Team work

Critical thinking can be develop by using indirect teaching methods. These indirect teaching methods will enable the learners to actively participate in the teaching/learning process. Examples are; the laboratory method, lecture demonstration, cooperative learning, discussion method etc

Sometimes it's much important how we use these methods than which methods have been used. In my experience, program Reading and Writing for Critical Thinking (developed by International Reading association) offers a plenty of methods, techniques, strategies for critical thinking, e.g. discussion pro et contra, Venn's diagrams, think-pair-share, guided reading etc.

Critical thinking can be developed by using, for example, the think aloud method. In this method there is no constraint because what we have to do is to say aloud what comes to our mind. Critical thinking may be also the case when teachers are more mentors and organizers of learning experiences and situations, such that their students come to reinvent and reconstruct everything they learn, than simple transmitters of ready made and established truths imposed on students from outside. In contrast to the tradidional and conservative methods that bring about conformist people, the active methods intend to generate individuals that are creators and innovators, not conformist people that are also always prone to accpet the mainstram and the status quo.

Kind regards,

Orlando

I'm no longer in the Education field nor possess your experience However, as a past Reading and High School Science teacher, I found Critical Thinking mapping a great tool to stimulate cognitive thought patterns and mapping hierarchy of a massive class of information. This aided my students to better categorize data, organize items at equivalent levels, and build better relevant relations of material.

Thanks for including me in your discussion.