[Ansteorra] Critical Thinking (was Historical Gerrymandering)

[D. Vandever]

----- Original Message -----
From: <Fitzmorgan at cs.com>
To: <ansteorra at ansteorra.org>
Sent: Saturday, March 02, 2002 12:17 PM
Subject: Re: [Ansteorra] Re: Historical Gerrymandering


.Much snippage.......

>        I suspect that many, perhaps most people in America today learned
all
> they know of history from the government and Hollywood.  That's not going
to
> give them a very accurate picture of the past, and our education system
> doesn't even try to teach children how to separate Truth from B. S.   A
very
> necessary skill that many people never develop.
>
> Robert

Greetings M'lord Robert,

I must speak out on your last part of your missive.  Mundanely I am a 24
year career teacher in the "education system" which you speak of above.
While I agree that critical thinking skills are a necessary skill that many
people never develop, it is not from lack of trying on the part of most
teachers.  Critical thinking skills are built into every part of the
cirriculum from 1st grade on.  Students at lower levels participate in
activities such as Oddessy of the Mind and in higher levels activities such
as Science Fair.  In my 9th grade biology classes, every assignment has
Basic Concept questions, Analysis questions and Critical Thinking Questions
whether they be labs, chapter reviews, reports, experimental designs,
projects or tests.  In my 11th grade environmental science class, nearly
every concept involves concept connections and critical thinking skills
related to evaluating risk, internet sources, the media and scientific
analysis.  If you experienced "Memorize it and Vomit it" learning, I am
heartily sorry for you.  My students often complain that my classes make
their heads hurt from having to "think too much".

One thing everyone needs to remember about education is that it is much like
the proverbial "horse to water".  We can model, teach, lecture, give
experience after experience until we are blue in the face.  It is then up to
the children we teach as to if they will actually put into practice the
skills which we know will make their lives easier and richer for doing so.

In Service,
Annes