CRITICAL THINKING AND REFLECTIVE PRACTICES-Unit 8-Tools and Techniques of Critical Thinking and Reflective Practices-AIOU-8611
- 1. TOOLS AND TECHNIQUES OF CRITICAL THINKING AND REFLECTIVE PRACTICES Unit 8
- 2. What do we need? A critical thinker needs Observation; curiosity; objectivity; analytical skills; …??? A Reflective Practitioner needs Introspection; self analysis; unbiased approach …???
- 3. Some useful tools and techniques To promote critical thinking and reflective practice here are some useful tools and techniques Mind Mapping Portfolio Development Assessment Schedules Mentoring and Peer Support
- 4. Mind mapping Mind Map is a powerful graphic technique which provides a universal key to unlock the potential of the brain. It harnesses the full range of cortical skills – word, image, number, logic, rhythm, colour and spatial awareness – in a single, uniquely powerful manner. Originated in the late 1960s by Tony Buzan, “Mind Mapping is a graphical technique for visualizing connections between several ideas or pieces of information.”
- 5. How to make mind maps? Mind Mapping is the easiest way to put information into your brain and to take information out of your brain - it's a creative and effective means of note- taking that literally 'maps out' your thoughts. And it is so simple. According to Michael Michalko, a Mind Map: activates your whole brain clears your mind of mental clutter allows you to focus on the subject
- 6. e.g. Which factors affect student behavior? Home Environment Classroom Environment Personality traits Teaching Student Behavior
- 7. What are the sources of each factor? • Teacher qualification • Brought up • Size of class and physical • Socio- econo mic Home Classroom teaching personality
- 8. parents teachers Headteacher Friends/ Siblings Society WHO CAN HELP IN CHANGING BEHAVIOR? • S4 • S3 • S2 • S1 F1 F2 F4 F3
- 9. Principles of Mind Mapping The brain works in different ways. Different people think in different ways. There are certain “programs” loaded in your consciousness. These programs are your “natural thinking software”. You get them included with your mind when you enter this world. The brain works according to certain basic principles, and you can use mind maps to take advantage of them to improve your creativity and memory.
- 10. Techniques to use Brain Storming: The map itself is quite similar to what is going on in your head. It’s all one big mish-mash of information and nothing seems to be structured. The Flow: This is a somewhat different type of mind map, extremely useful when you need to see the continuity in a system, the step-by-step plan. It’s easy to get an overview of the chain of events that you have to follow, the so called step by-step plan, when you use a mind map. The Big Picture: This is a very interesting and effective mind mapping technique, which also happens to be my personal favorite. Actually, this technique is very personal. The Big Picture is all about – to be able to combine all the techniques for best effect.
- 11. Portfolio Development The portfolio is intended to encourage the individuals to become actively involved in monitoring and reflecting on their own development The contents of the portfolio reflect both academic and field experiences that demonstrate the person’s application of knowledge and skills. The portfolio allows you to demonstrate mastery of the competencies of the program. It provides a more complete picture of the interests, abilities and accomplishments in tangible evidences. It encourages the one’s organizational skills, self-assessment of growth, and awareness of continuing educational needs. It is expected that practitioners will continue to develop their portfolios and as they reflect on their profession and their learning.
- 12. The Working Portfolio The working portfolio is a purposeful collection of student work in progress. The collection is assembled based on clear objectives and guidelines given by the teacher. All portfolios begin as working collections, since it is from these collections that final selections are made for presentation. The advantage of the working collection is that it allows students to take a second look at what they do, and to think about how they could improve future work. It is a departure from the traditional practice where a first draft of an assignment was considered as a final product.
- 13. The Development Portfolio The developmental portfolio represents a completed selection of student work. It contains work that shows the student’s progress towards mastery of set objectives for a topic, theme, or course of work, and provides evidence of his/her achievement over a period of time. This type of portfolio enhances learning through the process of reviewing, revising, and evaluating the final product. Diagnosis may be one use for these portfolios since the feedback obtained at intervals can shape further instruction and learning for the student. This type of portfolio clearly demonstrates the integration among instruction, learning, and assessment.
- 14. The Showcase Portfolio The showcase portfolio shows the student’s best work and is used to support and document accomplishment in a course/subject area or any learning activity. This requires the student to be able to make a selection from a range of work (working portfolio) using specific criteria. These criteria may be determined by an external examining body, by the teacher, or may be developed by the student in collaboration with the teacher.
