Time: Thursdays, 7:15pm Place: AC286
Dates: 8/30 –12/13
Instructor: Sherri N. McCarthy, Ph.D.
Phone: 317-6411
Office hours: Thursdays, 11am - 4pm or by appointment
Homepage: http://jan.ucc.nau.edu/~snm3/htm
E-mail: sherri.mccarthy@nau.edu
Course description and objectives: This web-enhanced course has no prerequisites,
although experience as a classroom teacher and an understanding of
basic
educational psychology is recommended. EPS 593 is designed to
provide you with an overview of current research on critical thinking and
help you learn and apply
model practices in your own career settings. Critical thinking is defined
as the process which enables individuals to solve problems through identifying,
grouping and
classifying information, gathering relevant and pertinent data, applying
logical analysis and assessing conclusions. Critical thinking enables individuals
to produce and
assess both intellectual, abstract principles and personal and world
affairs. It includes knowledge acquisition, professional judgement, self-assessment,
reflection,
empathy, perseverance and self-discipline. Objectivity, open-mindedness,
persistence, the ability to distinguish trivial and important details,
transfer of knowledge
and scientific reasoning are all key components of critical thinking.
Our current educational system seems to focus more on didactic knowledge,
memorization and
testing of "facts" than upon building the skills, abilities and attitudes
in students which foster truly critical thinking. This seminar will help
educators to infuse methods
into their teaching which enhance the likelihood that students will
develop critical thinking skills. Students will accomplish this by:
1) Acquiring a thorough familiarity with and understanding of current
research in educational psychology focused on the acquisition of critical
thinking skills;
2) Becoming familiar with model practices for infusing thinking skills
into the curriculum across disciplines;
3) Discovering resources and materials useful to teaching thinking
skills;
4) Developing lessons which incorporate research-based methodologies
to teach thinking skills;
5) Delivering and analyzing lessons which incorporate the teaching
of thinking skills and
6) Continuously reflecting on teaching practices to allow students
to model, practice and enhance critical thinking.
In-class activities: 50 points
The in-class quizzes and group projects cannot be made up, as they
occur during our meetings. These activities will include summaries
of assigned readings from
your handouts, brief writing assignments, role-plays, discussions,
critiques of lessons and other activities related to course content.
Self-Reflection Journal: 50 points
You will be asked to keep an introspective journal in which you reflect,
on a daily basis, on various areas of your instruction and how your practices
enhance or
impair critical thinking in your students. We will discuss these in
class and on our web-based discussion group. You are encouraged to actually
keep your journal
“on-line” as part of the discussion page. I will check this journal
periodically throughout the course. All of your journal entries will
be kept confidential.
“Expert Lesson” presentation or paper 100 points
You will work to prepare a series of lessons/unit for your own
students which incorporates practices designed to facilitate and improve
critical thinking as we
discuss in class. You will explain these lessons to the class, videotape
yourself delivering one or more of these lessons to your own class for
us to view and critique
your own delivery of these lessons with assistance from your classmates
and instructor. Alternatively, you may prepare a theoretical or research-based
paper on
critical thinking suitable for submission to a peer-reviewed journal.
If you choose to complete both assignments, the second will be worth extra
credit. This will be
your final project and should be worked on throughout the semester
but completed no later than November 29.
Article Summary & Critique: 50 points
You will be asked to locate, read, write a formal summary of and orally
present in class one research article you have selected in the area of
critical thinking. Your
instructor must approve the article. Papers are due on October 18.
The article must come from an approved, peer-reviewed journal of educational
psychology .
Your written summary should conform to APA style. This will be due
on 10/11.
Conference Attendance and Review: 50 points
You must select and attend one day of a conference which presents research
on educational practice and training in educational techniques, and prepare
an oral
summary of the sessions you attend which includes commentary on how
useful or problematic the information presented is for enhancing critical
thinking in the
classroom. Choose from AETA on September 21- 22 or AERO on October
18-19. Your instructor may approve another conference in lieu of these
options if you
have a suggestion more related to your teaching area. If you choose
to attend both conferences, the second may be used as extra credit.
Contributions to Web-Based Discussion Group 50 points
You will be responsible for posting and responding to questions related
to each week’s readings, experiences and discussion. More information will
be provided in
class on how to use this forum.
Resource Reference Notebook 50 points
You will complete a resource reference guide with information from
web-sites, publishers, colleagues and other sources which describes how
to access and use
materials, lessons, ideas and other resources useful to you in teaching
critical thinking skills to your students. This resource guide should be
suitable for sharing with
colleagues in your area. It is due by 12/13.
