Theories of Critical Thinking Response

 After reading the assigned articles, I found that I most deeply connected to the text by Fullan and Langworthy (2014) on “deep learning.” Most likely, this is because of my background teaching in higher education. I fully believe that college-aged students will significantly benefit from deeper learning practices as they prepare to go into the world to apply what they have learned while earning their degrees. 

In the field of education, popular teaching theories and the technologies that are used to support learning are ever evolving. When it comes to classroom instruction, however, the willingness to break away from the norm has been a bit slower in my opinion.  The traditional pedagogical approach to teaching has long been dominated by a teacher-centric, “one size fits all” style. Until recent decades, the teacher reigned supreme in most classrooms, holding all the knowledge, and parceling it out during monotonous lectures for students who rarely engaged and never dared to question concepts or ideas (Ben Stein in Ferris Bueller anyone?). Likewise, the consideration of different learning styles to inform classroom instruction was often overlooked. What resulted was a disconnect in student learning. In recent years, educators have come to understand and appreciate the need for student-centered learning methods and differential learning instruction. While some teachers initially resisted or were slow to adopt new teaching methods and technologies, which is nothing new by the way according to Everett Rogers’s text, “The adoption process” (1963), the shift in delivery method and technology use in the modern classroom has opened new doors of opportunity for students who were once overlooked. Matthew Kuhn’s text, “Connecting depth and balance in class” (2008) touches on this idea as well, exploring the need to utilize technology to engage learners of all types.  This is probably one of the most beneficial changes to teaching in recent years in my opinion. As someone who struggles with ADHD symptoms at times, I can personally attest to the importance of using innovative technology and teaching methods to support all learners with divergent learning needs.

Prior to the push for learner-centric classes and new pedagogies, the measure of understanding was frequently based on a student’s ability to relay exact information back to the teacher as proof of learning. Though the goal of education has always been to impart knowledge to students, implementing an educational model based on teaching strategies and pedagogical skills that ensure that students do more than simply master content knowledge in the classroom has often been overlooked.  As a result, connecting student learning to real-life situations and placing emphasis on the importance of using that knowledge beyond the classroom to develop something new, something profound, something original, something that has real-world application was limited. But that too has changed over the course of the 21^st century. Teaching is increasingly becoming about more than exchanging information and taking a test to prove mastery; getting an education now includes not only the acquisition of general and specific content knowledge but also the development of critical thinking skills that can be applied in conjunction with program-specific knowledge to a variety of situations to contribute to the greater good of society. The Jacksonville State University Mission and Strategic Plan, for example, explicitly states that JSU educators “provide experiences, environments, and expectations that allow learners to discover the answers” (Jacksonville State University, 2022) as opposed to being given the answers by teachers.  This mission seems to set the stage for deep learning. 

Renee Hobbs explores the competencies that are needed for success in our modern society in her text “Empowering learners with digital and media literacy” (2011). She argues that students must be trained to use technology in creative ways that promote critical thinking. Technology to aid learning isn’t new; however, because the options are so abundant and because technology has infiltrated our lives outside of the classroom so completely, it makes the job of efficiently using tech to teach a bit more complex, yet completely necessary. It is no longer enough for teachers to simply buy technology. We must teach our students how to effectively use it, even though it requires more from us than ever before. Teachers in the K-12 community, for example, are now tasked with teaching digital literacy skills to young, elementary-aged students in addition to teaching the traditional curriculum requirements.  Secondary teachers and higher education teachers must also prepare students to be digitally literate in addition to being competent in their studies. Technology plays a vital role in the need for new pedagogies such as deep learning because “Young people are now digitally connected to overwhelming amounts of information and ideas. Amid this, students greet teachers’ attempts to deliver content knowledge using traditional didactic approaches with scepticism. In particular, once they have mastered basic skills, students know there is so much more ‘out there’ and are unimpressed by pre-packaged, depersonalised learning experiences” (Fuller & Langworthy, 2014). This is exactly what I have witnessed in my own children’s education and in my professional teaching career.  The “sage on the stage” era of teaching is done. My children and my students want and need teachers who are willing to be active partners in learning. I often talk to college students who are seeking out teachers who have reputations for actively engaging their students and preparing them to meet the challenges of the real world successfully. They will criticize and avoid teachers who fail to adapt to the changing needs of 21st-century students. In the text “A rich seam” (2014) authors Fullan and Langworthy explore new learning pedagogies that focus on deeper learning practices to improve learning outcomes and connect with students in a more authentic way. The “goals of deep learning are that students will gain the competencies and dispositions that will prepare them to be creative, connected, and collaborative life-long problem solvers and to be healthy, holistic human beings who not only contribute to but also create the common good in today’s knowledge-based, creative, interdependent world” (Fuller & Langworthy, 2014). The end game is to teach students to be well-rounded, productive citizens who can contribute to society.  

References::

Fullan, M. & Langworthy, M. (2014). A rich seam: How new pedagogies find deep learning. London: Pearson. Retrieved from https://www.pearson.com/content/dam/one-dot-com/one-dot-com/global/Files/about-pearson/innovation/open-ideas/arichseamenglish.pdf

Hobbs, R. (2011). Empowering learners with digital and media literacy. Knowledge Quest, 39 (5), 12-17. Retrieved from Academic Search Premier database.

Jacksonville State University. (2022). Mission and strategic plan framework. Mission and Strategic Plan Framework < JSU. Retrieved June 27, 2022, from https://catalog.jsu.edu/undergraduate/mission-statement/

Kuhn, M. S. (2008). Connecting depth and balance in class. Learning & Leading with Technology, 36 (1), 18-21. Retrieved from Academic Search Premier database.

Rogers, E. M. (1963). The adoption process II. Journal of Cooperative Extension, 1 (2). 69-75. Retrieved from https://archives.joe.org/joe/1963summer/1963-2-a2.pdf