{"id":78,"date":"2016-03-25T20:24:24","date_gmt":"2016-03-25T20:24:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/educationalpsychology\/?post_type=chapter&p=78"},"modified":"2016-03-25T23:15:22","modified_gmt":"2016-03-25T23:15:22","slug":"facilitating-complex-thinking","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/suny-hvcc-educationalpsychology\/chapter\/facilitating-complex-thinking\/","title":{"raw":"Introduction","rendered":"Introduction"},"content":{"raw":"
\r\n\r\nA few years ago,\u00a0Kelvin Seifert (one of the\u00a0authors of this text) had the privilege of co-teaching with an experienced first grade teacher, Carolyn Eaton. As part of a research project, Ms Eaton allowed some of her reading lessons to be observed. Here is what Kelvin saw when Ms Eaton was having a conference with Joey. They are reading a book \u201ctogether,\u201d except that Ms Eaton wants Joey to do as much reading as possible himself.\r\n

Joey:<\/strong> First you read\u2014then me. This is what you have to do. I read after you, okay?<\/p>\r\n

Ms Eaton:<\/strong> Okay. [Ms Eaton begins.] \u201cIn the great green room there was a telephone, a red balloon, and a picture of.\u00a0.\u00a0.\u201d Are you going to read, or what?<\/p>\r\n

J:\u00a0<\/strong>Yes.<\/p>\r\n

E:\u00a0<\/b>\u201cIn the great green room there was.\u00a0.\u00a0.\u201d Are you ready yet? Ready to read?<\/p>\r\n

J:\u00a0<\/strong>Okay. \u201cIn the great green room .\u00a0.\u00a0.\u201d<\/p>\r\n

E:\u00a0<\/strong>\u201c.\u00a0.\u00a0.there was.\u00a0.\u00a0.\u201d<\/p>\r\n

J:\u00a0<\/strong>\u201cThere was a.\u00a0.\u00a0.\u201d [pauses, looking at Ms Eaton rather than at the words]<\/p>\r\n

E:\u00a0<\/strong>\u201c.\u00a0.\u00a0.a telephone.\u00a0.\u00a0.\u201d<\/p>\r\n

J:<\/strong>\u00a0Yes, that's it, a telephone! \u201cIn the great green room there was a telephone, a red balloon.\u00a0.\u00a0. \u201d<\/p>\r\n

E:<\/strong>\u00a0\u201cand a picture of.\u00a0.\u00a0.\u201d<\/p>\r\n

J:\u00a0<\/strong>\u201cAnd a picture of\u201d [pauses, staring at the wall] .\u00a0.\u00a0. a cow jumping?<\/p>\r\n

E:\u00a0<\/strong>\u201ca cow jumping over the moon.\u201d<\/p>\r\n

J:\u00a0<\/strong>\u201cOver moon\u201d [smiles from both Joey and Ms Eaton].<\/p>\r\n

E:\u00a0<\/strong>Joey, what does this say? [She points to the word telephone<\/em>.]<\/p>\r\n

J:\u00a0<\/strong>\u201cThere was a telephone.\u201d<\/p>\r\n

E:\u00a0<\/strong>How about here? [She points to next page, which reads \u201cAnd there were three little bears, sitting on chairs.\u201d]<\/p>\r\n

J:\u00a0<\/strong>\u201cThere were bears, three bears, and they sat on chairs.\u201d<\/p>\r\n

E:\u00a0<\/strong>Can you read the whole book?<\/p>\r\n

J:\u00a0<\/strong>Sure!<\/p>\r\n

E:\u00a0<\/strong>Okay, then you start this time.<\/p>\r\n

[Joey looks at first page, alternately at the picture and at the words.]<\/p>\r\n

J:\u00a0<\/strong>\u201cIn the great green room there was a telephone.\u201d<\/p>\r\n

[Actual text: \u201cIn the great green room, there was a telephone,\u201d]<\/p>\r\n

J:\u00a0<\/strong>\u201cAnd there was a red balloon.\u201d<\/p>\r\n

[Actual text: \u201c.\u00a0.\u00a0. and a red balloon,\u201d]<\/p>\r\n

J:\u00a0<\/strong>\u201cAnd a picture of the cow jumping over the moon.\u201d<\/p>\r\n

[Actual text: \u201c.\u00a0.\u00a0.and a picture of the cow jumping over the moon.\u201d]<\/p>\r\n

J:\u00a0<\/strong>\u201cAnd there were.\u00a0.\u00a0.\u00a0\u201d three bears?\u00a0.\u00a0.\u00a0.\u00a0\u201clittle bears sitting on chairs.\u201d<\/p>\r\n

