The instructor’s guide contains several useful tools, discussion questions, a case study, review questions, additional chapter assignments, lesson examples and a student application assignment. As the Instructor, pick and choose which of these materials work for you or you may decide to use our ideas and create your own. This guide is intended to help solidify the information from the chapter and help you as an instructor implement the application of these materials.

 

 

Discussion Questions

 

The following questions are intended for use in a small group discussion setting. Please use these questions to help the students understand the important concepts in this chapter. To add interest to class discussions, copy and paste some or all of these questions into a Nearpod https://nearpod.comor PowToon, https://www.powtoon.com, to create a fun, user friendly. student-voice based review.

 

1. Discuss your understanding of critical thinking?
2. How do we use critical thinking skills in everyday life?
3. How important is critical thinking in the classroom? What role do critical thinking skills play in the classroom?
4. Discuss the 4 central components of the critical thinking process, listed below. How do these components contribute to the process?

• Review your content understanding.
• Analyze the material
• Synthesize your answers regarding the material.
• Evaluate the decision making process.

1. What role does technology play in the critical thinking process?
2. Does the use of technology help or hinder the critical thinking process? If so how?
3. How is critical thinking a higher thinking skill?
4. Considering common core standards, how does the critical thinking process apply?

 

 

CASE STUDY: Urban Legends

As you read the following scenario, note how the teacher guides the students to think critically about the information that they receive as a result of technology use.

Mr. Andres’s the fourth-grade class was abuzz. The noise was coming from near one of the room’s computers, where the teachers aid and one of the students, David Perez, were involved in a discussion in front of the computer. Many of the other students in the class were gathered around listening and commenting. Mr. Andres approach the group to see why so many students seem to be off the task he had assigned.

“what’s up?” He asked as he approached the scene. One of the bystanders explained that David had received an email from his principal in New York that contained some interesting news. Hmmm, thought Mr. Andres, I have read all the emails and didn’t read something that I thought would cause such a stir. He asked David and the aid, “What’s this all about?”

David exclaimed excitedly, “Janet is afraid to ride the subway to school anymore! She says there are alligators in the sewer that could get into the subway! Is that cool or what?!”

“My,” responded Mr. Andres. “Alligators in the sewers of New York? That’s interesting.” He remembered seeing the story in Janet’s email. It was an urban legend, or a popularly believed story, that he had heard before. He had thought that Janet mentioned it as a joke to entertain David.

“Oh, yeah, well, it’s true,” replied David. “Janet read about it on the Internet. The story said that they were flushed down the toilet as babies by people who didn’t want them as pets and now there’s lots of them!”

“Ah,” said Mr. Andres “She saw it on the Internet.”

Anna, another student, said, “It’s not true, is it, Mr. Andres? Tell us!”

Other students chimed in. “Yah, tell us!” “What’s up with that?” “Is it for real?!” they exclaimed. Then the teachers aid broke in and said to Mr. Andres, “I have been trying to tell them it isn’t true, but they won’t listen!”

“Well,” said Mr. Andres, “maybe they need to find out for themselves whether there are alligators in New York’s sewers. Sounds like a great project to me. Let’s finish up what we’re doing and then we’ll talk about how we’ll discover the truth.”

At the end of the class, Mr. Andres had David explain the situation to the rest of the students. Mr. Andres asked how many students thought there might be alligators under New York City, how many believe that there could not be, and how many weren’t sure. Most of the students were not sure.

“How can we find out?” Mr. Andres asked the class.

The students brainstormed how they might find out whether there really were alligators in the sewers of New York City. After brainstorming, the students decided that they needed to read the original story on the Internet that Janet had written about, do some Internet and library research about alligators, discover online and offline resources for information about sewers, and find email contact information for some New York city officials to gather more data. When they had enough useful information from reliable sources, they would decide whether Jenny really had a reason to fear.

Mr. Andres thought that this was a great opportunity for his students to develop critical thinking skills such as analysis, evaluation, interpretation, and explanation. At the same time, students will also enhance their technology skills by using a variety of tools; discover more about government agencies, reptiles, and big city life; and practice reading, writing, and other skills that were part of the fourth-grade curriculum.

