Thinking about Critical Thinking, Common Core and Vergara
Recent headlines have me thinking about critical thinking.
House Speaker John Boehner Wants to Sue the President
Sarah Palin Says, “Impeach the President.”
Secretary of Education Arne Duncan Praises the Vergara Decision
Reading some of these pronouncements makes me think that the Common Core’s call for instruction in critical thinking has come not a moment too soon. It is probably too late for Boehner, Palin and Duncan, but maybe the future political leaders sitting in Common Cored classrooms today can be saved. Or maybe not.
Here is what the Common Core says about critical thinking:
· Students are engaged and open-minded—but discerning—readers and listeners. They work diligently to understand precisely what an author or speaker is saying, but they also question an author’s or speaker’s assumptions and premises and assess the veracity of claims and the soundness of reasoning.
· Students cite specific evidence when offering an oral or written interpretation of a text. They use relevant evidence when supporting their own points in writing and speaking, making their reasoning clear to the Russ on Reading: Thinking about Critical Thinking, Common Core and Vergara: