What Do You Already Know?

1.a. What is a thinking culture?

Answer: A thinking culture describes a situation where members of an organization or

society approach problems in systematic and creative ways, and use information to
evaluate and decide on appropriate courses of action, solve problems, and make
decisions.

- A culture of thinking is a place where a group’s collective, as well as individual,

thinking is valued, visible and actively promoted.

1.b. Why is it necessary to promote a thinking culture in your home, school, and
community?

Answer: It is important to promote a thinking culture in our school, home and

community because given the rapid changes occurring in the world today, we need
specific skills to help us adapt to these changes. Developing our thinking skills is a
critical step we can take to developing a thinking culture and preparing for any changes
the future will bring.

2.a. Briefly describe higher order thinking skills (HOTS).

Answer: Higher order thinking skills (HOTS) refer to the last three skills in the Revised
Bloom’s Taxonomy - analyzing, evaluating, and creating. These involve thinking that
goes beyond mere recall of facts and information as well as the skillful and careful
analysis and assessment of information. Modes of thinking associated with HOTS include
critical thinking and creative thinking.

- High order thinking skill is to think at a higher level rather than merely memorize the
fact. Higher-order thinking skills go beyond the basic levels of comprehension. In the
Blooms taxonomy, it refers to the three levels such as analyzing, evaluating and
creating. It encourages an individual to make critical interpretations and
demonstrate high levels of insight and sophistication in his/her thinking.

2.b. What is the importance of HOTS in your daily life and life as a teacher of the 21st
century?

HOTS are important in my daily life and life as a 21st century teacher. HOTS help me
address issues and solve problems that require critical and creative thinking. HOTS help
me better facilitate learning and allow me to evaluate different kinds of information and
teaching methods that I can use in the classroom. HOTS also help me create new and
engaging ways to teach my students.

- HOTS help me to solve problems by employing critical and creative thinking. As

teacher having a good pedagogical skills and knowledge of HOTS, the best way to
ensure students able to use HOTS I their daily life is by transfusing this knowledge in
everyday lessons to make it easier to se the changes in thinking skills of my students.

1
3.a. What type of thinking skills were manifested by Aressi‘s
students? Explain your answer.

The students of Aressi were very well-versed in the facts of a particular subject. This
type of thinking - memorization of facts - is a lower thinking skill. The students also did
not have many opportunities in school to practice critical and creative thinking.

3.b. If you were Aressi, how would you go about developing both your thinking skills and
the thinking skills of your students

If I were Aressi, I would first make an assessment of my own thinking skills to determine
which areas of critical and creative thinking I need to improve. This self-assessment will
help guide me in my own plan of action for developing my own thinking. I would look for
different materials in print and on the internet that would help me develop my thinking.
I would look for different techniques that I could use, and I would integrate these into my
lessons so that my students and I would have the opportunity to develop our thinking
and create a thinking culture in our classroom.

4.a . What are the things Deepa can do to create a different approach in teaching the
lesson and become more creative with her instructional strategy?

Deepa can look for an object to bring to school that can trigger wonder, questioning and
discussion among her students. One example of this would be to bring a mortar and
pestle that the students could take turns using. This could be a springboard for a
thinking routine that allows the students to think, wonder and explore the subject
matter through the contemplation of the object. Deepa can use the mortar and pestle
to discuss farming practices and how they have influenced community organization and
culture, for example.

4.b. List down specific ways Deepa can effectively use the computer to develop her
thinking skills and teach her subject in new ways. Write your answer in the space
provided below.

Deepa can use the internet to develop her thinking and her lesson plans in a number of
ways:

• Researching methods for teaching on websites

• Joining and discussing methods with peers from across the world on
discussion boards
• Using email to contact experts in the field and colleagues in other districts to
seek guidance in implementing certain instructional strategies.

5.a. How can developing your higher order thinking skills help you become a better
teacher?

