scaffolding lessons to teach critical thinking skills
TRANSCRIPT
Scaffolding Lessons to Teach
Critical Thinking Skills
Nadeen Lester and Connie Davis
CoTESOL 2014 38th Annual Fall Convention
November 14-15, 2014
Agenda
Introduction
Demonstration of a critical thinking task
The need for critical thinking instruction
The importance of scaffolding techniques
Examples
Recommendations
Conclusions
Demonstration of Critical Thinking Task
Teaching technique: Work in pairs
Directions:
Read the dialogue, “Swedish Travel Agency.”
Answer the questions with your partner.
Discussion:
Which critical thinking skill is most needed to answer the questions?
Dialogue adapted from Unit 8 “An Ice Place to Stay”; NorthStar 2, 3rd edition, Pearson/Longman
Importance of Critical Thinking in Instruction
Common Core state standards
Revised GED
College and Career Readiness Standards
New standards in higher education
Front Range Community College Student Learning
Outcomes Project identifies four Critical Thinking skills
to assess:
Interpret
Infer
Analyze
Evaluate
Importance of Scaffolding in Instruction
Scaffolding is the assistance given to students to help with
only the skills that are new or beyond their ability.
Scaffolding aims to create a practical, but guided,
situation in which learners can reflect on and better
understand the process for the given task.
As students are able to work independently, scaffolding is
gradually removed.
Our Conundrum Required Action Research
We reflected on our school’s program and the curriculum
that we were teaching.
We identified areas where critical thinking in lessons
could be improved, revised, or developed.
We inserted selected scaffolds to improve the lessons.
We tested the lessons using trial and error.
We evaluated the results.
We repeated as needed.
Examples of Scaffolds
Sentence Structure Stems or Starters
Connections to Background Knowledge
Pause – allow thinking time
Mnemonic Devices, rhymes, and music
Teaching around problems – link an abstract concept to an
ordinary problem
Showing exemplars as models
Demonstrating by active modeling
Examples of Scaffolds
Genre scaffolding: use models or samples to have students
discover and then imitate language features
Group Construction
Peer Response Feedback
Outlines and writing frames
Re-writing
Scaffolds in FRCC Listening/Speaking Unit
Provide time for individual reflection, pair or group
discussion
Allow for variety of responses to higher-level tasks –
spoken as well as written
Provide visuals and graphic organizers
Use prompts that include and elicit familiar vocabulary
Create multiple opportunities for students to demonstrate
critical thinking within the lesson
Scaffolding Inference Skills in FRCC
Listening/Speaking class 1. Students worked in pairs to write
questions about a picture.
2. Next, pairs wrote dialogues about the situation.
3. Pairs presented dialogues to class.
4. Listeners inferred situation and who was speaking from the dialogues.
5. Listeners answered pairs’ questions about the picture.
6. Listeners explained how they made inferences from the dialogue.
7. All students completed Swedish Travel Agency dialogue task.
8. Students completed listening activity, “Make Inferences” from textbook.
Choosing Scaffolds for IEC Writing Class
The Problems
o Students had trouble envisioning the end product
o Students had trouble identifying and appropriately
defining (tailoring) a topic of their own
o Students didn’t approach the task with organized
thinking or process
o Students were unable to respond creatively to the
prompt or topic and had trouble elaborating their
thoughts
o Students needed practice with self editing
Scaffolds Selected for the Lesson
Scaffolds used:
o Exemplars as models
o Graphic Notes sheet
o Give Time to Talk – Partner Discussions
o Graphic Outline
o Drawing
o Debrief Time
Adding Scaffolds to the Lesson Original Lesson
Lesson 1 steps:
Provide topic, create or connect to background schema
S make outline or use graphic organizer to lay out main points & details
S write 1st draft
Lesson 2 steps:
Peer review using peer review sheet
S use self-review sheet
S write 2nd draft
S turn in their work
Lesson 3 steps:
T gives feedback (score and edit)
Scaffolded Lesson
Lesson 1 steps:
Provide topic, create or connect to background schema
Present an exemplar of the finished product
S brainstorm using the Notes handout
Partner discussion
S use Graphic Outline handout to lay out main points & details
S write 1st draft
Lesson 2 steps:
Peer review using peer review sheet
S use self-review sheet
S write 2nd draft
S create an illustration using the handout
S turn in their work
Lesson 3 steps:
T gives feedback (score and edit)
S debrief individually or with a partner about what to do differently next time
Graphic Outline and Drawing
Results of Scaffolding in Writing
The Outcomes:
o The scaffolding and extra guidance made lessons more
interactive and more fun
o Students received tools to help them write more
effectively and confidently
o The writing steps were tangible and accessible
o Students were more motivated and successful
o Scaffolding provided the structure for students to
practice and demonstrate critical thinking skills:
interpret, infer, analyze, evaluate
o Everyone was happier!
