I asked what you want from your teacher; here’s what Eng. 12 period 1 said :

1. I asked what you want from your teacher; here’s what Eng. 12 period 1 said: • Gives choice when doing assignments- 6 • Gives clear instructions for tasks to be done- 10 • Assess only a few “major” assignments- 2 • Gives grades on all assignments- 8 • Gives feedback (not just grades) on all assignments- 2 • Prepares us for the provincial exam- 0

2. After much thought…I have a proposal. • Let’s set a baseline for what an “acceptable” performance is. This can be a percentage, or a letter grade. • With you partner, discuss what you feel is a mark/grade/percentage that is MINIMALLY acceptable. • Any work that is deemed to be “acceptable” will receive a grade. • Any work that receives a mark/grade/percentage less than the baseline must use the feedback provided to make the piece stronger. WHEN the work is of an acceptable quality, it will then be given a “grade”.

3. Critical Thinking How to go beyond simplistic thinking.

4. What is “critical thinking”? • Perhaps we can start out by looking at what a NON-critical thinker acts like: • They see things in black and white, as either-or, rather than recognizing a variety of possible understandings. • They see questions as having yes or no answers with no subtleties or in-betweens. • They fail to see linkages between ideas/fail to recognize related elements. • Non-critical thinkers see their opinions as the only relevant ones.

5. What is “critical thinking”? • Critical thinkers are by nature skeptical. They approach texts with the same questioning and suspicion as they approach spoken remarks. • Critical thinkers are active, not passive.  They ask  questions and analyze. They consciously apply tactics and strategies to uncover meaning or assure their understanding.  • Critical thinkers do not take an egotistical view of the world. They are open to new ideas and perspectives (even if they disagree with them!).  They are willing to challenge their beliefs and investigate competing evidence.

6. Why should we worry about critical thinking? No one always acts purely objectively and rationally. We connive for selfish interests.  We gossip, boast, exaggerate, and equivocate. It is "only human" to wish to validate our prior knowledge, to vindicate our prior decisions, or to sustain our earlier beliefs. In others words…we like to be right so sometimes we do things irrational to “stay right”.In the process of satisfying our ego, however, we can often deny ourselves intellectual growth and opportunity. We may not always want to apply critical thinking skills, but we should have those skills available to be employed when needed.

8. How can I show critical thinking? Here are some techniques to consider: • Consider alternative perspectives or “sides” of an issue. • Do not reject unpopular views without first considering their validity. • Rely on reason rather than emotion. • Ignore no known evidence, and follow evidence where it leads. • Recognize your own assumptions, prejudices, biases, or point of view. • Make personal connections. Ask “How does this impact me?” • Use previous knowledge and make links between texts.

9. Here are some actions and questions that a critical thinker considers:

10. Researching is fine…but you need to develop YOUR OWN answers and opinions.

11. Take a look at the Bloom’s Taxonomy and critical thinking handout

12. If you are here it is hard to get here because you have not said enough to develop your ideas.

13. Your Task: • Using the information from this slideshow, take your original response on “Drive” and re-work it to show MORE critical thinking. • See the handouts (especially the “How can I show critical thinking” and the “Actions and questions that a critical thinker considers” slides) for guidance.