Developing higher order thinking skills can definitely help me become a better teacher.
One of my critical roles is to help my students develop their thinking skills, so they can
2
deal with new and unique problems and situations with confidence. Developing our
critical and creative thinking will also help us as teachers, because it will allow us to
analyze problems and find creative and effective ways to improve both the way we
approach instruction and the way we handle different situations in our lives.

5.b What specific skills do you possess as a teacher that are related to thinking and a
thinking culture?

I am very open to improving my skills as a teacher. I welcome opportunities to assess

my thinking skills, and I welcome feedback from my peers. I feel that this is one
important aspect of developing one’s thinking and promoting a thinking culture in
the classroom. It is important for me to be open to improving my thinking skills. As
a teacher, I am a model for critical and creative thinking to my students. I don’t
think I can effectively create a thinking culture in my classes if I myself am not
open to change and self-improvement.

5.c. What do you feel are your strengths and weaknesses in the development and use
of higher thinking skills in your life as a teacher?

I have listed down several thinking skills and have rated my strengths and weakness in
each of the skills as follows:

Critical Thinking Skills:

• Being accurate and seeking accuracy – I am strong in this area.

• Being clear and seeking clarity – I am strong in this area.
• Being open-minded – I need improvement in this area. Although I seek
clarity often, I sometimes find it challenging to accept the viewpoints or ideas
of others.

Creative Thinking Skills

• Persevering – I am strong in this area
• Pushing the limits of your knowledge – I do this sometimes, but I need to find
more opportunities to practice this by assessing what I do not know about a
topic or issue.
• Generating new ways of viewing a situation outside the boundaries of
standard conventions – I need more opportunities to generate new ideas, even
if they sound strange or crazy.

Self-Regulated Thinking Skills

• Being aware of your thinking - I am strong in this area.
• Evaluating the effectiveness of your actions - I need more knowledge on how
to evaluate the effectiveness of my actions.

3
 • Being sensitive to feedback - I am strong in this area.

6. Identify at least three (3) thinking tools that can help you improve your thinking and
decision making in your daily life as a teacher. How would you use these three (3)
thinking tools in your everyday life?

Here is a list of six (6) possible thinking tools that might be used to improve one’s
thinking and decision-making as a teacher.

1. Metacognition – to think about your thinking, and understand how you learn. You
can use this to learn about a subject or issue more effectively.

2. Critical Thinking – to analyze issues and statements for their truth value. You can
increase the clarity and accuracy of your thinking if you ask questions when
statements are vague or ambiguous or need to be defined so you are sure that you
have a common understanding of the problem.

3. Plus, Minus, Interesting (PMI) – to explore a topic further by looking at the plus
points, the minus points, and the interesting points of an issue.

4. Aims, Goals and Objectives (AGO) – this is a way of focusing our thinking and
action. Using this method, you can focus your thinking on a particular objective
rather than on your reaction to a specific situation. With AGO, you can better focus
your efforts on looking for a solution to whatever situation you encounter in your life
as a teacher.

5. Generating Alternatives and Possibilities – you can use creative thinking to help
generate alternatives for a particular process, product, issue, situation or problem. At
the same time, making an effort to generate alternatives and possibilities can also
help you expand both your critical and creative thinking. You are encouraged to find
as many possibilities and alternatives as possible and not just stop when an adequate
alternative has been found. By doing so, you may find better alternatives or
solutions.

6. Exploring multiple viewpoints - by exploring multiple viewpoints, you can avoid

wasting effort in conflict by focusing on the thinking of others before making
judgments. This aspect of critical thinking helps you find areas of agreement where
you can work together and explore the problem constructively, rather than take
defensive position and resist the ideas of one another.

Lesson 1. A Thinking Culture Begins With Me

How Much Have You Learned from this Lesson? pages 47-49

Compare your answer with the sample answers below. Your answers may differ from
what is written here, but as long as the ideas are similar, you may mark yourself as
correct.

1. Explain what higher order thinking skills (HOTS) are. What is its importance in
your daily life and life as a teacher?

