Proposal for a Panel Discussion at TAM3

[jj]

"How do we teach Critical Thinking, Skeptical Behavior, and the use of the Scientific Method in this modern age?"

(And I think that's a self-explainatory title if I ever saw one.)

I'll even volunteer to be a panelist or the moderator, and yes, I qualify for both.

 

[kittynh]

It's good but you need a catchier title.

You know, "Teach the Young not to get Stung!"

that or have Jennifer Lopez on the panel.

Really good idea though. I teach and it's a lot of work to include it every day. I've taken a cue from the Montessori school where I work. Montessori tries to tie all the units together. Let's say we are studying Native Americans, well in art class they'll make Totem Poles and traditional crafts. In science learn to do an "dig" at an anceint native site, and the science behind different native home designs. Economics could include how tribes of today use their gambling money to fund other projects to help the tribe. Also which tribes and methods are the most economically successful.

So, I don't sit down and think "I'm going to teach a lesson in critical thinking" every day. I try to think how to include and demonstrate critical thinking with every lesson. Though we did have to debunk the ghost that lives in the woods that the older children told the younger kids about. They said there was a ghost in the woods that ate little children and you had to be at least 6 before the ghost wouldn't eat you. I asked my little ones WHY the big kids would lie to them like that. Yes, I used the word LIE. The kids quickly figured out that the big kids liked to play in that part of the woods and didn't want the little kids bothering them (especially as many are the little brother or sister). I was careful not even to say, "Do you think there is a ghost in the woods?" I wanted them to know that I as an adult KNOW that ghosts are LIES or make believe. And there is a reason for the make believe or lies usually.

Oh well,, would love to hear more ideas about teaching skeptical thinking in a woo woo world!

 

[jj]

So, I don't sit down and think "I'm going to teach a lesson in critical thinking" every day. I try to think how to include and demonstrate critical thinking with every lesson.

Exactly.

Back before we moved out here, I was getting to be quite at odds with the science teacher at my kids' old school, one who said things like "I teach what they tell me".

I once mentioned the scientific method, and his answer had nothing at all to do with falsifiability. He didn't know who Karl Popper was, and didn't seem to care, either.

I asked for his take on YEC, he said "Well, everyone has to have their say, it's only fair", and on homeopathy "well, some people say it works". I replied "everyone can say, but not everyone is right, and no, homeopathy doens't work", to which he said "if your mind is closed, why did you ask me".

There was, of course, more to the conversation. My older nearly got into a row with him when she asked him how he could falsify one of his statements. (henh)

I think that all science teachers should have to write a semester-length paper on the scientific method. Even if they aren't great philosophers, they could at least know what things like falsification, confirmation, etc, mean.

But that wasn't the issues I had in mind, my premise asof something like:

]

Resolved: Continued progress in technicology and quality of human life is neither assured nor inevitable. Our present state of life results in great part from science and the technology it engenders. The present attack on science, which attempts to replace demonstrable processes like evolution and heliocentric solar system with nonsense like YEC, the "firmament", homeopath healing, and the like, is a very real threat to our very existance on this planet, which depends in great part on the fruits of technology. Toward that end, we must develop means of countering the anti-knowledge, anti-science, and pro-mystical movements, both at the level of the elite and of the common man.

To that end, how may we proceed?


That's TERRIBLY phrased as it stands... but I'm trying to get the idea cross in the 1.5 minutes I have at hand.

 

[PeterB]

"How do we teach Critical Thinking, Skeptical Behavior, and the use of the Scientific Method in this modern age?"

(And I think that's a self-explainatory title if I ever saw one.)

I'll even volunteer to be a panelist or the moderator, and yes, I qualify for both.

I'm up for it. I should have my book about woowoo and weird thinking out by then. Also, Alynda (who was with me at TAMII) will be able to talk about a year's experience taking skepticism and critical thinking into schools.

 

[jj]

I guess this is, then, of somewhat limited interest?

Oh well. I think it's the sixtifour of the whole thing.

 

[Eos of the Eons]

Hey! Don't sixtifour anything...unless that's a good thing.

There are many teachers wondering this very thing-how to teach this. Some useful tools could come of this. How to approach this for each age group?

 

[kittynh]

I think that in the new O forum there might be a section for educators. Not just for the college ones either!

My theory is give children the skills they need at an early age. One reason I think preschool education is so important is the old saying we have of "if the foundation isn't built well, the whole house will fall down". In the US parents have a strong focus of college. The early years, and elementary school can be even more important.

 

[jj]

My theory is give children the skills they need at an early age.

I'm right there with you, Kitty.

Teach them to test and examine, test and examine, (repeat until you're tired of me saying it).

2yr olds EXCEL at testing and examining, they are in some sense the ultimate pragmatists. Encourage them to learn how to focus it, use it, and organize that skill, and how not to LOSE it, or that's my vote.

No, they aren't capable of adult reflection, but what they are capable of is pretty amazing given that they've just learned that objects persist when out of sensory range a year or so before that... The value of peekabo. Educational, indeed, in my book.

