Critical Thinking and Critical Literacy
Critical thinking is a core skill to help us make sense of a complex and often contradictory world. A rational and systematic discipline, it supports deeper learning and is found across the whole of the curriculum.
Critical thinking is a core skill to help us make sense of a complex and often contradictory world. A rational and systematic discipline, it supports deeper learning and is found across the whole of the curriculum.
Learning to ask better questions, being curious and creative, using reasoning and analysis, exploring different perspectives and bias, looking for alternative solutions, problem solving and decision making – all have a key role to play in developing our critical thinking abilities. There are so many inter-related strands that teaching critical thinking in isolation does not work well. Young people (and adults) often fail to recognise critical thinking for what it is and transferring their critical thinking skills in one area to a different situation can be challenging.
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For this reason it is important to teach critical thinking in real life contexts and to demonstrate how it applies to our engagement with the offline and online world in practical ways.
Critical Literacy is related to critical thinking but it is not the same thing. It goes further into exploring how assumptions, limitations, culture, biases and power relationships shape our individual perceptions and responses to the world around us. It encourages us to examine where our own thinking is coming from and warns of the danger of the single story. Seeking out multiple perspectives rather than a simplified “truth” is another handy tool when navigating 21st Century life.
Critical literacy applies readily to the world of language and literature but can equally be applied to visual images, cartoons, advertisements, paintings, historical artefacts through to the modern day meme.
What lenses do you look at the world through and what is it that you see? |
Top tips for Critical Thinking
Ask questions and question assumptions
Creating opportunities for students to generate, pose and explore questions can begin from the simplest story book, illustration or caption. Value talk in your classroom and build in opportunities for “talking partner” or small group work, wherever possible.
Allow everyone time to process information
Thinking through what to say and process ideas takes time. The immediate, quick response is not always the best. Use participatory techniques such as standing on an agree/disagree line in response to a statement, carefully listening to the alternative perspectives of others. This process provides time and space to rethink initial thoughts. Reflection can be encouraged by providing opportunity to readjust positioning on the line, after having listened and participated in the discussion. Working as a group to note down responses and think around an issue is another productive way to encourage deeper thought and make new connections.
Provide context and challenge
Critical thinking, critical literacy and creativity often bounce off each other. Where can you set your students an open- ended challenge to explore an issue for themselves, create their own solution to a problem or respond creatively through drama, music or artistic expression? Think broad and relate the challenge to real life, wherever possible, to make the learning real.
Ask questions and question assumptions
Creating opportunities for students to generate, pose and explore questions can begin from the simplest story book, illustration or caption. Value talk in your classroom and build in opportunities for “talking partner” or small group work, wherever possible.
Allow everyone time to process information
Thinking through what to say and process ideas takes time. The immediate, quick response is not always the best. Use participatory techniques such as standing on an agree/disagree line in response to a statement, carefully listening to the alternative perspectives of others. This process provides time and space to rethink initial thoughts. Reflection can be encouraged by providing opportunity to readjust positioning on the line, after having listened and participated in the discussion. Working as a group to note down responses and think around an issue is another productive way to encourage deeper thought and make new connections.
Provide context and challenge
Critical thinking, critical literacy and creativity often bounce off each other. Where can you set your students an open- ended challenge to explore an issue for themselves, create their own solution to a problem or respond creatively through drama, music or artistic expression? Think broad and relate the challenge to real life, wherever possible, to make the learning real.
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