Higher order thinking skills (HOTS) refer to the last three skills in the Revised Bloom’s
Taxonomy - analyzing, evaluating and creating. HOTS involve thinking about any

4
 subject, content, or problem in a manner where the thinker improves the quality of his
or her thinking by skillfully analyzing, assessing, and reconstructing it. Critical
thinking and creative thinking are modes of thinking that are associated with HOTS.
These are important in my daily life because these will help me address issues and
solve problems that require critical and creative thinking. In my life as a 21 st century
teacher, HOTS will help me become a better facilitator of learning and will enable me
to discern and evaluate different kinds of information and teaching methods, and help
me create new and engaging ways to teach my students.

2. Compare and contrast the approaches of the two teachers in the situation above.
How did each one try to develop a thinking culture among their students?
Which approach do you think was more effective and why?

The approach of each teacher is very different, although both of them would really like
to develop the thinking skills of their students. Budi’s approach is quite direct – he
would like each student to perform a deeper analysis of what they are learning
through individual reflection. He does this through the use of printed workbooks in
which students must write down their reflections and analysis of the lesson using a
set of guide questions. While this provides the students with time to reflect on what
they have learned, it has its limitations. Self reflection, while important, is only one
aspect of a thinking culture, and Budi’s method does not allow the students to
exchange ideas and collaborate with each other in the search for solutions to a
particular problem.

Pramana’s approach is a more involved one. He begins with a selfassessment of his

own thinking skills and creates a plan for developing his weak areas. In the
classroom, Pramana tries out different strategies and evaluates each one’s
effectiveness. He also allows a more active exchange of ideas and reasoning between
students. He often joins his students in the discussion and asks guide questions in
order to focus the thinking of his students. This approach creates a more lively
exchange of ideas and allows the students to observe Pramana in various thinking
processes so they can model this behavior.

Remember that Harvard’s Project Zero program explains that thinking dispositions
require a cultural context in order to develop, so it is important that we take a good
look at the culture in our classrooms. By building an environment that promotes and
rewards thinking skills, we can help develop that thinking culture. Part of that task
involves developing our own thinking skills so we can use these skills to create more
engaging instructional strategies and become models of behavior for our students. By
being actively engaged in thinking both inside and outside the classroom, you create
a culture that values thinking dispositions, putting them at the center of learning and
problem solving.

2.b. If you were in either Budi’s or Pramana’s shoes, how would you approach the
challenge of developing your students thinking skills? How would you prepare yourself
and your students to create a “culture of thinking” in your classroom? Here is a sample
answer.

5
If I were in either Budi’s or Pramana’s shoes, I would tend to follow the strategy used by
Pramana. I don’t think I would be able to effectively build a thinking culture just by
making the students reflect on the lesson just discussed. While Budi’s method may
be effective to some degree, I feel that there are limitations to sticking only to this
method.

In order to prepare myself to integrate the development of higher order thinking skills
in my classroom, I will first do some research to find out what kind of thinking skills I
need to teach my students. These thinking skills are critical to the success of any
individual, because they give her or him the ability to analyze and solve different
types of problems, be they at the personal level, at the community level, or even the
national or global level.

Once I have identified which aspects of my thinking I need to improve, I can look for
materials that can help me develop these skills further. I can also consult with my
school head or other colleagues and brainstorm with both my peers and students so
we can identify creative ways of developing these thinking skills. I think I would like
to share my efforts in developing my own thinking skills with that of my students, so
they can observe that thinking and learning continue even after they have graduated
from school.

In my class, I can utilize different thinking tools to make the classroom into a “thinking
classroom,” in which thinking skills are at the core of all learning. I can try different
student groupings, ask questions that really get the students to analyze, evaluate,
and create ideas.

3. Create a plan for developing your own thinking. To do this you will review your
strengths and weaknesses, identify different ways in which you can develop specific
aspects of your thinking, and prepare a statement of commitment for self-
improvement of your thinking skills.

