Theories of Critical Thinking - The Modern Classroom

 

    Education is an ever evolving field where Bloom's taxonomy and media literacy play important roles in creating an effective learning environment. Huitt (2011) provides details on Bloom's Taxonomy and the imperative role it have played as the cornerstone of educational theory. This offers a classification based on hierarchy for cognitive skills that ranges from basic knowledge recall to evaluations and creations. His insights in relation to educational psychology remind us how important it is to understand how students learn. This knowledge allows educators to curate different strategies that can be applicable to all learners and learning styles. By implementing a variety of educational approaches like project-based learning or differentiated instruction we can insure all students are learning and engaged; working at their highest potential. 

    Fullan and Langworthy's, "A Rich Seam" highlighted the need to move away from a more traditional approach (teacher centered models) and move toward more inclusive and dynamic, student-centered learning cultures.  This resonated with me so much because I am always focused on keeping up with the times and applying modern techniques into my content and standards. I currently teach a project based learning course for English 11. By creating an atmosphere my students can relate to and have control over we build and form a culture that prioritizes creativity, collaboration, and real world problem solving. We take it a step further by thoughtfully integrating technology tools. This allows us, as Fullan suggests, to connect students more deply with their learning. 

    While it is important for students to take a deep dive into a subject to gain critical thinking skills and mastery of subject area Kuhn argues it is equally important to balance depth and breadth. By offering a wide-range of curriculum students will learn context and discover the connections between various disciplines. In my American Literature classroom my goal is to provide students with a curriculum that not only explores themes in the texts but also connects these themes to broader historical, societal, and cultural issues. As Hobbs discussed our role as a teacher is to be a researcher. A life long learner. This highlights the importance of professional development and changing our methods based on research and student understanding. I see the value in regularly reflecting on what is effective and ineffective in my classroom. By adopting Hobbs researchers mindset I can better instruct my students and meet diverse learners where they are at.