Applying Critical Thinking to a Special needs classroom.

[Kathleen Edward]

I teach at a Special Education Centre, and from what i have observed after listening to six of the seven episodes , is that provisions were only made for the regular classroom. I know that critical thinking can be used anywhere, but a few examples of how it could be incorporated when preparing Individual Education Plans and in differentiated teaching would be a plus. I started working on a lesson plan but is now doubting myself on the way forward. can anyone shed some light please.   

[Gale Mohammed-Oxley]

Sure Kathleen.

In the IEP your objectives are to be sequential. What you can do is incorporate the critical thinking for the students in terms of reasoning and questioning. Encourage them to question everything and you will hear the critical thinking coming through. 

This week I taught a remedial class without knowing prior to the lesson and I was able to get the children to complete a mathematical formula which is symbolic meaning. I went even further in testing their reasoning to apply the formula to a similar shape. Of course you will have to repeat many times as you move on but the fact that the students were able to come up with the formula for perimeter of a rectangle then apply thinking to end up with the formula for a square shows that sometimes we limit our students before we challenge them. It may take lots of probing but in the end they feel victorious when they get it.

I hope you can do this with your plan.

Gale

[Macian Moreen Lloyd]

Hi Kathleen, 

It certainly would be more challenging.... but I believe you need to pitch the objectives and activities at their level. 

All the best!