Workshops
Embedding Critical Thinking Skills in the Psychology Curriculum
Workshop Presentation Ira Konstantinou, Rebecca Mendoza
Employability research shows that the primary expectation both academics and employers have of students is to demonstrate critical thinking and a positive attitude to professional growth. We discuss student-focused findings mapped against Kuhn’s (2000) theory of meta-knowing abilities. The study tested the effectiveness of implicit vs explicit pedagogical approaches to critical thinking across three different levels of Psychology courses at two institutions. Findings show that explicit rather than implicit instruction and assessment significantly contributes to the development of critical thinking across all levels. Students in our approaches were instructed and assessed, while discussing and sharing a common aim with the lecturer: to become more accomplished critical thinkers. Therefore, they improved by actively reorganising their own mind, as they deliberately focused on their own thinking, integrated motivation and intentions, strategized and made long-term behavioural plans about how to develop critical thinking skills. We will be sharing the teaching material with colleagues and discussing the instruction and assessment in detail. We will demonstrate how the experiment was conducted, give colleagues the critical thinking test to attempt for themselves, and we will discuss in detail the setting up of a journal peer-review assignment aimed at promoting explicit critical thinking. We will share a copy of this assignment, the instructions students were given, examples of student work and how it was graded.
Dance: Addressing Learning and Language Needs through Innovative Differentiation
Workshop Presentation Holly Arnold
Created to equip teachers with how to provide appropriate linguistically and culturally responsive pedagogy, the D.A.N.C.E. framework is centered on learning language and content through scaffolding and linguistically and culturally responsive supports. Each component of the D.A.N.C.E. framework is paired with an activity that serves as an example of the component’s importance and is a classroom strategy teachers can implement with their respective classes. D represents “Differentiate,” which analyzes the importance of cultural, linguistic, and academic differentiation that is appropriate for all students. It is introduced with the Illusion Activity, which is an optical brainteaser, and followed by the Lotus Jigsaw, during which attendees work in groups to find the gist of a purposefully difficult and extremely esoteric passage. Groups brainstorm types of differentiation they would employ for such passages before the presenter offers suggestions. A is “Assessments” that are embedded within culturally responsive pedagogy and provide innovative ways of assessing diverse learners. This includes the Toaster Activity, during which attendees must describe a toaster in a common language. This highlights how students may have the content knowledge but lack the language with which to express it. Following this is the UFO-Ball Activity where attendees work to light up a ball, while utilizing and exploring the importance of sentence stems. Both activities are diverse methods of assessment, and how they can be adjusted for different language levels is modeled. N stands for “kNowing Your Students,” which discusses how to draw from students’ background knowledge and experiences to form connections to the curriculum. N includes a Culture Walk where attendees respond to questions or sentences on papers taped to the walls (or desks/tables) around the room (done prior to the presentation). The In-The-Circle Activity, during which attendees non-verbally respond to questions that relate to their lives, follows if time permits. Both activities provide teachers with engaging and innovative ways to get to know their students, while learning information that can assist them with providing appropriate linguistically and culturally responsive pedagogy throughout the year. C represents “Celebrating the Community,” where the intersection of students’ cultures link to inclusive pedagogy. For this activity, attendees circle the room and share strategies with each other on how to reach out to students’ communities. (A semantic map - with key principles to remember - is provided.) Ideas are shared with the whole group. E is “Engagement” and highlights the foundation of the sociocultural theory through the utilization of interaction to increase learning. Attendees are placed in groups, watch a shocking (yet humorous) news clip on whales (appropriate for all grade levels), and are assigned a role within the group that demonstrates how students of varying proficiency levels can receive appropriate differentiation during group work. Through the scope of the sociocultural grid, D.A.N.C.E.-ing in the classroom connects students’ language and culture to the content. Because this framework is grounded in providing linguistically and culturally responsive pedagogy, appropriate differentiation strategies and activities have been selected or created to align with each component of this framework. This provides teachers with both a working knowledge of this culturally responsive pedagogical framework and the means by which it can be successfully implemented with diverse students.