Develop a statement of commitment of self-improvement for developing your thinking

skills. Follow the instructions below as a guide to drafting your statement of
commitment.

3.a. Write down your aims, goals and objectives for developing your thinking
[Link] may write this down on a separate sheet of paper. Think of what you
would like to generally achieve in terms of your thinking skills (your aims). Next,
determine what your goals should be. Think of final outcomes that will tell you
that you have more or less achieved your aims. Finally, think of the objectives that
you need to achieve for each goal that will serve as milestones for you as you
progress towards the goal, just like the steps on a ladder.

Here is a sample answer, prepared by Anh, a teacher in Vietnam:

My Aims

6
 I want to be able to approach new situations in my life with the confidence that I
will be able to deal with them appropriately. I also want to be able to make good
decisions in all aspects of my life.

My Goals

1. Approach a situation or problem by looking at the facts and gathering information

instead of reacting immediately

2. Determining the best course of action for a situation or problem

My Objectives

1. Generate many alternatives and ideas without judging each idea immediately

2. Facilitate the generation of ideas by a group of people

3. Apply appropriate thinking tools to a given situation

4. Separate my emotions from the facts of a situation

5. Verify that the information that I am disseminating or using is accurate

6. Evaluate if my actions are effective or not

7. Identifying mistakes that I have made and determining how to correct them

8. Formulate a point of view that is outside that of the conventional or common view

9. Accept the ideas and opinions of others without judgment and considering their
merits based on the soundness of the idea

10. Explore many alternatives to find innovative solutions to problems or

situations

3.b. Write down your statement of commitment to developing your own thinking. The
statement of commitment should be about one or two paragraphs long and should
express clearly the following:

a. What you want to achieve (your aims)

b. Why you want to achieve these aims
c. The steps that you must take, and how you will commit yourself to
persevering in taking each step.

Here is a sample answer.

My Statement of Commitment

I understand that I play a critical role as a 21st century teacher. I am responsible

for guiding my students and developing in them the skills that they will need to
adapt to a rapidly changing world. In order to effectively fulfill my role, I myself
should develop these same skills in myself. I commit to doing all that I can to
develop my thinking skills so that I can promote and play an active part in
developing a thinking culture in my school, home and community. I want to be

7
 able to approach new situations in my life with the confidence that I will be able to
deal with them appropriately. I also want to be able to make good decisions in all
aspects of my life.

It is important that I develop my thinking so I myself can be prepared to meet the

challenges of the future and be able to adapt to the rapid changes occurring in the
world. I also need to integrate good thinking skills into my own life so I can teach
my family, my students and my fellow community members to be good thinkers,
solve problems in a creative and innovative manner, and make good decisions. I
will do all I can to develop my thinking. I will seek out and learn more about
thinking skills and how I can apply them in my daily life. I will read as much as I
can and expand my knowledge about different topics, so I can make more
informed decisions and generate more creative and innovative ideas. I will strive
to practice what I have learned and apply it in all aspects of my life. I will also do
my best to help others develop their thinking as well.

Lesson 2. Using Higher Order Thinking Skills in My Life as a

Teacher

Let’s Think About This pages 59-60

1. If you were to listen only to one of the blind men, would you be able to determine
what animal they had encountered? Why or why not?

If I listened to only one of the blind men, I wouldn’t have been able to determine what
the animal was. This is because each of the blind men came in contact with only one
part of the animal, and their description would not have given me enough information
to make a conclusion, nor would I have been able to gain a better perspective of what
they had encountered.

Each of the blind men was describing something different. Using critical thinking, I can
analyze the statements of each of the blind men and come up with a much clearer
conclusion. I know that they are all in contact with the same animal, so I will listen to
the different “parts” or viewpoints so I can get a better picture of the “whole” animal.

2. What do you think would have happened if the blind men stayed in one place the
whole time ? What if they exchanged places with each other?

