I developed and delivered this presentation for South Mebane Elementary School in Alamance County. The focus was higher order thinking and critical thinking skills in reading, writing, listening and speaking. Language, Comprehension and Vocabulary standards were highlighted from the Common Core with a special emphasis on the 3 shifts of the Common Core for ELA.
Beyond Question Stems: Critical Thinking in the 21st Century Classroom
1. Beyond question stems:
Best Practices for Critical Thinking
in the 21st Century Classroom
South Mebane Elementary
September 19, 2012
by Jennifer Jones
helloliteracy.blogspot.com
helloliteracy@gmail.com
14. Strategy #2 Describe Guided Reading as a
Session Rather than a Lesson
• Teacher support enables students to
problem-solve, connect and discover
• Session is conversational in format
• (K-2)Students read a lot (2-5) Students
talk a lot
15. Strategy #15 Engage All Students,
Regardless of Instructional Reading
Level, in Thinking Deeply About Story
•Beyond a series of questions
•Beyond “Today I want you to make
a prediction.”
•Beyond story retelling
•Beyond details of the reading
process but active in all of it
•Meaning at the text level
16. The Language of Teaching
Comprehension Instruction Deeply
Little Questions Big Questions
What houses did How are the pigs’
each pig build? houses different?
Why did the writer
have the third pig
build the brick house
instead of the second
pig?
What did the wolf say Why did the wolf say
before he blew down the same thing at
the houses? each house?
What happens at the What did the pigs
beginning, middle learn from their
and end of the story? experience?
17. A Where is Your Level of Thinking?
Are Your Kids There?
43. First …before
We must be Critical We can be Critical
Thinkers… Readers.
You don’t have to believe
everything you read in a book, you
have the right to question it and
judge for the reasons for yourself.
Image: 10englishcm.wikispaces.com
45. Critical Reading…
…is a way of looking at a book and
analyzing what the author is saying and
the methods the author [and
illustrator] are using to communicate a
message or idea. Your analysis is
complete when you have formed your
own interpretations of the
author’s intentions.
55. Non-fiction Reading
Shift Our Thinking from… “What do want kids to KNOW?” to
“What do want kids to get out of it?”
www.metro.co.uk
Image: www.julieballew.com
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80. Thank You!
This presentation has received rave reviews by the faculty of the three
schools I have presented it to. Many folks said that they finally understood
what was teaching the Common Core way meant. My own principal called
me a “rock star.” If your school or a school you know of, is interested in or
could use some help with this I'd be more then willing to travel and present
to the faculty and staff. Please contact me and we can figure out
transportation and time compensation expenses. I can contacted at
helloliteracy@gmail.com References available upon request.