Posts com a Tag ‘Pippin Publishing (E)’
Is That Right? Critical Thinking and the Social World of the Young Learner – WRIGHT (CSS)
WRIGHT, Ian. Is That Right? Critical Thinking and the Social World of the Young Learner. Toronto: Pippin Publishing, 2002. 144p. Resenha de: BRILEY, Ron. Canadian Social Studies, v.39, n.1, p., 2004.
Is That Right? is a useful volume for any teacher who would like to introduce critical thinking into the elementary and middle school curriculum. Although Ian Wright is currently a professor of social studies education at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, his years as a classroom teacher are most evident in this book. The practical lesson plans included in the volume provide concrete examples for teachers. The book is addressed to the everyday concerns of teachers and does not become overly bogged down with theoretical concerns. For example, Wright defines critical thinking as making judgments about what to believe and what to do in situations that are problematic that is situations where we do not know initially what to believe or do (p. 56).
Wright acknowledges that he has not always practiced critical thinking in the classroom, but he has become an enthusiastic convert. Nevertheless, the environment in both the United States and Canada is increasingly hostile to critical thinking. High stakes standardized testing, which determine grade placement and faculty retention, have placed considerable pressure upon teachers to focus upon more rote memory of factual material. In the United States this educational approach is embodied in the No Child Left Behind Act and standards movement.
It is a fallacy, however, to assume that critical thinking is not about standards and excellence. As Wright points out, not all opinions are equally valid. Critical thinking is all about developing measurements and assessment tools, for both students and teachers, to ascertain which arguments or opinions are most valid and best supported. The ultimate goal for an educated community is not memorizing or regurgitating information, but learning to become intelligent citizens who are capable of making informed choices.
Critical thinking provides the foundation for such a citizenry by developing practical tools for evaluating evidence. Teachers seeking more concrete means of evaluation in the classroom might consult the critical thinking rubrics developed by Wright. But the bottom line for those who obsess upon objectivity should be recognition that in our daily lives we must deal with ambiguity, and the classroom under the guidance of a caring teacher is an appropriate laboratory to begin this process. Our best students and citizens are those who develop a healthy respect for the roles played by ambiguity and paradox in historical causation and human motivation.
While Wright asserts that critical thinking skills may be employed in most academic subjects, his experience and examples focus primarily upon the field of social studies. And here we encounter another level of controversy. Some in the discipline of history assert that the social studies are too present minded and expect too little from children. Indeed, many of the sample lessons provided by Wright deal with such issues as what makes a good friend or what to do about garbage. Groups in the United Sates such as the National Council for History Education maintain that young learners are capable of historical understanding and that the social studies approach is ahistorical and lacking substance or context. But in many ways this debate between history and the social studies is a tempest in a teapot; for the critical thinking approach fits well into the history classroom.
In evaluating a primary document or actions taken in the past, the skills of analyzing which argument is best supported still applies. And this works just as well for a classroom mock trial as a more traditional research paper. Was John Brown a terrorist who murdered innocent people or was he a freedom fighter against the tyranny of slavery? Or is reality too complex for such bipolar thinking? The key point is that critical thinking provides an approach to historical inquiry which accounts for the complexity of the past and demonstrates how the past may shed light upon the present.
Those who may really challenge the critical thinking approach are individuals and groups who assert that history should simply be about patriotism and indoctrination rather than the questioning of ideas and even values. Some argue that in the age of terrorism our children might learn to unquestionably embrace Western Civilization against threats from alien ideologies. Yet, as fewer and fewer media conglomerates control mainstream access to information, real security flows from an electorate trained to critically evaluate ideas and resist political or corporate manipulation.
Thus, as usual, teachers are on the front lines of dealing with a complex world. Critical thinking should make this heavy responsibility a little less onerous; for teachers who embrace critical thinking techniques are not authority figures who must always provide the right answer. Instead, the teacher is an intelligent guide working alongside the students to develop and foster the tools necessary to make critical distinctions.
Wright’s book is both inspirational and practical. His ideas may be applied to the university as well as the elementary school classroom. The inclusion of sample lesson plans and a bibliography, complete with appropriate web sites, make Is That Right? a volume which should find a place on most teachers’ bookshelves. More than just a teaching tool, critical thinking is essential to the preservation of a democratic ethos.