If they had just stuck to their places, I don’t think they would have been able to find out
what kind of animal they had encountered. The situation is such that you need to
really move around and get a feel of the different parts of the animal. In this case, it
was not enough to stay in one “perspective” - doing so would have resulted in a
flawed set of assumptions about the animal, and that would affect their decision-
making with regard to the animal.

3. You might say that each of the blind men was, indeed, describing and elephant.
What made each of their descriptions different from the rest? How important was it
for you to read all the descriptions before determining what the animal was?

8
 The fact that they held different “views” about the animal based on the part of the
animal they were holding made their descriptions different. One described the animal
as a snake, while the other described it as

a tree trunk or a piece of rope. It was important for me to listen to all the descriptions
or viewpoints because each one would give me critical information I could use to
analyze the problem. Listening to each description would allow me to put together all
the perspectives and piece together a more accurate description of the animal.

4. Can you see parallelisms between this parable and your life as a teacher,
colleague and mentor? Cite one concrete example that illustrates this parable in
action.

This situation can be likened to problems or issues that we encounter in our lives as
teachers. Sometimes, we encounter situations that involve many people, and each
person involved in that situation may see it in a certain way. Just like the blind men,
they may have their own interpretations of a problem or issue from their own
perspective, and this may be very different from the perspectives of the others that
are involved. Using critical thinking, we can seek multiple viewpoints and examine
each side carefully so we can see the entire “elephant,” so to speak, and gain a
clearer understanding of the problem or issue.

5. What did you learn from this parable that can help you develop your own critical
thinking skills?

The parable gave me a lot of insights in to the need to seek multiple perspectives when
encountering a situation or problem. As a teacher, and a figure of authority to my
students, I admit that I sometimes tend to stick to one perspective in the way I
instruct them. There are times when I do not seek additional viewpoints on a topic or
issue that would have been the source of a meaningful discussion. There are times
when I take someone’s side in an argument without being open to the arguments or
perspectives of others. I realize now that when I do this, I deny myself and my
students the opportunity to develop my thinking by gathering data through the
consideration of the perspectives of others.

As a teacher, I should consider multiple viewpoints, especially if I am trying to

encourage my own students and colleagues to think critically and creatively. This
goes hand in hand with developing my curiosity and need to gather as much
information as I can about an issue or problem.

Let’s Try This (Activity 2.7) page 86

Here is a sample output by Maria, a school teacher from the Philippines, who has done
the PMI to explore the proposal to paint murals on every home in the community.

Plus
• More tourists would come
• Homeowners would enjoy looking at their houses
• It would be a matter of community pride
9
 • It would introduce the children of the community to different art forms
• It would brighten up the community
• The murals would serve as landmarks for people to find their way around the
community

Minus
• More maintenance would mean higher costs for the homeowners
• Some murals would be better than others, which might cause competition
and jealousy among residents
• More tourists would mean more traffic and congestion in the community
• Tourists stopping in front of houses will mean reduced privacy and peace
• Murals may become mandatory if tourist industry depends on it
• Themes for murals may differ and create a risk of themes that are offensive,
inappropriate, or insensitive.

Interesting
• It would be interesting to see if people changed their way of giving
directions because of the murals acting as landmarks.
• It would be interesting to see if other communities followed suit
• It would be interesting to see if a common style might emerge for different
parts of the community
• It would be interesting to see if the murals became an indicator of social
status

Let’s Try This (Activity 2.10) page 101

Below is an example of a mind map created by Tony, a teacher from Indonesia. His idea
map has allowed him to analyze a proposition to change the kinds of assessments they
give in their school.

10
 some teacherschampions
may notwill
be emerge and
become models for others
willing to make the move
emphasis onteacher
open- capabilities
ended questions
improvement of

changes to
instruction
Acceptability
Introducing different
assessment types

rubrics need to Instruction

Teachers
be created requires new skills

for teachers
Grading
checking of work may

take more time

Students
Adjustments
Benefits
greater capacity to used to multiple choice

think critically and objective tests

remediation may

be needed

Your mind map may be similar to this one, or it may be on a different idea.
Discuss your work with your colleagues and Flexible Learning Tutor.