 

Case Review Questions

Answer these questions about the case. There are no right or wrong answers to this chapter preview– the goal is for you to respond before you read the chapter. Then, as you interact with the chapter’s contents, think about how your answers might change.

1. What kinds of skills do David and his peers need to use to discover the answer to their question?

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2. What support should Mr. Andres give to facilitate the students critical thinking?

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3. What should Mr. Andres’s role be in teaching critical thinking skills?

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4. What role will technology play in helping the students to think critically?

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Mr. Andres recognized an immediate opportunity to help his students learn and practice critical thinking skills. He made the choice knowing that he was deviating from his original unit plan, but he understands the important of teachable moments, particularly when they focus on essential skills such as critical thinking. The goal of this chapter is to help you to understand the roles that teachers and technology can play in developing student critical thinking skills. After reading this chapter, you will be able to

· Define critical thinking.

· Understand the role of critical thinking in meeting other learning goals such as creativity and production.

· Discuss guidelines for using technology to encourage students critical thinking.

· Analyze technologies that can be used to support critical thinking, including strategy software to students organize their thoughts, Web-based tools that both encourage and evaluate critical thinking, content software from companies such as Tom Snyder Productions, and content-free programs such as critical thinking.

· Create effective technology-enhanced tasks to support critical thinking.

· Employ technology to assess student critical thinking.

– When you have completed this chapter, which in NETS*T will you have addressed?

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Further discussion

-Write three objectives for Mr. Andres project that focus on the thinking skills that he might expect students to learn while they research the alligator question. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

-What challenges might Mr. Andres face in supporting his students to think about alligators in New York Sewer? How might he address these challenges? _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

-Which of these guidelines is Mr. Andres following? How can he incorporate the others as he and his students develop their project? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

-Which of the tools mentioned below might the students in Mr. Andres is class benefit from as they build their arguments about alligators in the sewers? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

-What other documents might help students think critically during this task? Describe one. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

-What issues might be more suitable for students to your grade level and content area to think about? Why? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

-What other kinds of documents or support my students need to help them think critically about what they read? What other questions could help the students work through the critical thinking the process during this task? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

-Look back at the section earlier in the chapter about media literacy. What other questions might you ask students about advertising to help them think critically about it? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

-What else would you add to this lesson to make it effective for your current or future students? What would you delete? Why? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Tools

Many content-free tools can be used effectively as part of critical thinking tasks. Tools in the Microsoft office suite can be considered “content free.” In other words, although they contain specific structures, the content that is entered into those structures is up to the user. Teachers are sometimes reluctant to introduce spreadsheets like Microsoft Excel to students because they perceive them as difficult to understand and use and because they think of them as tools for specific purposes. However, as with all powerful tools, students do not need to understand every feature or capability to use the spreadsheet effectively for a variety of tasks.

Students (and teachers) first need to understand what a spreadsheet is and what it can be used for. A spreadsheet is a table that consists of cells. Each cell contains a value, usually (but not always) in number form. After users input data into the cells, they can generate relationships between cells, called formulas. The formula is typed in the formula bar and indicates the values in the cells that are part of the formula and also the operations (e.g., addition, division) that will be performed using those values. Making a formula is most like using a calculator.

As a simple example, look at the accompanying screen. I want to add 2 (the value I enter in cell A1) and 2 (the value in B1). I click on the cell where I want the answer (C1). Then, I enter the formula “=Sum (A1: B1)” and when I press Enter, the answer, 4, appears in cell C1.

In spreadsheet software, several pages or sheets can be linked together, and the results of calculations can be made into graphs and charts with one click. Spreadsheets can be used to make all kinds of calculations, from the monthly payment on a car to converting Fahrenheit to Celsius temperatures. More important, spreadsheets help students turn data into information that can be used as the basis of critically made decisions. For example, i4c  (http://www.internet4classrooms.com/) shows teachers and students not only the basics of using Excel but also how to calculate the price of a pizza per square inch and so the side of the snack is worth the money. Other tasks presented on this through website include calculating the cost of a trip by car (the same can be done for air travel and the results compared) and figuring out how much a student would weigh on another planet. With the additional training provided and tutorials across the web, excel another spreadsheet can be used in an uncountable number of ways to support critical thinking. Another example of spreadsheet use in a critical thinking activity is provided in the lesson of the end of this chapter. While the tools presented in the critical thinking technology section of the chapter maybe developed expressly for critical thinking tasks, it is important for teachers to know ways that they can support critical thinking with software like Excel, which may already be available in their classrooms.

