EDUC 642 Critical Thinking and Creativity in the ... - Piedmont College

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thinking and metacognition allows candidates to understand their theoretical underpinnings, and to practice higher order thinking skills/strategies in order to improve classroom teaching practices and life-long learning skills. IV. SCHOOL OF EDUCATION OUTCOMES (See School of Education Syllabus A – IV) (Candidate Learning Outcomes by Program and Dispositions for All Candidates) V. COURSE OUTCOMES : What are critical thinking skills and why are they necessary for effective teaching? What is creativity and how can it be nurtured in the classroom? Since the early 1980’s, educators have been criticized for perpetuating a “riding tide of mediocrity” by requiring of students primarily rote memorization of disassociated facts and details. Today, most educators agree that the focus of learning should be on how to use information for creative problem solving, analysis, evaluation, and other higher order tasks. At the conclusion of the course, students should be able to: 1) (CLO 2,) Describe a theory of knowledge. What is knowledge and how do we acquire it? (To be reflected upon and revised throughout the course.) 2) (CLO 2,) Generate a definition of critical thinking drawn from critical examination of others’ views and of one’s own life experiences. (To be reflected upon and revised throughout the course.) 3) (CLO 2,) Generate a definition of creativity drawn from others’ views and from one’s own experiences. (To be reflected upon and revised throughout the course.) 4) (CLO 1, 2, 4, 9,) Describe/interpret the theoretical bases of the thinking skills movement, including characteristics of the learner that very much affect critical thinking—e.g., attitudes/beliefs, learning style, motivation, metacognitive knowledge, etc. 5) (CLO 2, 3, 5,) Describe/apply the research – based evidence on factors that stimulate creative problem solving in the classroom and describe how to use those factors at the elementary level. 6) (CLO 2,) Exhibit improved critical/creative thinking skills in the areas of application, analysis, synthesis, evaluation, and problem solving/decision making. 7) (CLO 1, 2, 3, 9,) Exhibit knowledge of models for teaching higher order thinking skills, including teaching metacognitive strategies. 8) (CLO 2, 3, 6,) Evaluate higher order thinking skills of elementary students. 9) (CLO 2, 4, 7, 10,) Teach the class about one critical or creative thinking program or strategy that is designed to accomplish its goals effectively. VI. COURSE POLICIES & PROCEDURES: (In addition to information provided on School of Education Syllabus A – VI). 1. Class Attendance & Participation 2. Written Work 3. Academic Integrity 4. Special Considerations (See School of Education Syllabus A – VI) 5. Cell Phone Usage VII. INSTRUCTIONAL METHODS, DESCRIPTION OF ASSIGNMENTS, AND FIELD EXPERIENCES: 1. Instructional Methods: See School of Education Syllabus A – VII. 2. Description of Assignments: Readings from the assigned texts will be the focus for discussions, writings, and group activities. Please read the assigned readings before coming to class in order to facilitate quality discussions. Think about how the readings relate or could relate to your classroom teaching experiences. Also keep in mind that you are responsible for the reading assignments even if we do not go over them in class. In-class Problem Solving Exercises: These exercises will be collected on a variable schedule throughout the semester and will be worth up to 10% of the total grade. In-class exercises are formative evaluations and are also designed to assess class participation. They are like pop quizzes; students must be present that day in order to earn points. There are no make-up exercises. STUDENTS ARE EXPECTED TO HAVE READ THE ASSIGNED MATERIAL BEFORE COMING TO CLASS. Students will select an authentic problem and devise a creative way to solve it. Students should submit a paper including the following: a definition of the problem, research regarding what is known about the problem, the solution selected and the rationale for its selection, and suggested ways to evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed solution. At lease three different references and an APA-style format are required. Students will present problems and creative solutions to the class in a 10-15 minute lesson presentation.
Other assignments or activities may be required as deemed necessary to assure the mastery of the course objectives as stated. Assignments to Be Completed for This Course: Each candidate is responsible for arranging and documenting his/her field experiences at an appropriate grade level. Keep in mind that Early Childhood Majors are required to work in grades P-K, 1-3, and 4-5. When selecting field experiences, be sure that you are getting a good representation from each of the grade level areas for documentation of field experiences. Initial certification candidates must document a minimum of five hours for this course. Advanced certification candidates must document a minimum of two hours for this course. Candidates adding a new field must document a minimum of three hours. 3. Field Experiences (Initial and Advanced Ceritification Tracks): Different county and city school systems require that specific field experience procedures and forms be used for placement of candidates in their schools. Also, certain field experience placement forms may be required by your college professor. Make sure you are using the appropriate placement request form(s) for the field experiences in this course. VIII. RESOURCES: Babbie, E. (2002). The Basics of Social Research (2nd ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth. Baxter Magolda, M. (1992). Knowing and reasoning in college: Gender-related patterns in students’ intellectual development. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Bloom, B. S., et al. (1956). Taxonomy of Educational Objectives: The Classification of Educational Goals. New York: David McKay. Bok, D. (2005, December 18). Are Colleges Failing? Higher Ed Needs New Lesson Plans. The Boston Globe, p. K12. Brookfield, S. D. (1987). Developing Critical Thinkers. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Brookfield, S. D. (1995). Becoming a Critically Reflective Teacher. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Burton, J., Horowitz, R., & Abeles, H. (2000). Learning in and through the arts: The question of transfer. Studies in Art Education, 41(3), 228-57. ACT (2006-2007a). CAAP Technical Handbook, 2006-2007: Assessing Academic Achievement in Reading, Writing, Mathematics, Science, and Critical Thinking. Iowa City, IA: ACT. ACT (2006-2007b). CAAP Guide to Successful General Education Outcomes Assessment, 2006-2007. Iowa City, IA: ACT. Carr, K. S. (1990). How Can We Teach Critical Thinking? Retrieved on 6/6/2006 from http://www.ericdigests.org/pre-9218/critical.htm. Collegiate Assessment of Academic Proficiency. Retrieved 1/22/07 from http://www.act.org/caap/tests/thinking.html.
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