 

[jj]

There are many teachers wondering this very thing-how to teach this. Some useful tools could come of this. How to approach this for each age group?

I think that's a very germane subject. I don't, unfortunately, have a lot to say about it. I wonder what Jeff Corey thinks?

 

[kittynh]

thanks for you input jj. We teach the children geography. Geography is a big subject in Montessori schools. I hear from other educators, why are you teaching 3 year olds the names of the continents and where they are on a map? They have no ability to understand size and distance at that age. For one thing, kids love geography and maps. And children retain this knowledge. When we were taking Kitten to Scotland once she couldn't understand why we didn't pop over to China. The steward on the flight was laughing at this silly 4 year old who thought China was next to the UK. She then calmly explained to him all the countries that connected from Scotland to China, in order. She actually was trying to figure out if we should take a Northern Scandinavian route or through France hitting more countries along the way. She was also able to explain the weather and sites we might see along the way. When she started on the names of the waterways and major mountain ranges, the guy decided she wasn't so dumb after all. I think all the students I teach grow up curious about the world. Since most of them come from families that travel, it's wonderful for the kids to be able to share their travels with their school mates.

I guess what I'm saying is that the preschool age is a time of a burst of learning, reading, writing, math and children are able to learn so much more than we think they can at this age. Plus, learning is still a joy (as it should always be) and your teachers are "so cool". If I can stuff any critical thinking skills in there with all the rest of the stuff they are learning, then I've done a good job.

 

[Jeff Corey]

I teach a college-level Critical Thinking course and I'd be happy to participate. I have used Shermer's "...Weird Things" and Sagan's "Demon Haunted.." and reprints from SI. The demos at TAM1 and 2 are part of that class (developed for experimental psych classes originally) as well as making snow circles, which are less destructive than crop circles. And some magic tricks.

"Teaching Critical Thinking" would be a general enought title for discussion at all levels, from K to grad school.

 

[kittynh]

PreK too!!!!

I couldn't teach without "The Emperor's New Clothes"

small child the skeptic hero! 3 and 4 year olds love that.

Skeptical thinking begins at birth.

How we handle Santa Claus (especially teaching in a school with a Shikh child and many Jewish children, plus the atheist thrown in) was a problem for our school. I told them to teach "santa" and other holidays as a cultural study. Santa is very different in different cultures. On top of that throw in a few other religious holidays from the same time and you have a great unit which ties in with geography. The great part is the kids figure out on their own that Santa is just a cultural icon. The Easter bunny always comes up too, they always think, "well, if Santa is just part of the holiday, then probably the Easter Bunny is too." This brings us to how Spring is celebrated around the world. The parents handle it very well, even though most of them told their children Santa was real. By including other cultures and nations it's PC enough they don't object. A lot of teaching I've found is how to pass on the critical thinking skills in such a way that the parents can't object.
Tact is very important, especially teaching at a private school!

 

[MacGuffin]

"How do we teach Critical Thinking, Skeptical Behavior, and the use of the Scientific Method in this modern age?"

This sounds like a great panel to me.

I am a middle school teacher in rural arizona and with more items like this on the agenda then I will be able to persuade my district to pay for my trip to Vegas.

Share and Enjoy - Aaron

 

[Jeff Corey]

One idea might to ask people at any teaching level to bring materials - syllabi, study questions, tests, exercises, experiments, demonstrations and such with any eye toward assembling a workbook, "Materials for Teaching Critical Thinking". It would be a real coup to get Randi and Shermer as editors.
People who can't attend would be invited to submit materials and ideas.
The journal "Teaching of Psychology" has been publishing this sort of thing for years and the APA has 3 workbooks out with some of my stuff included.

 

[kittynh]

I teach preschool and kindergarten (in a Montessori school the kindergarteners go all day, so they attend mixed age preschool in the morning, and then kindergarten in the afternoons). I'll never get asked to be on a panel!

 

[MLynn]

I teach preschool and kindergarten (in a Montessori school the kindergarteners go all day, so they attend mixed age preschool in the morning, and then kindergarten in the afternoons). I'll never get asked to be on a panel!

Some of the posters here might qualify under "preschool" behaviour (did I say that?); your expertise might be needed...

 

[kittynh]

Oh, give me Claus for a few weeks. Even a few days. He can come to school and learn from the other preschoolers. I'm afraid he'd have to spend a lot of time at the "peace table" (we don't call it time out, or make the kids sit in the corner).

 

[bug_girl]

It's good but you need a catchier title.
You know, "Teach the Young not to get Stung!"
that or have Jennifer Lopez on the panel.

well, i'm not Jennifer Lopez, but i do have a big butt, and have taught a skeptical class. will i do?

 

[kittynh]

bug girl, can you manage to stay unmarried and unengaged until the conference?

JLo, has a little problem with that....

Myself, I offer big butt, but boobs, big in between. heck, I've even got big toe nails.
There has to be some remote tribe in darkest Africa that worships women like myself. If I'm on the panel they'll all show up!

 

[Kiless]

My M.Ed. is on Critical Thinking. Anyone familiar with Lipman's Philosophy in Schools programme?