Cross-cultural comparison of teaching practices: 100 points
As part of this course, you will be exposed to teaching practices in
countries other than the United States through guest speakers and through
participation in an
interactive exchange session with teachers from Mexico, to be scheduled
for 2 weekends during the semester. As a result of these personal experiences
and
discussions, you will be asked to develop a list for the class comparing
elements of education in this country to other countries. Indicate which
practices you find
superior in your own setting, and which practices you find superior
in other settings, based upon the information you acquire. Class time will
be allowed for this.
Possible Points:
Class Activities 50 points
Article Summary 50 points
Journal 50 points
Presentation or Paper 100 points
Conference Review 50 points
Web Discussion 50 points
Resource Reference Guide 50 points
Cultural Comparison 100 points
Total: 500 points
Grades:
Grades will be based on points obtained from the above activities,
according to the following scale: 450+ =A 400-450 = B
350-399 = C 300-349 = D < 300 =
F.
As this is a graduate seminar and you are all good, highly motivated
students, I don’t foresee grades other than A’s and B’s will be assigned
in this course. You may
also earn up to an additional 50 points through extra credit activities.
Textbooks:
Paul, R. (2001) Critical thinking: Basic theory & instructional
structures. Sonoma, CA: Foundation for Critical Thinking.
Reading materials packet provided by the instructor.
Course policies:
I expect each of you to complete assignments on time and attend every
class.
I utilize cooperative grouping, class meetings, lecture and discovery
learning as tools to help you master the rather extensive content of this
course during the brief
time we have together. Because we will be addressing several personal
issues throughout the class, I also ask that you are especially careful
to be sensitive to the
needs of your classmates. Keep sensitive issues that are shared
confidential. Be supportive of each other as you explore your individual
strengths and weaknesses
in teaching critical thinking to your students together. Your
input on the course is always welcome. Please feel free to discuss any
questions or concerns you may
have with me. It is my hope that we will have a rewarding, enjoyable
course together which will provide you with useful information to apply
in your teaching for
years to come.
Schedule of Activities and Assignments Due:
(NOTE: This schedule may be modified according to class needs.)
08/30 Guest Speaker Carlo Prandini:
Education in Italian Public High Schools
Guest Speaker Francisco Vasquez:
Comparison of Mexican and American Teaching Practices
Assignment: Define critical thinking after reading the definitions
provided in your course materials.
09/06 Course Overview: What is Critical Thinking and why is it important?
Assignment: Read and prepare summary of assigned article
Reflect on your own teaching practices this week
09/13 Teaching Tactics that Encourage Thinking
Didactic Theory vs. Critical Theory
Socratic Dialogue
Assignments: Begin journals; read and prepare summary of assigned article
09/20 Library Orientation
Current Research in Critical Thinking
Computer Orientation
Assignments: Continue Journals & begin web discussion
Locate & read articles for review—post for approval
09/27 Release Time for Conference Assignment
Assignments: Post questions & answers to discussion group
Continue Journals; Write rough draft for article summary
10/04 Editing groups for critical thinking (bring drafts to class)
Journals to enhance critical thinking
Writing across the curriculum to enhance thinking skills
Assignments: Post questions & answers to discussion group;
Continue Journals; Prepare article reviews
10/11 Ideas for Improving Instruction
Selecting Textbooks and Developing Materials
Assignments: Post questions & answers to discussion group;
Continue Journals; Work on research notebooks, presentation &/or
paper.
10/18 Release time for AERO
Assignments: Post questions & answers to discussion group;
Continue Journals; Work on research notebooks, presentation &/or
paper.
10/25 Conference summaries
Key concepts, questions and course analysis
Assignments: Post questions & answers to discussion group;
Continue Journals; Work on research notebooks, presentation &/or
paper.
11/01 Release time for cultural comparison
Assignments: Post questions & answers to discussion group;
Continue Journals; Work on research notebooks, presentation &/or
paper.
11/08 Using electronic resources and research to teach thinking
Assignments: Post questions & answers to discussion group;
Continue Journals; Work on research notebooks, presentation &/or
paper.
11/15 Release time for cross-cultural comparison
Assignments: Post questions & answers to discussion group;
Continue Journals; Work on research notebooks, presentation &/or
paper.
11/22 HAPPY THANKSGIVING NO CLASS
11/29 Share projects & papers
Critical thinking within various disciplines
Assignments: Post questions & answers to discussion group;
Continue Journals; Work on research notebooks
12/6 Release time for cross-cultural comparison
12/13 Resource notebook sharing & final potluck