Do you ever feel like you are lost in space in your own classroom, looking for evidence of intelligent life? Workshop participants explore their current practices in the classroom that encourage critical thinking skills. After watching videos of and participating in hands-on examples of critical thinking exercises, workshop participants create their own exercises to ensure higher-level critical thinking among their students.

By the end of this workshop, participants know or are able to:

• Clarify the meaning of critical thinking in higher education and employment environments, including the most recent research about employers’ desire for graduates who possess critical thinking skills.
• Evaluate teaching “scenes” from a selection of film clips and identify common mistakes teachers make when trying to elicit critical thinking responses from students.
• Review and apply the “Seven Valuable Intellectual Traits” identified by the Foundation for Critical Thinking.
• Practice strategies that indicate evidence of critical thinking in the classroom and in assignments.
• Observe and use Discussion Question Requirements, Diversity Day, Daily Exit Cards, the One-Minute Paper, the Interview Assignment, Annotation Station, and Question Fishbowl.

Participants receive a Certificate of Attendance upon completing the workshop.