How to nurture critical thinking in our daughters? F.1-2 Parents’ Night 27-02-2009

Questions to be addressed … 1 What exactly is critical thinking? 2 How important is critical thinking? 3 How do I know if my daughter is a critical thinker? 4 What strategies can be employed to help my daughter to become a critical thinker? 5 What resources may I consult if I want to know more about critical thinking?

1. What exactly is critical thinking?

Critical Thinking is not the same as… mere criticism!!!

Critical Thinking is like … 3 1 2

Does my daughter have the ability to think critically? Critical Thinking is… … that mode of thinking – about any subject, content or problem – in which the thinker improves the quality of his or her thinking by skillfully taking charge of the structures inherent in thinking and imposing intellectual standards upon them. (Richard Paul, 1993) Does my daughter have the ability to think critically?

2. How important is critical thinking?

Critical Thinking is important because… 1 It is a domain-general thinking skill. 2 It is very important in the new knowledge economy. 3 It is crucial to making informed decisions in life. Critical Thinking is significant to your daughters if they are to become life-long learners and well-informed beings.

3. How do I know if my daughter is a critical thinker?

A critical thinker … 1 raises vital questions and problems, formulating them clearly and precisely; 2 gathers and assesses relevant information, using abstract ideas to interpret it effectively comes to well-reasoned conclusions and solutions, testing them against relevant criteria and standards; 3 thinks open-mindedly within alternative systems of thought, recognising and assessing, as need be, their assumptions, implications, and practical consequences, and 4 communicates effectively with others in figuring out solutions to complex problems.

Basic Attitudes of a Critical Thinker

4. What strategies can be employed to help my daughter to become a critical thinker?

Strategies Knowledge Enrichment Expose them to different experiences Read newspapers habitually Train them to be problem-solvers Skills Acquisition Discuss issues of common interest with them Allow your daughter to express her ideas more freely Ask questions from time to time to help her clarify her ideas Avoid being judgemental Never seek ‘model answers’ from your daughter

Model critical thinking yourself!!! Most Effective Way Model critical thinking yourself!!!

5. What resources may I consult if I want to know more about critical thinking?

Resources Available 1 Critical Thinking Web http://philosophy.hku.hk/think/ 2 批判性思考教學網 http://www.hfu.edu.tw/~cchi/critical%20thinking%20web/ 3 The Critical Thinking Community – Three Kinds of Thinkers http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hLgi444Ghww&eurl=http://www.criticalthinking.org/courses/Youtube_critical_thinking.cfm&feature=player_embedded The Critical Thinking Community – Standards for Thinking http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T0JSwr_Ib7Q&eurl=http://www.criticalthinking.org/courses/Youtube_critical_thinking.cfm&feature=player_embedded The Critical Thinking Community - Online Learning http://www.criticalthinking.org/courses/Youtube_critical_thinking.cfm

Thank You!