Prompt #2

Critical Thinking
I was asked to define critical thinking as a journal prompt for my seminar class. It was an interesting question because this is one of my 3 paragons of teaching and at first I was at a loss of words to define it. The first thing that came to me was that the answer to a question isn’t immediately known. This came from my ‘how to teach problem solving’ class. I think I said this because when you are given a problem to solve and the method for solving it is already known, then solving it merely becomes an exercise rather than an activity. There is no curiosity or discovery involved when completing exercises.
I then expanded on that statement by saying that, given this problem, one has to sift through related information in order to develop a well reasoned explanation that leads to a reasonable conclusion. If anyone knows my background then it is apparent what inspired this definition. This is basically a corner stone to philosophical thought. If you think about it a typical mathematical problem and a philosophical problem have the same basic components. The only difference is that the math problem has a definitive answer. The path to each conclusion is much the same. In both cases, one must justify the answer or conclusion with reasonable evidence. In a math problem the reasonable evidence is seen in the strategy used to solve it and the process of implementing the strategy. Both types of problems have flaws which are uncovered by close scrutiny. These flaws are essentially the use of faulty logic. Both mathematics and philosophy are governed by the strict rational framework of logic. One might argue logic’s intimate relationship with physical reality but I can save that entry for a later date.

Active Learning
To gain an understanding I think a discussion on passive learning may be helpful. Passive learning usually occurs in a traditional classroom where lecture is the predominate instructional strategy. The class is strongly teacher directed which means that the teacher is seen (by the students) as the sole proprietor of all learnable information. Passive learning describes how students learn in this setting. They listen to information given orally which they either copy in their notes or try to memorize. Now, I am not saying this is a bad strategy. Depending on the teacher, I really like lectures. There is definitely something that appeals to me when I listen to someone that is knowledgeable and impassioned. The reason why passive learning is not desired in the classroom is because it is usually ineffective for most students. An atmosphere of passive learning is usually one in which does not inspire engagement in the content. Only students that bring motivation or interest to the table are able to engage.
So is active learning the opposite? I don’t really know. I know how I define it but who knows what kind of highfalutin language theorists use. To me active learning can almost be taken very literally where students play an active role in what they are learning. Taken to an extreme it defines curricula where students pursue their own interests within an educational framework. It is about autonomy and self-determination. A more realistic or even pragmatic definition might describe an atmosphere where students are more involved in the lessons. Instead of lessons where lecture drives the instruction, activities are planned that use analogies and other relationships to illustrate abstract concepts. I feign from using the phrase “real-world” examples because in mathematics, real-world examples or applications are not realistic at all and most realistic applications are far beyond any level of high school mathematics. Discussions, Socratic questioning, cooperative learning, differentiated instruction are just a few strategies that could be used to create an active learning classroom. The teacher tells less and intrigues more; it is getting students to learn through questioning and curiosity. The teacher stops teaching and starts guiding students through their education while being a model of a good learner.