How Much Have You Learned from this Lesson? pages 114-117

1. How can metacognition help you improve your thinking skills?

Metacognition can help you improve your own thinking skills, because it allows you to
better understand your own thinking and learning processes. Metacognition can
provide you with a guide as to how to approach your own thinking and learning. These
processes can differ from person to person. Processes used by one person to
understand something may not be the same processes that another person will use to
understand the same thing. You can get to know your own mental processes by
asking yourself questions related to your thinking and learning. When you have a
good idea of how you think and learn, you will be able to find effective ways to
improve your mental processes. You will be able to learn better, approach new
situations with more confidence, and determine what you need to do to improve your
understanding of a situation, topic, problem or issue.

11
 2. Read the following statements. For each statement, use the critical thinking
methods discussed in this lesson to determine if the question is vague or ambiguous,
and think of questions you might ask to make the statements clearer and more
accurate.

a. Your school head calls you into his office and says, “I will conduct an
observation of your class tomorrow because you need to improve.” How would
you clarify this statement with the school head?

Below is a sample answer.

Using critical thinking skills to analyze the statement of the school head, you can
identify that there are several things about the statement that are vague and unclear.
One of the vague terms in the statement is the word “improve,” which can mean
many things. It would help you focus your efforts better if you clarify what your
school head means when s/he says you need to improve. You can ask what aspects
of your performance are in need of improvement and the nature of the improvements
required. These questions will allow you to gain more information regarding the issue
and to better analyze the problem.

b. You overheard some students say that “Mr. Donato is a fun teacher.” Does
this give you a good idea of Mr. Donato’s performance? How would you clarify this
statement with the students?

Below is a sample answer.

The statement by the student is vague. The word fun may have different
interpretations by different people, so it is important to clarify this through questions.
By asking the student for examples of what s/he means by the teacher being a “fun”
teacher, you can get a more accurate picture of the teacher’s methods and attitude in
the classroom. By asking critical questions, you can get a clearer picture of how
effective the teacher is. Just because a student finds the teacher fun does not
automatically mean that the teacher’s methods are effective. You may even find out
that, while the students really enjoy the teacher’s lectures, they are not necessarily
learning the content required or maybe they are not being given the proper
processing for the interesting activities given by the teacher.

c. The teaching methods need to become more progressive

Below is a sample answer.

While you may have a good idea of what progressive teaching methods might mean,
it’s quite possible that your colleagues may have a totally different idea of what this
means. It often happens that people might resist or criticize an idea simply because
they have a different understanding of it than the person who introduced the idea. In
this case, some teachers may expect that progressive teaching methods are totally
new methods, and will require them to learn a completely new style of teaching.
Others might see progressive teaching methods as new and untested. In this case,
you can approach this issue with your critical thinking skills, seeking multiple
12
 viewpoints on the problem or idea. By doing so, you can develop a clearer
perspective on the issue and will be able to make effective decisions regarding the
problem or idea.

3. Use the PMI to explore the following proposal: a 4-hour detention for students who
break school policies.

Compare your answer to the one below. You may have had many of the same ideas
written here. If so, that’s good. You may also have had some ideas that were not
presented here. You may show your work to your flexible learning tutor for additional
feedback.

Plus

• See a drop in infractions against school policies

• Opportunity to have students together to try new teaching methods
• Students can have time to do their homework or study if they cannot do it at
home for whatever reason
• Teachers can be on hand to tutor students who have difficulty in some
subjects
• Opportunity to lay down strict guidelines
• An opportunity to interact with parents about child’s behavior

Minus

• Teachers may need to work longer hours

• Not all students in detention may need to have remedial classes
• It can interfere with the child’s schedule at home if parents expect them to
help out at home or with earning a living
• Detention rooms may be hard to manage
• Parents may complain if their child is kept in school after classes
• May be filled with students who commit the most minor infraction

Interesting

• Interesting to see if a “detention culture” develops

• Interesting to see the profiles of the students who get detention
• Interesting to see if parents will react positively or negatively to the policy
• Interesting to see if the students can be effectively tutored during detention

4. Below is an example of a mind map for the idea “Changing my Instructional

Strategy for Science.” Yours may be similar to this one.

