I agree absolutely, Catherine - we use such exercises on a regular basis in college developmental reading, to enable students to reflect on their own knowledge and thinking process. Thanks for a clear explanation of this kind of exercise.  Sal

-----Original Message-----
From: professionaldevelopment-bounces at nifl.gov [mailto:professionaldevelopment-bounces at nifl.gov] On Behalf Of Catherine B. King
Sent: Wednesday, July 16, 2008 8:37 AM
To: The Adult Literacy Professional Development Discussion List
Subject: [ProfessionalDevelopment 2314] Re: Critical Thinking and LearnerLeadership

Hello Sally:

One way to distinguish merely memorizing for a test, and the more remote
development that will help open horizons and create the basis for more and
better understanding (and critical thinking)--is to focus a session on the
activity of understanding itself.  One way to "focus on understanding
itself" is to have them do some self-reflective exercises, for instance,
where they locate and write about (or talk about) having had an INSIGHT (an
Aha! moment) in a real-life situation (we've all had them), or where they
discovered they had been on the wrong track, and righted their view, or just
didn't see the whole story or problem, and then REALIZED it, and that
realization sent them off in a different direction.

What was the experience like?  What were the circumstances? What made them
have the insight?  What changed because of it?  How does it feel to have
such an insight?

Part of the "self-esteem" problem (across the board in education) is that
such moments of clarity and sometimes-critical judgment AS EXPERIENCED are
taken for granted, not reflected on, and not valued by the learner
themselves.  This judgment is fostered by our sometimes-obsessive
assessments environment and by us, the educators, who continue to give the
implicit message through our focus on testing, that such learning is really
not that important--wink/wink, nod/nod.   And yet, these moments are the
substantial internal movements, without which, all education is "rote" and
meaningless.

In my view, it's not that testing and assessments are bad; it's rather that
an over-focus on assessments has erased its own substantial center.  If we
cannot directly test for it, then it must not be important?

Catherine King
Adjunct Instructor
Department of Education
National University
San Diego, CA


----- Original Message -----
From: "Gabb, Sally S." <Sally.Gabb at bristolcc.edu>
To: "The Adult Literacy Professional Development Discussion List"
<professionaldevelopment at nifl.gov>
Sent: Wednesday, July 16, 2008 5:04 AM
Subject: [ProfessionalDevelopment 2313] Re: Critical Thinking and
LearnerLeadership


Great answer as always Wendy!  Since being able to think 'critically' is
indeed 'on the test', you have hit the nail on the head (great metaphor or
cliché??) Thank - and an important part of 'transition to college' learning
as well.  Sally Gabb, Developmental Reading, Bristol Community College, Fall
River MA

-----Original Message-----
From: professionaldevelopment-bounces at nifl.gov
[mailto:professionaldevelopment-bounces at nifl.gov] On Behalf Of Wendy
Quinones
Sent: Tuesday, July 15, 2008 5:36 PM
To: professionaldevelopment at nifl.gov
Subject: [ProfessionalDevelopment 2312] Critical Thinking and Learner
Leadership

David and all,
Anyone who's ever taught a GED class will tell you that English language
learners aren't the only ones with opinions about how their classes should
be taught -- "Is this going to be on the test?" is the mantra of the GED
student.  Their assumption is that the GED  consists of discrete items that
can be taught, and on that basis they want to learn "stuff" rather than the
habits of thought that will benefit them both on the test and in future
life.  How do we challenge that assumption when it is precisely that
challenge that a great many GED students want to avoid?  In my experience,
telling students that the GED is not about content is a lost cause; at least
at first, they simply don't believe it.  I'm afraid I have taken to abusing
my position as an authority figure, and I simply answer "Yes" to that
question whenever it's asked, no matter what crazy (to them) thing I'm
asking them to do.  My reasoning is simple:  most haven't had the experience
of being in a situation where they are valued as thinkers, so they don't
know what that kind of classroom environment looks like.  Without that
experience, how can they make informed judgments about how they best learn?
If telling them that everything in the class will be on the test will open
them to new methods that do value their thinking, I will certainly do it.
Eventually we do get to practice on GED test items, but by then they have
learned that getting the "right" answer (and what is more discouraging to
critical thinking than that!?!?!) is more a matter of critical thinking and
clear reasoning than of memorizing "stuff."

Wendy Quinones

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Professional Development section of the Adult Literacy Education Wiki
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