Ron Briley – Sandia Preparatory School. Albuquerque, New Mexico.
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In the Global Classroom 1 – PIKE; SELBY (CSS)
PIKE, Graham; SELBY, David. In the Global Classroom 1. Toronto: Pippin Publishing,1999. 256p. In the Global Classroom 2. Toronto: Pippin Publishing, 2000. 260p. Resenha de: BOYD, Kenneth. Canadian Social Studies, v.36, n.1, 2002.
This two-volume set originated at the Ontario Green School Project where educational planners noticed there was a widening gap between the school experiences of the students and global reality. They decided to create a resource that would help students to increase their understanding of local and global issues through collaborative and participatory learning processes. In the Global Classroom 1 and 2 are designed to help teachers approach several areas of concern including accountability, which tends to focus attention on statutory requirements rather than on human potential, and the concept of worldmindedness which stresses that the interest of individual nations must be viewed within the context of the overall needs of the planet. At the same time, Pike and Selby stress the idea that children learn best when encouraged to explore and discover for themselves. It is recognized that students cannot be programmed. At the personal level the books focus on the interconnectedness of an individual’s mental, physical and spiritual make-up. Students have to understand how personal well-being is entwined with the economic and political decision-making of governments around the world. The authors hope that by using these books students will come to see how global environmental trends are influenced by human behavior and changes in local ecosystems.
Individual students should be helped to understand that their perspective on any issue is but one among many; that there are a variety of cultural, social and ideological points. As educators, we have to provide students with such opportunities across the curriculum. These books look at areas or topics dealing with relevant global education knowledge, skills, and attitudes. There are countless possibilities for integrating these into the traditional subjects of the curriculum. Integration is important to understanding the world as a system and exploring its relationships. In the Global Classroom 1 and 2 give teachers and students many helpful suggestions for activities in which the students can engage. Student development goes hand-in-hand with planetary awareness. Global education is critical to the development of students who can prosper in the complex global system and who can contribute to building a more just and sustainable world.
Students’ learning should be self-motivated and directed, focussing on the needs of the students. By using these books students will experience a blend of teacher-led and self- or group-directed strategies. The suggested activities are organized by theme in order to facilitate their use across the curriculum and to promote an interdisciplinary approach in the classroom. Key activity concepts are explained at the beginning of each chapter. A matrix of concepts and activities follows each introduction. Connections to the other chapters are given underneath the matrix. Activities that explore similar or related concepts, though perhaps from different perspectives, are highlighted. Pike and Selby suggest that by exploring such connections in a sequence of activities students can better appreciate the interconnected nature of global issues.
The suggested time frame serves as a rough guide to the length of time necessary for students to understand the activity. Most of the activities are designed to fit within a 40 minute lesson. Materials and other necessary requirements for the activities, such as classroom layout or space, are also included. The resource lists assume an average class size of 30 students, though most activities will work successfully with groups ranging from 15 45. Student worksheets and other photocopy material often appear after the activity descriptions.
Pike and Selby provide step-by-step descriptions, written from the student perspective, of how the activities proceed. They offer a rationale for each activity, often provide further guidelines for teachers to maximize student learning, and frequently include questions for debriefing the activities. The questions serve to gear the students’ thinking toward issues and perspectives that may not have been considered or articulated. An extension section suggests ideas for specific follow-up work, either in class or outside school.
These global education activities are designed to be flexible learning tools that can be used in either infusion or integration modes of implementation. Their inherent flexibility offers countless possibilities for modification and adaptation, thereby meeting the particular needs of curricula, students and teachers. In the Global Classroom 1 deals with such concepts as Environment and Sustainability, Health, Perceptions, Perspectives and Cross Cultural Encounters, Technology and Futures. In the Global Classroom 2 deals with the concepts of Peace, Disarmament, Deterrence, Rights and Responsibilities, Equity, Economics, Development and Global Justice, Citizenship, and Mass Media. I found many activities that I would certainly use in my classroom. I would have to decide on whether others are as appropriate for student use.
Kenneth Boyd – Rosetown Central High School. Rosetown, Saskatchewan.
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