Assessing critical thinking in midle and high schools

Free ebooks ==> www.Ebook777.com www.Ebook777.com Assessing Critical Thinking in Middle and High Schools Meeting the Common Core Rebecca Stobaugh Stobaugh pages.indd 11/19/12 4:24 PM Free ebooks ==> www.Ebook777.com This book is dedicated to my children May they always challenge themselves to reach their full potential First published 2013 by Eye On Education Published 2013 by Routledge 711 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017, USA Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business Copyright © 2013 Taylor & Francis All rights reserved No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers Notices No responsibility is assumed by the publisher for any injury and/or damage to persons or property as a matter of products liability, negligence or otherwise, or from any use of operation of any methods, products, instructions or ideas contained in the material herein Practitioners and researchers must always rely on their own experience and knowledge in evaluating and using any information, methods, compounds, or experiments described herein In using such information or methods they should be mindful of their own safety and the safety of others, including parties for whom they have a professional responsibility Product or corporate names may be trademarks or registered trademarks, and are used only for identification and explanation without intent to infringe Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Stobaugh, Rebecca Assessing critical thinking in middle and high schools: meeting the common core / Rebecca Stobaugh pages cm Includes bibliographical references ISBN 978-1-59667-233-8 Thought and thinking Study and teaching (Middle school) Thought and thinking Study and teaching (High School) Critical thinking Study and teaching (Middle School) Critical thinking-Study and teaching (Secondary) I Title LB1590.3.S496 2013 370.15’2 dc23 2012037714 Cover Designer: Dave Strauss, 3FoldDesign ISBN: 978-1-596-67233-8 (pbk) ISBN: 978-1-317-92174-5 (ebk) www.Ebook777.com Stobaugh pages.indd 11/30/12 9:53 PM Also Available from Eye On Education Assessing Critical Thinking in Elementary Schools: Meeting the Common Core Rebecca Stobaugh Rigor Is NOT a Four- Letter Word Barbara R Blackburn Critical Thinking and Formative Assessments Increasing the Rigor in Your Classroom Betsy Moore and Todd Stanley Rigor Made Easy: Getting Started Barbara R Blackburn Rigor in Your School A Toolkit for Leaders Ronald Williamson and Barbara R Blackburn Rigorous Schools and Classrooms Leading the Way Ronald Williamson and Barbara R Blackburn Teacher-Made Assessments How to Connect Curriculum, Instruction, and Student Learning Christopher R Gareis and Leslie W Grant Differentiated Assessment for Middle and High School Classrooms Deborah Blaz Handbook on Differentiated Instruction for Middle and High Schools Sheryn Spencer Northey Differentiating Assessment in Middle and High School Mathematics and Science Sheryn Spencer Waterman Differentiating Assessment in Middle and High School English and Social Studies Sheryn Spencer Waterman Formative Assessment for English Language Arts A Guide for Middle and High School Teachers Amy Benjamin Stobaugh pages.indd 11/21/12 11:04 AM Free ebooks ==> www.Ebook777.com Supplemental Downloads Many of the tools discussed and displayed in this book are also available on the Routledge website as Adobe Acrobat files Permission has been granted to purchasers of this book to download these tools and print them You can access these downloads by visiting www.routledge.com/9781596672338 and click on the Free Downloads tab Index of Supplemental Downloads Discuss and Take Action Importance of Critical Thinking Discuss and Take Action Applying Bloom’s Taxonomy in Your Classroom Discuss and Take Action Misconceptions, Challenges, and a Solution Discuss and Take Action Scenarios and Real-World Applications Discuss and Take Action Visual Materials Discuss and Take Action Quotations Discuss and Take Action Establish a Culture of Thinking Discuss and Take Action Conclusion Discuss and Take Action 10 14 63 85 106 123 138 142 Implementation Tools Figure 1.3: Characteristics of Strong Critical Thinkers 11 Figure 2.29: Cognitive Domain Planning Tool 45 Figure 2.30: Bloom’s Taxonomy Question Starters 46 Figure 2.31: Bloom’s Taxonomy Task Prompts 49 Figure 7.2: Elements of a Classroom Culture that Nurtures Thinking 139 Figure 7.3: Holistic Scoring Guide 140 Figure 8.1: Implementation Chart 143 www.Ebook777.com Stobaugh pages.indd 11/19/12 4:24 PM Contents Acknowledgements vii Meet the Author viii Introduction: Engaging in Critical Thinking ix Importance of Critical Thinking What Is Critical Thinking? Importance of Critical Thinking Summary Applying Bloom’s Taxonomy in Your Classroom Retention versus Transfer Revised Cognitive Levels for Bloom’s Taxonomy Summary 13 14 15 43 Misconceptions, Challenges, and a Solution Misconceptions Challenges A Solution: Interpretive Exercises Summary 51 51 58 60 63 Scenarios and Real-World Applications Types of Real-World Applications Higher-Level Thinking Design Tips 65 65 69 70 Scenarios and Real-World Applications Tasks and Assessment Examples 72 Math Examples 72 Science Examples 77 Social Studies Examples 80 Language Arts Examples 82 ◆  v Stobaugh pages.indd 11/19/12 4:24 PM Free ebooks ==> www.Ebook777.com Visual Materials Types of Visuals Higher-Level Thinking Design