[Actual text: \u201cAnd there were three little bears, sitting on chairs,.\u00a0.\u00a0.\u201d]<\/p>\r\n

E:\u00a0<\/strong>Could you read this book with your eyes closed?<\/p>\r\n

J:\u00a0<\/strong>Sure; want to see me do it?!<\/p>\r\n

E:\u00a0<\/strong>Well, not right now; maybe another time. Could you read it without the pictures, just looking at the words? That\u2019s how I do best\u2014when I see the words instead of the pictures.<\/p>\r\n

J:\u00a0<\/strong>[Joey pauses to consider this.] Maybe, but not quite so well.<\/p>\r\n

E:\u00a0<\/strong>Let\u2019s try it. [Ms Eaton proceeds to copy the words on a large sheet for Joey to \u201cread\u201d later.]<\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\nAs Carolyn Eaton\u2019s behavior suggests, there are decisions to make \u201con the fly,\u201d even during the very act of teaching. Ms Eaton wonders when to challenge Joey, and when to support him. She also wonders when to pause and ask Joey to take stock of what he has read, and when to move him on ahead\u2014when to consolidate a student\u2019s learning, and when to nudge the student forward. These are questions about instructional strategies which facilitate complex learning<\/em>, either directly or indirectly. In this chapter we review as many strategies as space allows, in order to give a sense of the major instructional options and of their effects. We concentrate especially on two broad categories of instruction, which we call direct instruction<\/em> and student-centered instruction<\/em>. As we hope that you will see, each approach to teaching is useful for certain purposes. We begin, though, by looking at the ways students think, or at least how teachers would like students to think. What does it mean for students to think critically (astutely or logically)? Or to think creatively? Or to be skillful problem solvers?\r\n\r\nAs we will indicate in this chapter repeatedly, forms of thinking require choices among instructional strategies. To support this idea, we begin the chapter by discussing three kinds of complex thinking in turn: critical thinking, creativity and problem solving. We consider how each can be facilitated by appropriate teaching strategies. Then we discuss several broad strategies for encouraging complex thinking, including some that are teacher-directed and others that rely more heavily on students' initiative.\r\n\r\nAlthough instructional strategies differ in their details, they each encourage particular forms of learning and thinking. The forms have distinctive educational purposes, even though they sometimes overlap, in the sense that one form may contribute to success with another form. Consider three somewhat complex forms of thinking that are commonly pursued in classroom learning: (1) critical thinking, (2) creative thinking, and (3) problem-solving\r\n

<\/h2>","rendered":"
\n

A few years ago,\u00a0Kelvin Seifert (one of the\u00a0authors of this text) had the privilege of co-teaching with an experienced first grade teacher, Carolyn Eaton. As part of a research project, Ms Eaton allowed some of her reading lessons to be observed. Here is what Kelvin saw when Ms Eaton was having a conference with Joey. They are reading a book \u201ctogether,\u201d except that Ms Eaton wants Joey to do as much reading as possible himself.<\/p>\n

Joey:<\/strong> First you read\u2014then me. This is what you have to do. I read after you, okay?<\/p>\n

Ms Eaton:<\/strong> Okay. [Ms Eaton begins.] \u201cIn the great green room there was a telephone, a red balloon, and a picture of.\u00a0.\u00a0.\u201d Are you going to read, or what?<\/p>\n

J:\u00a0<\/strong>Yes.<\/p>\n

E:\u00a0<\/b>\u201cIn the great green room there was.\u00a0.\u00a0.\u201d Are you ready yet? Ready to read?<\/p>\n

J:\u00a0<\/strong>Okay. \u201cIn the great green room .\u00a0.\u00a0.\u201d<\/p>\n

E:\u00a0<\/strong>\u201c.\u00a0.\u00a0.there was.\u00a0.\u00a0.\u201d<\/p>\n

J:\u00a0<\/strong>\u201cThere was a.\u00a0.\u00a0.\u201d [pauses, looking at Ms Eaton rather than at the words]<\/p>\n

E:\u00a0<\/strong>\u201c.\u00a0.\u00a0.a telephone.\u00a0.\u00a0.\u201d<\/p>\n

J:<\/strong>\u00a0Yes, that’s it, a telephone! \u201cIn the great green room there was a telephone, a red balloon.\u00a0.\u00a0. \u201d<\/p>\n

E:<\/strong>\u00a0\u201cand a picture of.\u00a0.\u00a0.\u201d<\/p>\n

J:\u00a0<\/strong>\u201cAnd a picture of\u201d [pauses, staring at the wall] .\u00a0.\u00a0. a cow jumping?<\/p>\n

