Catherine--

Do you have any useful examples of this?  it's a lovely idea.

Andrea:)

On Jul 16, 2008, at 9:27 AM, Gabb, Sally S. wrote:


> 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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