Tips 87 87 90 90 Visual Tasks and Assessment Examples 92 Math Examples 92 Science Examples 96 Social Studies Examples 99 Language Arts Examples 102 Quotations 107 Types of Quotations 107 Higher-Level Thinking 110 Design Tips 111 Quotes, Passages, and Media Examples of Tasks and Assessment Examples 112 Math Examples 112 Science Examples 114 Social Studies Examples 116 Language Arts Examples 120 Establishing a Culture of Thinking Classroom Culture That Nurtures Thinking: Training the Brain Formatively Assessing Thinking Summative Assessments Summary 125 126 133 137 138 Conclusion 141 References 145 vi  ◆  Assessing Critical Thinking in Middle and High Schools www.Ebook777.com Stobaugh pages.indd 11/19/12 4:24 PM Acknowledgements Several of my colleagues provided critical support in editing: Ashley Taylor, Melissa Rudloff, Jennifer Gonzalez, Marge Maxwell, and Keri Mosier Also, Janet Tassell and Martha Day have previously collaborated with me in presenting and publishing on this topic Without a network of committed and supportive colleagues, this work would not have been possible Additionally, several teacher candidates and current teachers—Josh Bush, Chloe Harper, Nicholas Neiman, Hannah Blakenship, Natalie Croney, Jill Spears, Nathan Maness, Chelsea Elliot, Elliot Bracksierk, Kyle Marshall, Kacey Page, and Megan Steen—worked in partnership with me to create the assessments in this text Finally, I am thankful to my husband as well as my parents, who have always supported my aspirations ◆  vii Stobaugh pages.indd 11/19/12 4:24 PM Free ebooks ==> www.Ebook777.com Meet the Author Rebecca Stobaugh received a PhD from the University of Louisville As a middle-school and high-school teacher, she was named Social Studies Teacher of the Year by the Kentucky Council for Social Studies in 2004 In her position as a middle-school principal, she focused on aligning curriculum, increasing the level of critical thinking in assessments and instruction, and establishing a school-wide discipline plan Currently, she serves as an assistant professor at Western Kentucky University, teaching assessment and unit-planning courses in the teacher education program She supervises first-year teachers and consults with school districts on critical thinking, instructional strategies, assessment, technology integration, and other topics viii  ◆ www.Ebook777.com Stobaugh pages.indd 11/19/12 4:24 PM Introduction: Engaging in Critical Thinking Whether it is a problem with your car, a neighbor, or your job, situations in life present complex challenges that demand critical thinking to carefully examine the situation and formulate a solution Memorized terms not prepare us for these problems In order to be primed for adult life, students need experience engaging in higher-level thinking tasks and assessments Critical thinking skills should be infused into daily instruction to adequately prepare students for school assessments, rigorous college expectations, employers’ demands, and complex life situations Equipping students with critical thinking skills enables them to reason effectively, make rational judgments and decisions, and solve problems Since there are many misconceptions about levels of thinking, this book initially delves deeper into the revised Bloom’s cognitive taxonomy to build greater understanding of each level and its cognitive processes Next, it addresses prevailing misconceptions about critical thinking and problems associated with trying to design high-level thinking tasks and assessments A solution will then be provided to increase the level of cognitive complexity in instructional tasks and assessments—using interpretive exercises The next three chapters demonstrate how to incorporate interpretive exercises by using quotes, visuals, and scenarios Finally, ideas will be shared on how to establish a culture of thinking in a classroom along with techniques to embed interpretive exercises into formative and summative assessments At the end of each chapter are discussion questions, ways to make practical applications, and supplementary resources Reading this text will equip middle and high school educators with knowledge and skills to develop high-level thinking tasks and assessments The first chapter defines critical thinking and establishes the importance of infusing critical thinking skills into instruction Teaching critical thinking skills prepares students for P-12 assessments, rigorous college expectations, employers’ demands, and complex life situations Equipping students with critical thinking skills enables students to reason effectively, make rational judgments and decisions, and solve problems Since there are many misconceptions on levels of thinking, this book in the second chapter initially delves deeper into the revised Bloom’s cognitive ◆  ix Stobaugh pages.indd 11/19/12 4:24 PM ... enculturation of thinking: creating a physical environment promoting thinking, modeling the thinking process, teaching routines and structures for thinking, providing thinking opportunities, establishing... educators, Assessing Critical Thinking in Elementary Schools: Meeting the Common Core x  ◆  Assessing Critical Thinking in Middle and High Schools www.Ebook777.com Stobaugh pages.indd 10 11/19/12... assessment is used with thinking tasks Routines and Structures for Thinking ✓? ?Thinking routines are taught and regularly practiced Teacher Modeling ✓✓Teacher models thinking Thinking opportunities