December 12, 2014
Kathy Schrock: 6 Apps That Target Higher-Order Thinking Skills -- THE Journal
John Shank
A higher-order thinker is a critical thinker. What are the attributes of a critical thinker? In The Miniature Guide to Critical Thinking Concepts and Tools, Richard Paul and Linda Elder describe a well-cultivated critical thinker as someone who:
- raises vital questions and problems, formulating them clearly and precisely;
- gathers and assesses relevant information, using abstract ideas to interpret it effectively;
- comes to well-reasoned conclusions and solutions, testing them against relevant criteria and standards;
- thinks open-mindedly within alternative systems of thought, recognizing and assessing their assumptions, implications and practical consequences as need be; and
- communicates effectively with others in figuring out solutions to complex problems.
I like the breakdown presented in this article as well as the emphasis on using apps as critical thinking tools, not just creation tools.
Great, specific, assessment driven examples.
Kathy Schrock has been looking ahead with technology and a librarian's instinct for organization for years. She's still hitting it out of the park.