E:\u00a0<\/strong>\u201ca cow jumping over the moon.\u201d<\/p>\n

J:\u00a0<\/strong>\u201cOver moon\u201d [smiles from both Joey and Ms Eaton].<\/p>\n

E:\u00a0<\/strong>Joey, what does this say? [She points to the word telephone<\/em>.]<\/p>\n

J:\u00a0<\/strong>\u201cThere was a telephone.\u201d<\/p>\n

E:\u00a0<\/strong>How about here? [She points to next page, which reads \u201cAnd there were three little bears, sitting on chairs.\u201d]<\/p>\n

J:\u00a0<\/strong>\u201cThere were bears, three bears, and they sat on chairs.\u201d<\/p>\n

E:\u00a0<\/strong>Can you read the whole book?<\/p>\n

J:\u00a0<\/strong>Sure!<\/p>\n

E:\u00a0<\/strong>Okay, then you start this time.<\/p>\n

[Joey looks at first page, alternately at the picture and at the words.]<\/p>\n

J:\u00a0<\/strong>\u201cIn the great green room there was a telephone.\u201d<\/p>\n

[Actual text: \u201cIn the great green room, there was a telephone,\u201d]<\/p>\n

J:\u00a0<\/strong>\u201cAnd there was a red balloon.\u201d<\/p>\n

[Actual text: \u201c.\u00a0.\u00a0. and a red balloon,\u201d]<\/p>\n

J:\u00a0<\/strong>\u201cAnd a picture of the cow jumping over the moon.\u201d<\/p>\n

[Actual text: \u201c.\u00a0.\u00a0.and a picture of the cow jumping over the moon.\u201d]<\/p>\n

J:\u00a0<\/strong>\u201cAnd there were.\u00a0.\u00a0.\u00a0\u201d three bears?\u00a0.\u00a0.\u00a0.\u00a0\u201clittle bears sitting on chairs.\u201d<\/p>\n

[Actual text: \u201cAnd there were three little bears, sitting on chairs,.\u00a0.\u00a0.\u201d]<\/p>\n

E:\u00a0<\/strong>Could you read this book with your eyes closed?<\/p>\n

J:\u00a0<\/strong>Sure; want to see me do it?!<\/p>\n

E:\u00a0<\/strong>Well, not right now; maybe another time. Could you read it without the pictures, just looking at the words? That\u2019s how I do best\u2014when I see the words instead of the pictures.<\/p>\n

J:\u00a0<\/strong>[Joey pauses to consider this.] Maybe, but not quite so well.<\/p>\n

E:\u00a0<\/strong>Let\u2019s try it. [Ms Eaton proceeds to copy the words on a large sheet for Joey to \u201cread\u201d later.]<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

As Carolyn Eaton\u2019s behavior suggests, there are decisions to make \u201con the fly,\u201d even during the very act of teaching. Ms Eaton wonders when to challenge Joey, and when to support him. She also wonders when to pause and ask Joey to take stock of what he has read, and when to move him on ahead\u2014when to consolidate a student\u2019s learning, and when to nudge the student forward. These are questions about instructional strategies which facilitate complex learning<\/em>, either directly or indirectly. In this chapter we review as many strategies as space allows, in order to give a sense of the major instructional options and of their effects. We concentrate especially on two broad categories of instruction, which we call direct instruction<\/em> and student-centered instruction<\/em>. As we hope that you will see, each approach to teaching is useful for certain purposes. We begin, though, by looking at the ways students think, or at least how teachers would like students to think. What does it mean for students to think critically (astutely or logically)? Or to think creatively? Or to be skillful problem solvers?<\/p>\n

As we will indicate in this chapter repeatedly, forms of thinking require choices among instructional strategies. To support this idea, we begin the chapter by discussing three kinds of complex thinking in turn: critical thinking, creativity and problem solving. We consider how each can be facilitated by appropriate teaching strategies. Then we discuss several broad strategies for encouraging complex thinking, including some that are teacher-directed and others that rely more heavily on students’ initiative.<\/p>\n

Although instructional strategies differ in their details, they each encourage particular forms of learning and thinking. The forms have distinctive educational purposes, even though they sometimes overlap, in the sense that one form may contribute to success with another form. Consider three somewhat complex forms of thinking that are commonly pursued in classroom learning: (1) critical thinking, (2) creative thinking, and (3) problem-solving<\/p>\n

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Candela Citations<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t
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CC licensed content, Shared previously<\/div>