Critical Thinking: Critical Thinking: Taking Baby StepsTaking Baby Steps

Dr. Jennifer Haber, Communications

What you can do to help What you can do to help students engage in students engage in critical thinking?critical thinking?

Help them understand what critical Help them understand what critical thinking is and how it affects thinking is and how it affects everything we do (class discussion)everything we do (class discussion)

Allow students to practice critical Allow students to practice critical thinking while reading (using the thinking while reading (using the library, reading, and thinking: writing library, reading, and thinking: writing assignment or annotated bibliography)assignment or annotated bibliography)

Show students how to paraphrase and Show students how to paraphrase and why it is important (assignment)why it is important (assignment)

1.1. Help students Help students understand understand what critical what critical thinking is thinking is and how it and how it

affects affects everything everything

we do. we do. Talk/discuss Talk/discuss the here and the here and

now.now.

Critical thinking isthe art of analyzing

and assessing thinking in order

to improve it.Critical thinking

needs to be purposeful.

Most of the world’s Most of the world’s problemsproblems

are caused by, or are caused by, or exacerbated by, exacerbated by,

problems in human problems in human thinkingthinking

Consider these problemsConsider these problems HumiliationHumiliation Hunger Hunger PovertyPoverty HomelessnessHomelessness Global WarmingGlobal Warming TortureTorture MurderMurder RapeRape

2. 2. Make students Make students practice critical practice critical

thinking and critical thinking and critical reading.reading.

Try a reading exercise.Try a reading exercise.

3. Teach students 3. Teach students how to how to

paraphrase. Try paraphrase. Try an activity.an activity.

Any questions?Any questions?Any sharing?Any sharing?