The document summarizes a presentation on fostering critical thinking given by Abdeslam Badre at the MATE's 32nd National Conference in Oujda, Morocco from April 9-12, 2012. The presentation outlines six underlying factors that govern the educational environment and three logics that should guide classroom practices: the logic of students' minds, the logic of content, and the logic of reasoning. It argues that teaching should focus on helping students understand different perspectives rather than injecting them with prescribed knowledge.

1. MATE’s 32nd National Conference
9-12, April 2012.Oujda, Morocco
“Why did the chicken cross the road”?
By:
Badre Abdeslam
ALC – Rabat & Mohammed V University
Abdeslam Badre on Critical Thinking line 1

2. Outline
I. Theoretical: What needs to be known
A. The Six Underlying factors
II. Operational: what should be done
A. Acting upon the logic of the classroom
Abdeslam Badre on Critical Thinking ??? 2

3. So, why did the chicken
cross the road?
Abdeslam Badre on Critical Thinking dwin 3

4. Chickens, over great
periods of time, have been
naturally selected in such a
way that they are now
genetically disposed to
c
cross roads.
Abdeslam Badre on Critical Thinking end/means 4

5. Who cares why? The end
of crossing the road
justifies whatever motive
there was.
Abdeslam Badre on Critical Thinking sgmnet 5

6. The fact that you are
at all concerned that
the chicken crossed
the road reveals your
underlying sexual
insecurity.
Abdeslam Badre on Critical Thinking albrt 6

7. Whether the chicken
crossed the road or the
road moved beneath the
chicken is a matter of
r
relativity.
Abdeslam Badre on Critical Thinking WB 7

8. We don't really care why
the chicken crossed the
road. We just want to
know if the chicken is on
our side of the road, or
not. The chicken is either
against us, or for us. There
is no middle ground here.
Abdeslam Badre on Critical Thinking W
bill 8

9. I did not cross the road with that chick-en.
Abdeslam Badre on Critical Thinking mnkey 9

10. How can we foster Critical Thinking via ELT?
Abdeslam Badre on Critical Thinking 6 facts 10

11. Part I: Six underling factors governing the educational
environment
Abdeslam Badre on Critical Thinking school 11

12. 1. The school is…
a space where each
leaner’s individuality is
supposed to be
respected, nurtured
without having to be
duplicated
Abdeslam Badre on Critical Thinking Ts 12

13. 2. The facilitator is …
Is not there to inject
students brains with
prescribed dosage of
inputs; but to defrost
Ls’ thoughts by:
distanced guidance,
provoking open ended
questions, liberating
imaginations,
encouraging creativity
and help tolerating
fallacies
Abdeslam Badre on Critical Thinking Ls 13

14. 3. Learners are…
Abdeslam Badre on Critical Thinking syllbs 14

15. 4. The syllabi are …
Because Knowledge is not
a collection of facts,
but rather an ongoing
process of examining &
evaluating
information, and
adding it to one’s
understanding.
Abdeslam Badre on Critical Thinking process 15

16. 5. Teaching /Learning is ..
A mechanical nor is it
predictable process of
input cramming. It is a
negotiable
communicative
relationship between
the L/T/C
Abdeslam Badre on Critical Thinking result 16

17. 6. The learning outcomes
Are and will never to be
expected to be
duplicated; because
learners do not grow
up in laboratories.
They are coming from
different backgrounds,
with different
intelligences, needs,
expectations; and more
importantly, they
process knowledge
differently.
Abdeslam Badre on Critical Thinking 3 logics 17

18. Part II: what should be done:
Logic of the classroom
Abdeslam Badre on Critical Thinking Mind 18

19. 1. Logic of Students’ mind
Instructors should look at
the logic of the
students’ mind as the
framework upon which
they build up
knowledge; and not
the other way around!
Abdeslam Badre on Critical Thinking content 19

20. Logic of Content
Instructors need to explicitly help students understand
the logic of the content by showing the contents’:
1 format
2 structure
3 Sequence
4 Objectives
5 limitations
Abdeslam Badre on Critical Thinking strageis 20

21. 3. Logic of Reasoning
 Identifying key definitions
 Identifying ambiguity
 Identifying variables
 Formulating questions
 Defining issue or problem
 Classifying information
 Sequencing information
 Identifying relationships
Abdeslam Badre on Critical
21
Thinking

22. 3. Logic of Reasoning (cont..)
 Recognizing patterns
 Determining credibility
 Distinguishing fact from opinion
 Identifying assumptions
 Comparing & contrasting
 Cause and effect
 Summarizing information
 Using analogies
 Identifying values
 Noting missing evidence
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23. The question is not why did the chicken
cross the road?
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23
Thinking

24. The question is:
Why should not
that chicken
cross the road?
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24
Thinking

25. Thank you!
Abdeslam Badre
Email: Abdeslambadre@yahoo.com
Blog: badre-thirdspace.blogspot.com
More presentations and papers @ www.slideshare.net www.articlebase.com
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Thinking