Professional learning strategies often rely on the belief that teaching and learning outcomes are best when teachers have a clear understanding of students' thinking. This may seem like common sense -- after all, students are active participants in the learning process, so their thinking impacts the outcome. But does research support the…

Context: It is the educator's responsibility to prepare the students to be clinicians who think and reason critically while integrating research evidence into practice. Those new to the role of faculty member, who lack clinical and teaching experience, face challenges in the classroom application of those concepts. Objective: To discuss the…

In this issue, Cavanaugh, Giapponi, and Golden (2016) have discussed the new prominent role of digital devices in the lives of students; the possible impact of these widely-used technologies on developing, learning minds; and the relevance of new cognitive neuroscience research and technologies for better understanding the potential effects of…

This paper argues for an action-oriented conception of learning in higher education: one which marries higher order learning (coming to understand) with apprenticeship in knowledge work. It introduces epistemic tasks, forms and fluency as constructs that are useful in giving a more precise meaning to ideas about collaboration in knowledge…

"The School Administrator" interviewed three experts concerning the status of the critical thinking movement. Robert Schwartz advocates student learning in a problem-solving context. E.D. Hirsch sees no conflict between critical thinking and cultural literacy concepts. Matthew Lipman promotes critical thinking by encouraging children to…

Argues that saying that students have "thinking problems" is hardly a useful diagnostic statement or even a sensible description of flawed cognitive development. Maintains that what is needed to encourage students to think are some sensible models and attractive opportunities to do it in contexts that matter to them. (RS)

Presents the first four of nine strategies that students can use to develop their critical thinking skills: using "wasted time" to practice critical thinking; choosing a problem at the beginning of each day to work on; developing a heightened awareness of universal intellectual standards; and writing journal entries each week that analyze…

Discusses the elements of thinking that need to be incorporated throughout the school curriculum and school day, including knowledge transmission; shared responsibility for thinking; and facilitating thinking through practice. (RS)

Suggests that metacognition and motivation share similar elements to such a degree that to indulge in one is to indulge in the other. Presents suggestions stemming from these concepts which facilitate students' thinking and learning. (RS)

This response to a critique (EC 609 161) of the authors' original paper (EC 609 160) on cognitive strategies in children with mental retardation answers specific points raised and makes explicit the theoretical issues underlying their work, including the strategy deficiency hypothesis of mental retardation, developmental issues in strategy…

The skills taught in the Cognitive Research Trust (CoRT) program and the Instrumental Enrichment (IE) program are unlikely to transfer to thinking in the regular curriculum. The exercises in these programs might be fun to do, but the thinking required is done outside the context of significant subject matter in the humanities and the sciences. The…

Presents a teaching-learning unit on the thinking skill of analysis that addresses the need of gifted elementary students for qualitative differentiated teaching and learning. Describes which learning content can ensure qualitative differentiated learning for young gifted children and how teacher-learning strategies can be applied to achieve…

Proposes a model which connects the acts of reading and writing in three cyclical components: the forming cycle, the coding cycle, and the reviewing cycle. Explains in each interlock of the cycles are the subprocesses generating, organizing, and editing. Notes that the sensor is centered where all three prime processes overlap, serving to…

Focuses on one cognitive strategy, metacognition, and describes the success of this strategy with students of varying ages and abilities. Provides a six-step model for implementing strategy instruction in the classroom. (RS)

Proposes looking at the percent symbol (%) as an operator, which means to divide any number in front of it by 100. Stresses the importance of using correct words to describe the numbers generated in percent calculations. Explains how to (1) calculate percent using equivalent fractions; (2) divide fraction numerators by denominators, retaining the…