13
 availability time to learn may disrupt flow of
of materials method subject matter

may not be
Challenges Risks effective choose method
with available
materials
Changing my instructional manage seek input and
risks feedback
strategy in science
pilot method
Students among peers
Objectives Methods
learning needs
fun achieve
learning styles learning learning choose appropriate modify methods
outcomes methods if necessary
complexity of method
research on internet ideas from
readiness for method colleagues
ask other colleagues
making relevant thru feedback from
activities/examples read journals students

own ideas

5. Case Study

5.a Evaluate Anh’s approach to the problem. Do you think it is the best
way to conduct the research? Explain your answer.

Anh has many tools available to her in analyzing and finding a solution to this problem.
Initially, Anh’s intuition has lead her to consider that the problem is in the student’s
ability to remember the subject matter when they take their tests. While this will
provide her with a good starting point, if she comes to her conclusion about the
problem before looking at other data, she will not be thinking critically or creatively.
She needs to test her theory by gathering and analyzing data from many different
sources. One way she can gather data is by asking former students of the school
about their challenges and difficulties. She can also get feedback from the teachers
at the high school regarding the performance of the students. She can ask them in
what areas they are weak, so she can use that as a benchmark when she thinks of a
solution. Finally, she can develop her non-intuitive thinking by testing out different
theories as to why the students are encountering challenges in their new learning
environment. She can ask her school head, or other mentors in the teaching
profession for guidance in analysis of the problem, so she makes sure she gains an
accurate picture of the problem.

5.b If you were the one conducting the research, how would you do it
creatively?

If I were conducting the research, I would talk to the different stakeholders to get the
different viewpoints and experiences regarding the issue. I would speak to the former
students of the school who are now studying in different high schools, ask them what
difficulties they are having, and what improvements they can suggest the school
make in order to prepare the next batches of students for adapting to the learning
environments outside the school. I would then talk to the teachers and school head of
the high school to get their feedback on the areas where the students are weak. I
would gather data on their instructional methods so I could compare them to our own
methods. I would then talk to the teachers in our school to determine if they have
14
 any ideas regarding the cause of the problem, and a possible solution. These
viewpoints will allow me to gather enough data to make sure that I have an accurate
picture of the problem. With this, I can make a more accurate assessment of the
problem.

5.c Can Anh use ICT in conducting the research? In what ways?

While Anh used her intuition to find a starting point for investigating the problem, she
was also limited by this point of view. She came to a conclusion immediately
regarding the problem and did not explore further using her creative and critical
thinking skills. Someone who is committed to developing their critical and creative
thinking will try to exhaust all possible sources of information, including ICT-based
resources, such as educational blogs and websites, online research journals, and
online discussion groups/forums that will provide information to help solve her
problem.

How Much Have You Learned From This Module? pages 119-120

1. Rama is preparing a presentation on creating a thinking culture in school to give

her colleagues. Help Rama prepare for the presentation by creating an idea map for
the idea of a thinking culture. You may use the space below to write your answer.

On the next page is a possible idea map of a thinking culture. Your answers may not be
exactly the same but as long as the idea is similar, give yourself a check mark.

15
 2. Compare and contrast the methods of Lae and Noi with regard to their
effectiveness.

Based on the concepts of critical thinking that were discussed in the module, it seems
that Noi would be more effective in encouraging and developing the thinking skills of
her students. Lae’s approach is good, but it has certain limitations. It does not allow
for collaboration among the students, which is an important part of building a thinking
culture in the classroom. She does all her reading and thinking about the subject
prior to the lesson, and as a result, does not have many opportunities to explore ideas
with her students. If all the questions come from her, then she limits the ability of the
students to ask their own questions and do their own investigation together with the
teacher.

