirth-Mifth 8nnual Conference of The 1nternational 0ociety for )7ploring Teaching and 9earning, Cocoa -each, M9, /cto*er, 2''&$ 4ing, 8$ 1""&($ 1n2uiring minds really do want to know: ;sing 2uestioning to teach critical thinking, Tea&hing o# .sy&hology, //, 15-1F$ 0antrock, K$ 3$ 2''1, 2''%($ Edu&ational .sy&hology 0/nd ed.1$ Jew Bork: HcLraw-!ill$
:)M9)CT1/J N;)0T1/J0 1n any classroom, the level of thinking that occurs is influenced *y the level of 2uestions asked$ 3e can use particular 2uestions to induce whatever specific thinking processes we wish$$$$Critical-thinking 2uestions activate critical thinking in *oth the 2uestioner and the responder$ Hore specifically, criticalthinking 2uestions induce high-level cognitive processes, such as analysis of ideas, comparison and contrast, inference, prediction, evaluation, and the like 4ing, 1""&, pp$ 15-1%($ 1$ 3hat 2uestion s( do you still have after reading this chapter> )7plain why the answer s( to this are important$ 2$ 3rite a one-page summary of the chapter own words($ 8fter the summary, e7plain how the information in this chapter fits into the *ig picture of educational psychology$ )7plain *riefly 1?2 page( how?why this strategy can support learning$ 5$ 1dentify and discuss one new thing you learned from this chapter$ )7plain why an accurate understanding of this is important$ %$ 1dentify and discuss or one misconception that you had$ )7plain why an accurate understanding of this misconception is important$ &$ :ank the three most important concepts in this chapter$ )7plain why, as well as why you have chosen this ranking$
G$ =iscuss a connection that you see *etween a concept in this chapter and a concept from a previous chapter, including implications for your future practice$ F$ 3hat did you find in this chapter that you could use and?or apply to yourself as a learner> #$ 3hat is the most important finding or conclusion from research study?set of studies in the chapter> )7plain why$ "$ Choose one of the =anielson domains and e7plain why?how the concepts in this chapter relate to it may *e used twice with two different domains?standards($ 1'$ 3hat research?concept?point s( in this chapter should *e re2uired reading for all teachers> )7plain why$ 11$ 3hat research?concept?point s( in this chapter should *e re2uired reading for all parents> )7plain why$ 12$ 3hat research?concept?point s( in this chapter should *e re2uired reading for all administrators> )7plain why$ 15$ 3hat research?concept?point s( in this chapter should *e re2uired reading for all learners> )7plain why$ 1%$ 3hat reflection 2uestion?critical thinking 2uestion is not on this list that you would like to answer> 3rite the 2uestion and the answer, e7plaining why this 2uestion is important$
