Dear Colleagues,

Thanks for the many varied and energizing discussions about critical
thinking and student involvement! I have a few requests as we move
forward:

 

1.	In what ways might the various threads we're discussing connect
to critical thinking and student involvement? Help us all see the
connections where possible.

 

2.	If the discussion is about one student population, like ESL or
ABE, where may there be parallels to teaching other populations? Where
are there differences?

 

3.	We have not reached a consensus definition on critical thinking.
However, we have done a commendable job at articulating facets of it.
Yesterday, I shared our working definition that sifted into 4
categories: cognitive, disposition, questioning assumptions, and
purpose. 

 

This is comparable in many ways to a consensus definition arrived at by
50 experts across various fields -- and it took them 2 years to reach it
(!) I've pasted their definition in prominently on this definition page.
For those curious, please see:

 

 
http://wiki.literacytent.org/index.php/Terms:Student_Involvement_and_Cri
tical_Thinking 

 

Here is an article that explains it:
http://www.insightassessment.com/pdf_files/what&why2006.pdf

 

     I welcome other definitions you'd like to share.

 

4.	Last, all four areas of our working definition are important.
What strategies do you use that can develop good critical thinkers at
each? How does that lead to student involvement? I think we can agree to
disagree and share strategies from both sides of the argument when we do
not agree.

 

Thanks again to all! Looking forward,

 

Jackie

 

Jackie Taylor, List Moderator, jataylor at utk.edu 

________________________________

From: professionaldevelopment-bounces at nifl.gov
[mailto:professionaldevelopment-bounces at nifl.gov] On Behalf Of Janet
Isserlis
Sent: Monday, July 14, 2008 2:46 PM
To: The Adult Literacy Professional Development Discussion List
Subject: [ProfessionalDevelopment 2290] Re: Whatdo
wemeanbystudentinvolvement and critical thinking?

 

Steve

I wonder if we're overlooking some of the considerations around purposes
of learning language.

I listened to your blog post about critical thinking and one thing that
occurred to me then, and occurs to me here is the fact that adults have
all sorts of reasons for wanting - and needing - to learn language,
which is where some of the parallels between learning to sing and
learning to communicate might not be as helpful.

If I'm wanting to learn, say, Chinese, so I might try to follow the
Olympics on a web cast, or if I want to learn Italian, to understand an
opera, it's very different than trying to learn either of those two
languages in order to communicate effectively in areas where those
languages are spoken.

I wonder if this might tie (tangentially) into Jackie's last question
about learner involvement, and how learners' determined needs and goals
might have some bearing on this whole consideration of critical
thinking?

Janet



________________________________

From: Steve Kaufmann <steve at thelinguist.com>
Reply-To: The Adult Literacy Professional Development Discussion List
<professionaldevelopment at nifl.gov>
Date: Mon, 14 Jul 2008 09:10:17 -0700
To: The Adult Literacy Professional Development Discussion List
<professionaldevelopment at nifl.gov>
Subject: [ProfessionalDevelopment 2287] Re: Whatdo
wemeanbystudentinvolvement and critical thinking?

Janet,

I think that the activities of a language learner, and the attitude of a
language learner, are quite similar to those of someone learning to
sing. First one has to listen and get used to the sounds and rhythm. And
one has to find a way to enjoy the learning process. For a more complete
description of my view of language learning you can look at my article
<http://www.pickthebrain.com/blog/the-three-stages-of-language-fluency/>
<http://www.pickthebrain.com/blog/the-three-stages-of-language-fluency/>
which appeared on Pickthebrain.com today.

Steve
On Mon, Jul 14, 2008 at 6:05 AM, Janet Isserlis
<Janet_Isserlis at brown.edu> wrote:

Steve and all

I don't think you're saying that English learning should be like music
appreciation - that one can enjoy either (language or music) with no
basis of prior expectation, concepts or assumptions?  That the language
or the music will just be heard and appreciated?

Surely, part of the language learning process involves
receiving/hearing/taking in.  But for learning to occur, active
processes of meaning-making have to happen.

In order to learn, to make meaning, there needs to be some basis of
prior understanding, of a world view, yes, of assumptions.  The critical
thinking part (in the target language, in this case English) may, for
some, be merely a matter of learning the words to translate thoughts
from a first language into English).  For others, it's a process of
asking questions, weighing options, learning more about possibilities
and consequences.

Janet





From: Steve Kaufmann <steve at thelinguist.com>
Reply-To: The Adult Literacy Professional Development Discussion List
<professionaldevelopment at nifl.gov>
Date: Fri, 11 Jul 2008 14:43:00 -0700




> I am of the opinion that beginner ESL learners should be allowed to

listen to the language and try to enjoy it, with little requirement to
state what their assumptions are on anything.

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-- 
Steve Kaufmann
www.lingq.com <http://www.lingq.com> <http://www.lingq.com>  
1-604-922-8514

________________________________

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