2. Definition
• From criticalthinking.org: “Critical thinking is the intellectually disciplined
process of actively and skillfully conceptualizing, applying, analyzing,
synthesizing, and/or evaluating information gathered from, or generated by,
observation, experience, reflection, reasoning, or communication, as a guide
to belief and action.”
3. Importance
• Critical thinking comes from life experience and it changes the way we think about
everything
• Life experiences change our views, values, goals, and the way we approach
answering any question. What a person individually deals with throughout life can
alter critical thinking and improving education
• Critical thinking also changes our future life experiences whether it be in furthering
our education, or in the workplace.
• Shift from the private/reflective thinking, to the social exploration of ideas via
brainstorming, questioning, and exchanging of ideas
4. How it Applies to 21st Century Education
• In the 21st century, there’s greater access to information and more resources to be
utilized than ever before
• Communication tools have never been more efficient or accessible than they are
now
• More and more jobs are requiring critical thinking to even get a position in the work
field, thus its importance in the classroom has never been greater
• With growing access to technology and knowledge of how to use it, it’s important
that critical thinking be paired with technology to better engage the student and
prepare them for college and the work force where they’ll be asked to utilize both
5. Application with Technology
• Youtube & Storytelling could be used to promote the pillar of Critical Thinking. For the Critical Thinking lesson,
the teacher fabricated a court case (or researched a court case) in explicit detail that could easily go both ways: guilty
or not guilty.
• Counted off either 1 or 2 to prove the defendant guilty or not guilty. Each student must analyze and evaluate the
information that was given (person of interest’s statement, witness(s) statements, evidence, ect.) to them and find 6
key points to support their verdict.
• Each student will then make one of the three video choices: 1. the student may create a “storytelling” video where
he or she will record him or herself presenting their close reading, 6 key points, and verdict as either the prosecutor
or defense attorney, or 2. the student may record him or herself talking about their close reading, 6 key points, and
verdict then place that recording over a slideshow of photos or images that relate to the case, or 3. the student may
create an animated story (or cartoon) of the case that shows their close reading, 6 key points, and verdict.
• All three videos require the same information, but cater to different people. Students who aren’t extremely
confident with technology but are confident with themselves may choose video one. Students who are self-
conscious and have some knowledge about technology may choose video two. Students who are extremely familiar
with technology and are excited to incorporate in may choose video 3.
6. Works Cited
• "Defining Critical Thinking." The Critical Thinking Community. Foundation for Critical
Thinking, n.d. Web. 23 Apr. 2015.
• Garrison, D. R., Anderson, T., & Archer, W. (2001). Critical thinking and computer
conferencing: A model and tool to assess cognitive presence. American Journal of
Distance Education 15(1) 7-23.
• Facione, P. (1990, January 1). Critical Thinking: A Statement of Expert Consensus
for Purposes of Educational Assessment and Instruction. Research Findings and
Recommendations. Retrieved from http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED315423.pdf
