Episode Two: Comments and Reflections

[Irvin Smith]

Here are some of the responses I gave for episode two and my thoughts. 

Waiting for others to share and respond :)

I tweaked the definition I thought of when asked to write my own and underline key words:

Critical thinking is the ability to analyze and synthesize information in order to make a decision or judgement about something or a situation.

The Poem:

Using the selected line of questions Ms Dominguez  was able to get Charles to recall his own experiences and reflect on his feelings. Then Charles was then able to apply thinking skills to another situation. She used different levels of questioning to guide him through the process.

 

Looking for the understanding of the poem one can ask:

In the poem, why did the writer say that the situation was clearer than any poem that he or she had ever read?

Would be nice to share folks. Talk to you soon. 

[Daniel Pier]

Thank you, Irvin, for starting this thread.

As an English teacher, I always found it very challenging to teach poetry, but if I was able to provide rich material that was accessible to the students, and give them the space to explore it, I could always count on them to come up with very interesting insights. I appreciate in the episode how Ms. Dominguez is able to draw out Charles' thoughts despite his initial hesitance.

Looking forward to reading other reactions to this episode.

Dan

[Glenda Morales de Duchicela]

I agree  Daniel and Irvin, poetry can take us to a rich variety of thinking. It is right Charles was more aware and open to  ideas after listening to the poem. Higher thinking questions are important to help students reflect on their answers and  was easier to analyze the poem according to  the topic on inmigration.

Charles  easily related the poem to the situation people faced because of inmigration.  This audio helps us  build effective learning objectives,  according to students`outcomes. Objectives must be identify carefully because they will help us to incorporate questions and  lead the students`to think critically. 

[Irvin Smith]

Daniel Pier said:

Thank you, Irvin, for starting this thread.

My pleasure.

I wanted to read what others were saying but it got lost in all the replies. This way you get into discussions you want to read. 

[Irvin Smith]

Glenda Morales de Duchicela said:

I agree  Daniel and Irvin, poetry can take us to a rich variety of thinking. 

I enjoy poetry. It can cause you to fry a few neurons but properly selected, it does lend itself to critical thinking. Good job by Ms. Diminguez. This idea was also a nice way to integrate Social Studies / History and Language / Literature. That same poem can be used in another lesson to bring out some other concepts. 

[Macian Moreen Lloyd]

Off to a late start but I would still like to share my thoughts....

I use the higher levels of Blooms Taxonomy in teaching Literature a lot more often than I do in English Language classes!  

Allowing students to use their experiences and prerequisite knowledge certainly creates an avenue for critical thinking within the classroom. 

I define Critical Thinking as the ability to assess a situation and make an informed decision after all the pros and cons have been considered.

[Irvin Smith]

Macian Moreen Lloyd said:

Off to a late start but I would still like to share my thoughts....

Better late than never. With a pic like that, I rather suspect the lady wanted to make a grand entrance. :) 

I like the definition. Touchee  

Thanks for sharing. We need some chatty folks in here to liven things up a bit. 

Welcome. 

[Imogene Howard]

Great observations. I concur with your sharing. My definition is

"critical thinking is the ability to use reasoning and reflective thinking to make sound and rational decisions or judgement.

I want to also emphasis the fact that we should not use the words 'know' and 'understand' when writing objectives because they are not measurable.

The questioning used with Charles allowed him to think deeper, he had to exercise some reasoning skills, he was able to make a comparison and he didn't have to memorize the poem at all but discuss what he interpreted and understood.

[Macian Moreen Lloyd]

Irvin Smith said:

Macian Moreen Lloyd said:

Off to a late start but I would still like to share my thoughts....

Better late than never. With a pic like that, I rather suspect the lady wanted to make a grand entrance. :) 

I like the definition. Touchee  

Thanks for sharing. We need some chatty folks in here to liven things up a bit. 

Welcome. 

Thank you Mr. Smith! 

[Lerdon Barr]

I too am off to a late start, but better late than never.

I loved this episode. It is so important that the link between objectives are questioning is made. I too teach English Language and Literature, which requires a lot of critical thinking.
Unlike Daniel Pier however, I find poetry welcoming. The fact that there isn't one set answer is a beautiful thing. Sometimes, my students think critically and come up with answers that I myself hadn't foreseen. This gives me a sense of accomplishment.
As in the recording, the variety of questioning guided the student, and helped him to make associations and build on what he already knew.
This episode has helped me to re-focus in the classroom. It was a great help!

[Lerdon Barr]

Did the notes provide a sample of bloom's taxonomy? There are so many variations.

[Irvin Smith]

Lerdon Barr said:

Did the notes provide a sample of bloom's taxonomy? There are so many variations.

The audios provide the information and we are asked to take our own notes and participate fully by writing down and sharing responses. So you do get a walk-through of the version of Bloom used for the lesson. In most cases there is a pause to do so and if there is not I would pause it myself. 

[Daniel Pier]

Dear Lerdon,

Thank you for your question and comment. Here is a link to a list that I believe reflects closely what is in the audio program, though you are correct that there are many variations on Bloom's taxonomy. We chose the one we thought was most widely used and useful for teachers, but if there is a variation that you prefer, please share it and tell us why you do.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/vblibrary/4576825411/sizes/o/in/pool-...

Cheers,

Dan