Critical Thinking Explained for Students
May 1, 2016
Critical thinking is an essential skill for the 21st century students. Not that it was not essential before but in a digitally focused world where there is an exceeding surplus of amateurish and unpolished information, the ability to critically assess, weigh in and value information has an imminent urgency. Through critical thinking, learners will get to sift through the ocean of information provided by the net and be able to decide what is relevant and what is not. Critical thinking, as we have argued in a previous post here in EdTech and mLearning, ‘embraces several conceptual skills that include synthesizing, assessing, analyzing, applying and evaluating information. Critical thinking allows students to make informed and rational decisions as it forces them to dive deeper and analyze things logically. What would be viewed as a common sensical fact by ‘surface thinkers’ would be considered as a provocative statement that invite much reflection and investigation by critical thinkers.’
The purpose of today’s post is to share with you this wonderful TED Ed video on critical thinking that you may want to use with your students in class. Besides explaining what critical thinking is all, the video also provides 5 main tips on how to improve one’s critical thinking abilities namely: Formulate your questions, Gather your information, Apply the information, Consider the implications, Explore other points of view. This video is also available as a TED Ed lesson with comprehension and discussion questions to use with your students in class. Enjoy
Critical thinking is an essential skill for the 21st century students. Not that it was not essential before but in a digitally focused world where there is an exceeding surplus of amateurish and unpolished information, the ability to critically assess, weigh in and value information has an imminent urgency. Through critical thinking, learners will get to sift through the ocean of information provided by the net and be able to decide what is relevant and what is not. Critical thinking, as we have argued in a previous post here in EdTech and mLearning, ‘embraces several conceptual skills that include synthesizing, assessing, analyzing, applying and evaluating information. Critical thinking allows students to make informed and rational decisions as it forces them to dive deeper and analyze things logically. What would be viewed as a common sensical fact by ‘surface thinkers’ would be considered as a provocative statement that invite much reflection and investigation by critical thinkers.’
The purpose of today’s post is to share with you this wonderful TED Ed video on critical thinking that you may want to use with your students in class. Besides explaining what critical thinking is all, the video also provides 5 main tips on how to improve one’s critical thinking abilities namely: Formulate your questions, Gather your information, Apply the information, Consider the implications, Explore other points of view. This video is also available as a TED Ed lesson with comprehension and discussion questions to use with your students in class. Enjoy
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