Post #3 - Technology and Higher-Level Thinking

     


    In order to reach a high level of innovation in teaching and learning through technology, we must use the skills of critical and creative thinking. In order to do this, I first want to consider the aspects  that make up lower and higher levels of thinking in general. With the help of "The Harriet W. Sheridan Center for Teaching and Learning" section of Brown University's website, I concluded that thinking skills can be partitioned as follows:

Lower level thinking: 

- Remembering (recognize, list, describe, identify)

- Understanding  (describe, generalize, estimate, predict)

Higher level thinking: 

- Applying (implement, show, solve, hypothesize)

- Analyzing (compare, organize, deconstruct)

- Evaluating (check, critique, conclude, explain)

- Creating (design, construct, plan, produce)

    Although there are a variety of technological tools with which students can display their work or explore resources, these tools often become outdated quickly, or have limited uses. While these tools serve their purpose, it is important to choose tools for our classroom that won't lose their value as well; tools that foster the skills that never go out of date such as collaboration and communication, as well as "the three prongs of critical thinking: creativity, reflection, and adaptability (MACAT, 2016). These tools should allow students to explore learning on a level that they wouldn't be able to reach if if weren't for technology. 

    Similarly, we shouldn't just use technology for the sake of speed and efficiency or for things that students could simply do on a piece of paper. We should be harnessing the unique innovation of the internet to expand our students' learning, rather than just replacing it's manual counterparts. Furthermore, and perhaps most importantly, we must teach our students how to think critically about technology itself. Teaching them about skills such as identifying reliable sources, navigating the algorithms of search engines, analyzing multiple sources before deeming information as correct and knowing basic coding are skills that they will use to become self-guided, independent learners throughout their lives. 

    In the words of Bair & Bair, "Students are already using technology daily with social media and entertainment at a higher rate than they are for learning. This premise indicates that students may not know how to learn effectively when using technology in an educational environment. The key is to combine the use of digital technology and the student's mindset to apply critical thinking skills." (2017). The reality is that technology isn't going anywhere. It is expanding and advancing constantly, and this generation of students will meet a demand exponentially greater than our own to be technological literate. We must harness the intensity and frequency at which our students are already engaging with technology, and teach them to use it in a away that reaps ample benefit and prepares them for their future. 

References

Bair, R., & Bair, B. T. (2017). LEVERAGING TECHNOLOGY FOR CRITICAL THINKING. Training & Development, 44(6), 28-29. Retrieved from https://proxy.queensu.ca/login?qurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.proquest.com%2Ftrade-journals%2Fleveraging-technology-critical-thinking%2Fdocview%2F2077526869%2Fse-2%3Faccountid%3D6180

MACAT (2016, March 16) What is critical thinking? A definition for real-life. Retrieved from https://blog.macat.com/what-is-critical-thinking/

Questions to Provoke Critical Thinking. (n.d.). Retrieved January 30, 2021, from https://www.brown.edu/sheridan/teaching-learning-resources/teaching-resources/classroom-practices/learning-contexts/discussions/questions-critical-thinking-Video production


Comments

  1. JanJanuary 31, 2021 at 2:49 PM

    Hi Jen,
    Your post is detailed and insightful. I appreciate the link to the Brown University Center for Teaching and Learning. That was not a resource I was familiar with, but they succinctly describe the different levels of thinking. I agree with your stance than technology should not be used simply for the sake of using technology, though I find myself in the position of being extremely reliant on technology for teaching since my students are all remote. I agree quite strongly with the argument you share from Bair & Bair about the necessity of teaching students how to study and learn in a digital teaching environment. I find that my students sometimes have a difficult time switching from the kind of mindset and communication style they use when, for example, gaming together, and the mindset and communication style they need for remote learning. I look forward to your future reflections!
    Jan

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