Find the Scaffolds
1. Discuss the article with a partner.
2. What instructional objectives could be developed for a
lesson that included this activity?
3. What scaffolds are suggested in the article?
4. What steps would you include in your plans before and
after this activity?
Recommendations
Start with your textbook and its scope & sequence
Look for opportunities to expand the lesson into higher-
level tasks
Be creative about your planning
Develop focused lesson objectives
Select carefully from available scaffolding resources
Control the lesson content, especially vocabulary
Informally assess as you go, revise as needed
Collaborate with peers for ideas, support, and feedback
Let’s Talk About It. . .
1. What are your challenges when it comes to teaching
critical thinking?
2. Where is it possible to incorporate critical thinking in your
lessons?
3. Given your instructional style and program goals, which
scaffolding techniques stand out as most useful to you?
Scaffolding References
Doug Lemov. 2010. Teach like a champion: 49 techniques that put
students on the path to college. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Diane D’Alessio and Margaret Riley. 2002. Scaffolding writing skills for
ESL students in an education class at a community college. The WAC
Journal, vol 13: June 2002.
www.edutopia.org/blog/scaffolding-lessons-six-strategies-Rebecca-
alber Jan 2014
https://suite.io/Margaret-m-Williams/14sb2at
http://writingapproaches.blogspot.com/2005/08/scaffolding-writing-
html
http://www.ehow.com/info_7983322_effective-scaffolding-
techniques-teaching.html
Critical Thinking References
Textbook:
NorthStar Listening/Speaking, 3rd edition
http://www.pearsonlongman.com/ae/northstar3e/index.html
Scaffolds:
“It Says – I Say – And So” for Inferences Teach-this.com
http://www.teach-this.com/resources/critical-thinking
Day, Richard R. (1993). New ways in teaching reading. Alexandria
Virginia USA. Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages
Inc. “Steppingstones to reading instruction.” 94 – 95.
Picture prompts:
Getty Images www.gettyimages.com
Critical Thinking References
Critical Thinking Standards:
Common Core www.corestandards.org
College and Career Readiness Standards
http://www.betterhighschools.org/CCR/overview.asp
GED “Reading Comprehension on the GED RLA Test”
http://www.gedtestingservice.com/testers/rlalink
Front Range Community College SCOPE project --FRCC Student Learning Outcomes ,
Stacey Hogan, Team Leader, [email protected]
Critical Thinking References
Teachers as researchers:
Schon, Donald A. (1983). The reflective practitioner: how professionals think in
action. Cambridge MA. Basic Books Inc.
Fatemi, Azar Hosseini. (2011). Incorporating critical thinking into EFL curriculum
through fiction-based reading and awareness of consequences technique.
International conference journal: ICT for language learning. (5) Retrieved Nov 13,
2014 from http://conference.pixel-
online.net/ICT4LL2012/common/download/Paper_pdf/58-QIL08-FP-Hosseini-Fatemi-
ICT2012.pdf
“Teachers as researchers: another mark of professionalism” by Mark Tucker, in
Education Week blog, August 27, 2014
http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/top_performers/2014/08/teachers_as_researchers
_another_mark_of_professionalism.html?intc=es
Contact Information
Nadeen Lester
English Second Language Instructor
Connie Davis
International English Center, CU Boulder