Introductions and Questions
From LiteracyTentWiki
Subject: [ProfessionalDevelopment 2172] Introductions and Questions: Student Involvement and Critical Thinking
From: Taylor, Jackie jataylor at utk.edu
Date: Thu Jul 3 12:11:21 EDT 2008
Dear Colleagues,
Wow - in the last two days approximately 40 individuals have subscribed
to the PD List for the upcoming discussion of Student Involvement and
Critical Thinking. Welcome to the list! :-) I'm happy you're here and I
look forward to learning from your experiences.
I'd like to open the floor for questions so that our guests can prepare.
Please post an introduction and your questions about student involvement
and critical thinking to the list. If you wish to raise your questions
anonymously, feel free to email me direct: jataylor at utk.edu and I will
share your questions without attribution.
For background about the discussion and our guests, visit:
http://www.nifl.gov/lincs/discussions/professionaldevelopment/08student. html
Critical thinking and the intersection with student involvement is an
area that we've not really articulated in-depth on this list. I'm
excited about the opportunity to explore issues, strategies, and
resources with you.
Happy 4th!
Best, Jackie
Jackie Taylor, Adult Literacy Professional Development List Moderator, jataylor at utk.edu
Subject: [ProfessionalDevelopment 2174] Re: Introductions and Questions: StudentInvolvement and Critical Thinking
From: Nicky Mohan nmohan at workbase.org.nz
Date: Thu Jul 3 19:33:11 EDT 2008
Hi Jackie
I am really passionate about Critical Thinking. So really looking
forward to the discussion
Cheers
Nicky
Subject: [ProfessionalDevelopment 2176] Re: Introductions and Questions: Student Involvement and Critical Thinking
From: Larinda T larindat at yahoo.com
Date: Fri Jul 4 18:00:26 EDT 2008
Hello,
My name is Larinda and I teach ESL, I am looking forward to the discussions and involvement. I believe that all students should be very involved in the learning experience.
Larinda
Subject: [ProfessionalDevelopment 2179] Re: Introductions and Questions: StudentInvolvement and Critical Thinking
From: Worthington, Natasha WORTHINGTONN at ecu.edu
Date: Mon Jul 7 08:42:21 EDT 2008
Hello everyone. I am Natasha and I am currently a student in the
Masters in Adult Education program at East Carolina University in
Greenville, NC. I am also an adjunct instructor at two of the local
community colleges here in eastern NC. I teach ACA: Study Skills and
Developmental English. My hope after I complete my graduate degree next
spring is to teach English full-time at the community college.
I look forward to the discussion.
Natasha Molet Worthington
Administrative Support Specialist
Office of Research and Scholarship
ECU College of Nursing
Phone: 252-744-6453
Fax: 252-744-6392
Email: worthingtonn at ecu.edu
Subject: [ProfessionalDevelopment 2184] Re: Introductions and Questions: StudentInvolvement and Critical Thinking
From: Gabb, Sally S. Sally.Gabb at bristolcc.edu
Date: Mon Jul 7 10:21:13 EDT 2008
Hi all - I am Sally Gabb, currently Reading Skills Specialist with developmental education at Bristol Community College in southern Mass. I look forward to this discussion, especially to address strategies to enable students to move from more concrete, personal perception to 'critical thinking', i.e. the ability to analyze, evaluate and de personalize ideas, themes and issues. After 25 years with ABE, I have moved into community college teaching, and realize that neither ABE nor our K-12 system provide a sufficient cognitive pathway to these higher order intellectual approaches. I have worked most of my life with sharply intelligent adults - incredible survivors who have lifetimes of experiences and understanding of the human condition. For theses adult learners, and for our younger first generation community college learners, we have the exciting challenge of finding ways to build on experience based perception towards critical thinking. More later! And thanks for the topic as always!
