1. What is Critical Thinking? Dr Aziza Ellozy aellozy@aucegypt.edu aellozy@aucegypt.eduaellozy@aucegypt.edu Center for Learning and Teaching

2. Objectives of this workshop 1. To understand what critical thinking is 2. To demonstrate critical thinking in action Susan Haak, 1997. 24 October 2004. www.csicop.org/si/ 9711/preposterism.html www.csicop.org/si/ 9711/preposterism.html

3. What is critical thinking? “Critical Thinking is the ability to think about one’s thinking …to…recognize its strength and weaknesses, and…to recast the thinking in improved form.” Three definitions of critical thinking. 1996. Center for Critical Thinking. 22 October, 2002. Three definitions of critical thinking. 1996. Center for Critical Thinking. 22 October, 2002.

4. The Essential Thinking Skills The Gathering Skills The Gathering Skills The Organizing Skills The Organizing Skills The Generating Skills The Generating Skills The Recognizing Skills The Recognizing Skills The Analyzing Skills The Analyzing Skills Please refer to you handout

5. Bloom’s Taxonomy Six Levels  Knowledge  Comprehension  Application  Analysis  Synthesis  Evaluation More complex and abstract mental levels Please refer to you handout

6. Critical Thinking in Action: Finding hidden assumptions Find our lost alumni. 24 Sept. 2004. What are assumptions? What are assumptions? They are unstated beliefs that we take for granted and upon which we base our actions or rest our arguments They are unstated beliefs that we take for granted and upon which we base our actions or rest our arguments

7. From analycorp.com/uncertainty / Flaw of Averages Average depth 3 ft What assumptions am I making when I show you this cartoon?

8. Critical Thinking in Action: Finding hidden assumptions Find our lost alumni. 24 Sept. 2004. Form groups of four or five Form groups of four or five Read the letter 1 in your handout Read the letter 1 in your handout Answer the questions individually and then discuss them as a group Answer the questions individually and then discuss them as a group Record your group answers Record your group answers [1] Jonas, A., Raths, L., Rothstein, A. and Wassermann, S. (1986) Teaching for Thinking. Teachers College Press, NY. P 148-149.

9. Center for Learning and Teaching THANK YOU