Noi, on the other hand, promotes an active environment where questions are raised
and explored by everyone. She asks thoughtprovoking questions that, in turn, would
promote additional questions by students. Noi is more effective at creating an
environment where students can develop their thinking in the context of “culture.”
This means that they see these thinking skills in their teachers and their peers, and
have ample opportunities to practice these thinking skills.

3. Describe the steps Tranh can take to develop his thinking skills and integrate
them into his instruction.

Tranh can begin his efforts by reading about critical and creative thinking, so he has a
good idea of what it means to develop his higher order thinking skills. He can ask his
mentors, school head, or peers from other schools to give him guidance on research
materials to go through and analyze. By doing this, he is already developing one
aspect of critical thinking, which is to cultivate one’s innate curiosity and desire to
learn more about a topic or issue.

Once Tranh has a good idea of what it means to integrate higher order thinking skills in
one’s life, he can make an objective assessment about his own thinking skills, so he
can identify the areas where he needs improvements. From there, he can use
creative thinking to identify different ways and methods he can use to gain knowledge
and understanding, and practice his thinking skills in his life as a teacher. For
example, he can make an effort to go through the newspaper and analyze one
particular issue, or he can try using a thinking tool like the PMI to analyze some school
initiatives in an effort to find better alternatives. All of these things can help him
develop his thinking, so that he can feel confident in integrating these methods
effectively in his classes and in other aspects of his life as a teacher.

4. What do you think would be one of the biggest challenges you will face in
assessing and developing your own thinking skills?

Below is a sample answer from Umar, a teacher from Malaysia.

16
 I think one of the biggest challenges I will face in developing my own thinking skills
is my tendency to stick to one perspective. I am usually hesitant to listen to the
perspectives of others because I sometimes feel that it will complicate my analysis of
the problem or issue. I know now that listening to other viewpoints is one of the
important aspects of critical thinking. I can be conscious of seeking other viewpoints by
going through discussions I have had in the past. I may think of how the discussion
would have progressed if someone presented a viewpoint that was different from or
contrary to the one I accepted. I can also use techniques like idea maps to help myself
explore the issue so I know who to talk to in my effort to gain a clearer understanding
of the issue or problem.

I also feel that I need to improve my ability to ask critical questions. When I listen to a
discussion or an explanation, I seldom explore the viewpoint or issue through
questioning. I have a tendency to accept discussions and interpret them on my own
instead of clarifying what the other person means. I also need to be more conscious of
asking important and relevant questions. I realize now that asking questions will help
me gather critical information and allow me to develop a more accurate picture of the
problem or issue, so I can deal with it more effectively. I can improve in this area in
different ways. I can have a notebook ready in which I can write down questions that I
think are important so I don’t forget them. I can also gain a lot from watching or
listening to interview programs on the radio or television. I can get ideas on which
questions are effective and relevant and which are not. I can use the insights I gain to
develop a set of basic questions I can ask during a discussion.

5. What are the areas in your teaching where you can immediately apply the
concepts you learned in this module?

As a teacher, I can immediately apply the concepts I learned in this module to my lesson
planning. I can use an idea map to explore the subject matter in many different ways
before committing to a lesson plan. This allows me to explore different aspects of the
lesson, think of critical questions I can ask my students, and formulate relevant
activities that will encourage critical thinking among the students.

I feel that I have a better understanding of how to develop higher order thinking
skills in my life as a teacher and in my students as well. I know now that it is very
important in this day and age to create thinking cultures in our schools. I know now
that we can develop our higher thinking skills in the context of a cultural setting. In
this cultural setting, students and teachers create opportunities to explore content and
issues in many thought-provoking ways. I can integrate all the tools I learned here
into my own professional life, so I can be an effective contributor to developing the
thinking skills of my peers and colleagues. I can definitely integrate many of the tools
here in my own classes right away.

17