Teaching Strategies
The major thrust of this unit is to have my students work towards mastering critical thinking skills. Essentially, I plan to promote interaction among the students by including learning in cooperative group settings often. This will allow each member to achieve more. Discussions will be lead by asking open-ended questions that do not assume the correct answer. Critical thinking is often demonstrated best when the problems are naturally clear and do not have a correct answer. Open-ended questions also encourage students to think and respond creatively without fear of giving the wrong answer. Sufficient time must be allowed for students to reflect on the questions asked or problems posed. Critical thinking seldom involves quick judgments. Therefore, posing questions and allowing ample time before seeking responses helps students understand that they are expected to reflect and to consider, and that the immediate response is not always the best response. Teaching so that all students will be able to transfer the information through using critical thinking skills is a must. Therefore, I must provide opportunities for students to see how a newly acquired skill can apply to other situations and to the student's own experiences. Throughout this unit, multiple assessment techniques such as writing, group work, discussions, demonstration models, and real life problem solving will be used to assess student mastery of the material presented.
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