A note of caution younger students or students with moderate disabilities may have difficulty using XL or another spreadsheet program if their fine motor skills are not developed enough to designate the appropriate cells using the mouse. This can lead to frustration with the software. There are many possible solutions. For example, larger amounts can be used, the zoom features can make the cells appear larger, or the students can provide the contents and a more expert computer user can input the data.

For free spreadsheet software that works in the same manner as excel, go to http://www.gooffice.com or http://www.thinkfree.com.

How could Mr. Andres’s students use a spreadsheet for their project? How do you use spreadsheets?

SAMPLE LESSON: CRITICAL THINKING

After completing the Urban Legends project with his class, Mr. Andres realizes that his students need more instruction in and practice with critical thinking. He decides to create a project that will help his students gain these skills while addressing curricular goals related to nutrition and basic economics. He chooses a promising lesson from the Internet4Classrooms Technology Integrated Lesson Plans page (http://www.internet4classrooms.com/). The lesson is presented here.

FAST FOOD FUN

[Sample Spreadsheet] [Rubric] Found in Chapter 1

Objective:

Use the Internet and spreadsheets to find calories and fat in a typical fast food meal.

Project Rubric:

Information on how this project will be graded.

Procedure: Step One:

Decide which fast food restaurant you would like to visit. Click on that restaurant’s Web site below.

McDonald’s: http://www.mcdonalds.com/app_controller.nutrition.index1.html

Burger King: http://www.bk.com/

Wendy’s: http://www.wendys.com/the_menu/nut_frame.html

Other Restaurants: http://www.nutritiondata.com/ (This site allows you to search many fast food restaurant sites.)

Once there, plan a meal with a sandwich, salad or another main dish, a side dish (french fries, etc.), a drink, and a dessert. For each item on your menu, record the total calories and the calories from fat.

Step Two:

Enter your data into an Excel spreadsheet. Click here to see a sample and directions for completing the spreadsheet. When you have finished your spreadsheet and charts, complete the handout and return here for the rest of the project directions. Compare your answers to at least one other student. In your notebook, record information about which restaurant they visited, what food they ate, and the nutritional content of that food.

Step Three:

Visit the United States Department of Agriculture to find out more about healthy eating guidelines: http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/dga/dguide95.html. Browse through this site and answer the questions on your handout.

Step Four:

Using Microsoft Word, type a three-paragraph report about your findings. Use the format for a one-page report.

Paragraph #1: Introduction including which restaurant you chose and the items on your menu.

Paragraph #2: Summarize the findings about your meal, including the number of calories, percentage of fat, etc. Copy and paste one of your charts into your document as supporting evidence.

Paragraph #3: Compare and contrast your meal with another student. Use the information you recorded in step 2.

Paragraph #4: Use the information from the Department of Agriculture to evaluate your meal. How does your percentage of fat compare to the percentage recommended? What about other guidelines like eating fruits and vegetables? Have you planned a healthy meal? What changes might you make in your meal to make it healthier?

Source: Web Weavers Education Page. Copyright © 2000. Karen Work Richardson.

 

Mr. Andres read the lesson and the links to the lesson supplements carefully to make sure that students would meet the goals he requires. He completed a Lesson Analysis and Adaptation Worksheet, found in chapter 1.

• No standards are mentioned, but Mr. Andres can easily align the lesson with state and national standards.
• Students are asked to use some higher order thinking skills such as summarizing, but adding some essential questions might help focus even more on critical thinking. Students are also asked to work on communication and technology skills.
• Students have a choice of fast-food companies to focus on, but the materials are mostly online and text-based.
• Students have their own authentic task to accomplish. ELLs can choose the level of reading that works for them in the fast-food sites, but they may also need more scaffolding to collect the initial data.
• The technology supports access to a variety of resources and focal calculations that students must do to complete the task.
• The lesson includes an appropriate rubric, samples and scaffolds to help students use the spreadsheet, and both reading and writing components. However, all students are required to complete an essay, and no accommodations are made in the product requirement for students who reflect their learning better in other ways.