- 15. Stages of Portfolio Development Goal Identification Identifying a vision that will guide the portfolio development. Collecting Gathering artifacts that demonstrate the student's professional development. Some of these artifacts will ultimately become the portfolio entries. Selecting Reflecting and identifying artifacts that are most relevant and meaningful to the student's purpose, beliefs and philosophy. These become the portfolio entries. Categorizing Identifying the developing themes of the portfolio. Connecting Making a linkage between the items selected and the goal of the portfolio. This is the thinking - through stage that formulates the reflections. Reflecting Making each entry relevant and meaningful by writing about why the entry is included in the portfolio. This reflection ties the individual entry to the overall portfolio document Sharing Presenting and discussing the portfolio to program faculty
- 16. ASSESSMENT SCHEDULES Assessment remains a major concern in developing programs to enhance students’ critical thinking skills. Until a concept can be defined and assessed, adequate models for teaching are difficult to develop. Despite the lack of a comprehensive theory of critical thinking, varied efforts have been made to develop assessment tools. Assessment schedules for periodic review and reflection can be useful way for improvement
- 18. 1.Commercially available standardized tests Instead of using teachers made test a better approach is considered to be the application of standardized tests These instruments have been carefully developed and tested for reliability and validity, and all have been widely used as measures for testing people’s ability to think critically. These standardized, commercially available essay test of general ability provide several advantages over multiple choice tests or instructor-developed essay tests, including student-generated responses, carefully established validity and reliability, and recognition.
- 19. Researcher or instructor designed assessments Researchers have provided examples and criteria for instructors interested in developing assessment techniques for such purposes as testing domain-specific critical thinking, testing for transfer, evaluating a critical thinking program, formative evaluations, or determining grades. While teacher made tests can and should be used within the classroom to assess critical thinking, their use in educational research projects examining the effectiveness of various methods or models to teach for critical thinking has important limitations. Instruments designed for a specific experimental method or model for critical thinking may best capture its strengths, but the resulting variety of instruments and assessment techniques has led to difficulties comparing the results of educational studies.
- 20. Teaching students to assess their own thinking Perhaps the most appropriate way to assess students’ critical thinking abilities is to teach them to assess their own thinking. Paul has written extensively on teaching students to assess their own work, and he has argued that to the extent that students need feedback from instructors, they have not achieved a high level of critical thinking (Foundation for Critical Thinking, 1996). Angelo and Cross (1993) have also emphasized the importance of student self-assessment techniques. While highly appropriated for classroom use, however, it requires a deep understanding of critical thinking and a tremendous commitment from both the instructor and the students. Further, this method of assessment, for many obvious reasons, does not meet the requirements of rigorous educational research.
- 21. METNORING AND PEER SUPPORT Last but not the least, mentoring is much useful in developing critical thinking and reflective practices Mentoring is a relationship between two individuals based on a mutual desire for development towards career goals and objectives. In a mentoring relationship, the two individuals are referred to as the “mentor” and the “mentee” (the individual being mentored). Mentoring provides development opportunities for both partners. In mentoring, there is no reporting relationship between the mentor and the mentee (i.e., a manager would not mentor a direct report).
- 22. Benefits of Mentoring A mentoring relationship can provide a mentee with: greater clarity on life and career choices and their own career goals new insight on the organizational culture different perspectives and values the opportunity to develop new networks of contacts access to new resources greater career satisfaction and increased likelihood of career success development in areas not typically address through training or on the job Through the mentoring process mentors have the opportunity to enhance their leadership skills and expand their perspectives by: seeing the business world through different eyes being challenged on perceived wisdom increasing their awareness of issues at other levels of the organization meeting new members of the organization
- 23. Types of Mentoring Formal Structured programs frequently match mentors and trainee focused on specific goals Provides accountability based on formal contracts between mentor and trainee Natural Initiated by mentor – one person reaching out to another Implicit – usually people with much in common Peer Individuals in similar positions (e. g., have small children) providing support, empathy, and advice Individuals in similar stage of career mentoring on options and career goals Situational Mentoring for a specific purpose/skill Generally short-term Common at all stages of the career Supervisory Not all supervisors are comfortable also being a mentor Possibility of conflict of interest Trainee initiated Begins with an interaction with a chosen mentor – it may develop into a mentoring relationship: build bridges
- 24. Phases of Mentoring Building Rapport- Sharing perspectives Scaffolding for professional growth and providing consultation Resolving and removing support for independent growth
- 25. There are many other tools and techniques that you can easily find online. You can design and devise your own methods. Keep exploring!!!
- 26. The End..