Heide, and all

Thanks for nudging us towards thinking about specific issues, prompts and
approaches.

The notion of critical thinking, and what it means, is probably one we could
spend a long time parsing out among ourselves.  In terms of adult learning
(arguably, we're all adult learners), to me, critical thinking has to do
with understanding possibilities, possible outcomes (if I do X, Y, Z, or A
could happen), and making informed decisions with the knowledge and
information I have on hand ‹ and/or knowing how to get the information I
might need in order to make whatever decision it is I'm making.  ("Decision"
here could mean deciding what something means, as well as deciding what to
do about something).

In some areas all of us are very good critical thinkers; in other realms,
maybe not so much.

So, with beginning ESL lit learners, one important step seems to be in
helping people name what they know and working to help them
find/construct/use language that helps them then discuss and articulate what
they know.  I agree that use of the first language ­ where feasible ­ is an
important step.  I also wonder about modelling the use of critical thinking
processes with less 'critical' issues, to begin with (e.g. working out the
cost of a list of groceries, determining which shop has the better prices
and leading, then, towards the notion of how and where people choose to
spend their money, and ­ perhaps more important ­ how and why it is that
some people are able to earn or inherit more money than others.  Or
whatever.  Our job is not to instil or impose beliefs, as we know, but to
work with learners to help them articulate their own thoughts, engage in
dialogue with one another and with others in their communities, in ways that
help them accomplish whatever it is they're wanting to do.

other thoughts?

Janet Isserlis



From: "Wrigley, Heide" <heide at literacywork.com>
Reply-To: The Adult Literacy Professional Development Discussion List
<professionaldevelopment at nifl.gov>
Date: Fri, 4 Jul 2008 19:13:01 -0400
To: The Adult Literacy Professional Development Discussion List
<professionaldevelopment at nifl.gov>
Conversation: [ProfessionalDevelopment 2172] Introductions and Questions:
Student Involvement and Critical Thinking
Subject: [ProfessionalDevelopment 2177] Re: Introductions and Questions:
Student Involvement and Critical Thinking

Hi, Jackie and all 
 
I¹ve long been interested in the use of scenarios, and ³evocative prompts²
to get students thinking and talking about critical issues in their lives.
We¹ve developed a few of these scenarios for El Civics but the problem is
always how to make even simple case studies accessible to students who are
very much new to English and who don¹t have strong literacy skills.  While
students can ³get² a picture and describe what they see as a problem,
articulating thoughts and ideas around these issues often requires a bit
more language ­ using a bilingual approach helps of course but that¹s not
always an option. 
 
Yet, thousands of people with no or little English have jobs and families
and get things done and certainly there is lots of critical thinking going
on ­ and I¹m looking for ways of bringing these experiences into the
classroom to help teachers see that engaged learning does not have to wait
till Englsh proficiency is achieved.


Here is my question, what strategies and approaches have others used that
engage beginning level ESL learners in critical thinking?
 
I¹m very much looking forward to this discussion
 
Heide Spruck Wrigley
Literacywork International
Mesilla, New Mexico
 
 
 
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