This lesson has many outstanding aspects. However, based on his analysis and his knowledge of his students, Mr. Andres decides to make some small but important changes to the lesson. He especially wants to make sure that the ELLs in his class will be able to participate fully. He decides to make these changes based on his analysis:

Spell out the appropriate standards and curricular goals.

Add additional resources such as charts, pamphlets, and other sources of information about fast food. Some of these will be in the first language of his ELLs.

Include additional questions to help students think critically. For example, ask them to think about the resources they are using—would any bias be expected? Why or why not? What other resources would help them determine if they have factual information? Also, ask them to take a position and argue about whether people should eat fast food based on its nutritional value alone.

Give students a choice of products. They may produce the essay or a poster, a multimedia presentation, a letter to a fast-food company, or an oral argument.

Mr. Andres thinks that this lesson supports critical thinking and other skills with technology well and will help his students be better consumers both of fast food and information.

 

CHAPTER EXTENSIONS

Adapt

Choose a lesson from your potential subject area and grade level from the Internet4Classrooms age of Integrated Technology Lesson Plans (http://www.internet4classrooms.com/ ). Use the Lesson Analysis and Adaptation Worksheet from chapter 1, to consider the lesson in the context of critical thinking. Use your responses to the worksheet to suggest general changes to the lesson based on your current or future students and context.

Practice

1. Integrate the standards. Choose one or more of the activities in the chapter and note which content and technology standard(s) the lesson can help to meet.
2. Write a test question. Review any of the tasks or activities in the chapter. Choose one, and write one test question that can assess students’ critical thinking. Explain how your question assesses student thinking about content or language.
3. Revise an external document. Review the external documents presented in the chapter. Make improvements by editing or revising according to the goals for external documents. Justify your changes in writing.
4. Review a tool. Obtain one of the critical thinking tools discussed in this chapter and learn more about it. List 5 ways that you could use this tool effectively in your future classroom.

Explore

1. Revise an activity. Choose one of the learning activities in the chapter and adapt it for your content area and/or grade level. Add or change technology. Change the existing document or create a new external document as necessary. Briefly explain your changes.
2. Assess. Review the sample test question in the assessment section of the chapter. Keeping the general structure and intent, change the question to evaluate the activity that you adapted for the previous question.
3. Think about challenges. Revisit a lesson that you have created. Think about and describe the challenges that students face during the lesson. Who might be bored? Who might feel too challenged? How can you adjust the lesson so that everyone feels the appropriate amount of challenge? How can technology help?
4. Create a document. Choose or create a technology-enhanced task or activity. Develop an external document that supports the use of critical thinking skills to accompany your activity. Justify your choices.
5. Create questions. Look at a reading, online or off, that you might use in your classroom. Discuss how the use of this reading might be improved by asking the right questions (what would they be?) and/or using critical thinking technologies.
6. Develop a lesson on critical thinking. Create a task or lesson to help students learn about the critical thinking process. Explain how your lesson meets this goal. Describe how your lesson could effectively use technology.

 

Student Application

The following assignment is intended to help individual students go beyond what they’ve read and apply the information from the chapter. After reading chapter 4 students will have a broad overview of content learning and how to apply it. This application assignment will delve more deeply into content learning and how technology, more specifically kid-friendly news websites.

 

 Questions

 

1. Please use one of the websites listed below to Identify a story that students would find interesting and require additional research to confirm its credibility. Post a link of the story to the course assignment page, in addition, please answer the following questions.

2. Consider the 4 guidelines from the chapter,

• Reviewing:
• Analyzing:
• Synthesizing:
• Evaluation:

How will you use these guidelines to help students find accurate news sources? Please provide an example of each guideline, based on the story you choose to use for this assignment.

3. Consider your roll in the critical thinking process, how will you help your students to access these skills?

4. What technology tools are available for students to help them research a particular article or subject? Please list and discuss 2 options available in most classrooms.

5. When using critical thinking skills, list several ideas from the chapter that can help students understand when a story, they hear or read, is credible.

6. Refer to the NETs standards found in chapter one, which of these standards will you have addressed while completing this assignment?

 

 

News sources for kids

 

 

https://www.dogonews.com

 

 

http://magazines.scholastic.com

 

http://teachingkidsnews.com

http://www.timeforkids.com