Sally Gabb
Subject: [ProfessionalDevelopment 2188] from Steve, Re: Introductions and Questions:Student Involvement and CriticalThinking
From: Steve Kaufmann at thelinguist.com
Date: Mon Jul 7 15:24:34 EDT 2008
My name is Steve Kaufmann and I have an online language learning system
called LingQ. This afternoon I am meeting with a high school boy 16
years old. His parents run a local Chinese restaurant. His mom says that
their son gets good marks in school but has a block when it comes to
writing. I will meet with the boy to see what I can do for him.
I believe that the ability to think critically is influenced by a
variety of factors.
- 1)Our exposure to ideas: What is the range of opinions we have been exposed to, aurally or in writing. I.e. how much do we read and discuss things.
- 2) Our culture: Some cultures, like ours, are linear, and need things need to be logically set out, one observation at a time, with obvious logical connections between them. Certain cultures favour a more general, mood or emotion based way of communicating, which takes advantage of shared values and shared assumptions.
- 3) Our personality: Are we prepared to challenge ideas and have our ideas challenged?
- 4) Technique: We can acquire a technique for setting out our ideas. The five part essay in North America is one. The balanced expose that I learned at University in France is another. The techniques of traditional classical rhetoric is yet another. In forcing our ideas to conform to such formulas, we start to analyse ideas and search for relevance, justification and logical connections.
One word of caution. I do not think that critical thinking should be confused with any kind of social activism. We cannot promote an ideology, however exalted, and at the same time encourage critical thinking. Surely critical thinking requires people to form their own opinions and to learn how to present them effectively and yet deal with contrary opinions.
Steve
Subject: [ProfessionalDevelopment 2198] from Shirley, Introductions andQuestions StudentInvolvement and Critical Thinking
From: S. Lawrence at frontiernet.net
Date: Mon Jul 7 22:23:51 EDT 2008
Hi Jackie,
I have never participated in a discussion (being in graduate school) there has been no time. But I received my masters in Adult Education and Adult Literacy from Buffalo State College online on May 10, 2008.
I have about 15+ years as a literacy specialist, developing programs through Head Start and Family Resource Centers of Rochester.
I'm interested all matters of professional development and plan to do consulting work on the subject.
Look forward in participating in this very important discussion.
Shirley Lawrence
shirleyfaith at frontiernet.net
Subject: [ProfessionalDevelopment 2186] from Kim, Re: Introductions and Questions:Student Involvement and Critical Thinking
From: Kim Bosworth at greaterhomewood.org
Date: Mon Jul 7 12:58:48 EDT 2008
Hello,
My name is Kim Bellerive Bosworth and I teach a basic literacy skills
class (ABE). All of my learners are native English speakers, and as is
the case with many ABE classes, there are widely varying levels of skill
in my class. That being said, Heidi's question applies to my situation
with a slight twist: what strategies and approaches have others used
that engage beginning/beginning basic ABE learners and low intermediate
ABE learners in critical thinking?
Kim B. Bosworth
Assistant Director
Adult Literacy and ESOL Program
Greater Homewood Community Corporation
3501 N. Charles Street
Baltimore, MD 21218
Phone 410-261-3518
Fax 410-261-3506
STRENGTHENING NEIGHBORHOODS IN NORTH CENTRAL BALTIMORE
www.greaterhomewood.org
Subject: [ProfessionalDevelopment 2210] Introduction and Questions
From: Conner, Allison Suter ASC0801 at ecu.edu
Date: Tue Jul 8 12:45:16 EDT 2008
Hello! Sorry to be getting a late start in the discussion. My name is Allison Conner and I am a graduate student in the Adult Education program at East Carolina University. I am currently unemployed, but my past work experience has included working with Adult Learners at a community college. So far the discussion on student involvement and critical thinking has been very interesting. I think student involvement is when students are actively participating in classroom activities and putting in effort into their work. It can be very frustrating when you have a classroom full of students who do not want to be involved in anyway. I look forward to hearing more about these topics from others!
Sincerely,
Allison Conner
