8611 Assignment 1 PDF
8611 Assignment 1 PDF
ASSIGNMENT No. 1
critical thinking
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includes steps like collecting information and data, asking thoughtful questions
and analyzing possible solutions. For example, if you’re working in human
resources and must resolve a conflict between two employees, you will use
critical thinking to understand the nature of the conflict and what action should be
taken to resolve it.
Here are additional courses of action you might take when using critical thinking
for problem-solving at work:
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important critical thinking skills
Here are five common and impactful critical thinking skills you might consider
including on your resume or discussing in your interview:
1. Observation
2. Analysis
3. Inference
4. Communication
5. Problem solving
1. Observation
2. Analysis
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important. This also often includes gathering unbiased research, asking relevant
questions about the data to ensure it’s accurate and assessing the findings
objectively.
3. Inference
4. Communication
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Improve your communication skills within the
context of critical thinking by engaging in difficult discussions, for example,
where you and another participant may hold differing views about the topic.
Maintain good communication habits like active listening and respect to try to
understand their perspective and explain your ideas in a calm, rational manner.
This can help prepare you to evaluate solutions more effectively with your
colleagues.
5. Problem-solving
Social exclusion
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in decision-making civil, social and cultural life’. Elements of social exclusion are
an integral part of Townsend’s conception of poverty (see Deprivation and
poverty), and the original Breadline Britain and subsequent PSE surveys
(see Consensual method) incorporated aspects of social exclusion within the
concept of necessities (such as ‘celebrations on special occasions’ or ‘a hobby or
leisure activity’). However, poverty emphasises material as well as social
deprivation, while social exclusion forefronts a person or a group’s ability to
participate in social, economic, political and cultural life and their relationships
with others. And while poverty has a profound effect on some, though not all, of
these aspects of social exclusion, there are other important causal factors of social
exclusion such as age, disability, ethnicity, gender and employment status.
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complexity in interactions between these domains. With the present state of
knowledge and data available, it is not known how the domains interact and it is
risky to identify which of the domains have greater or lesser importance.
marginalization
Definition
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Examples and/or Illustrations
whole category of people is expelled from useful participation in social life and
thus potentially subjected to severe material deprivation.” Not being included is
costly indeed. (Jenson,2000)
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Another example of marginalization involving move than
just individuals’ income is provided by the increasing concentration of poverty in
urban areas (Jenson,2000).
History
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Connectivism was introduced in 2005 by two
publications, Siemens’ Connectivism: Learning as Network Creation and
Downes’ An Introduction to Connective Knowledge. Both works received
significant attention in the blogosphere and an extended discourse has followed
on the appropriateness of connectivism as a learning theory for the digital age. In
2007 Kerr entered into the debate with a series of lectures and talks on the matter,
as did Forster, both at the Online Connectivism Conference at the University of
Manitoba. In 2008, in the context of digital and e-learning, connectivism was
reconsidered and its technological implications were discussed by Siemens' and
Ally.
The central aspect of connectivism is the metaphor of a network with nodes and
connections.
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The network metaphor allows a notion of "know-
where" (the understanding of where to find the knowledge when it is needed) to
supplement to the ones of "know-how" and "know-what" that make the
cornerstones of many theories of learning.
Principles
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Classroom Assessment Techniques (CATs)
CATs are spot checks for understanding that are quick, easy, and effective.
Students benefit from the opportunity to check their own comprehension and
reorganize their ideas if necessary. These activities are appropriate for initiating,
clarifying, and summarizing information at any point in a given class session. It is
important to conduct CATs periodically in the class to assess your students'
understanding and provide necessary feedback to reinforce correct concepts and
clarify misconception. Tanner and Allen (2004) describe the iterative nature of
classroom assessment through the graphic below:
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Classroom Opinion Poll . Conduct a poll related to one or two issues
where students can respond yes or no on a short polling form.
1.
3. Be sure to let students know that these are not tests or quizzes and
that they will not be graded.
Minute Paper . During the first or last few minutes of class, have students
write a paragraph about their understanding of a particular topic or an
assignment.
1.
1. Stop class two or three minutes early and ask students the
following two questions (or some variation of them):“What was
the most important thing you learned during this class?” and/or
“What important question remains unanswered?”
3. Faculty can quickly find out what students see as the most
significant things they are learning and what other questions they
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have and can then decide whether any changes or adjustment in
instruction are needed.
Muddiest Point. Have students describe the most unclear or confusing part
of a lecture, discussion, homework assignment, or field experience in a
course that emphasizes integrating, synthesizing, and evaluating
information. This technique will help faculty determine which particular
aspects of the course content are most difficult for students to learn.
1.
1.
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about a given topic. They must do this in one informative and
grammatical sentence (usually a long one). This technique will help
faculty find out how well students can concisely and appropriately
summarize information on a selected topic.
1.
Empty Outline . To assess how well students have learned course content,
give students a partially completed outline on a topic and have them fill in
the blank spaces. This will help faculty determine how well students have
learned the important aspects of a topic and will help students become
more aware of the organization of the main points of the material.
Memory Matrix . This technique is used to assess how well students recall
and organize content.
Assessing Higher Order Thinking Skills (analysis, synthesis, problem solving, and
application)
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Pro and Con Grid . Provide a prompt eliciting thoughtful advantages and
disadvantages in relation to an issue or dilemma. Then have students to
analyze the costs and benefits of an issue.
Concept Map. Have students create a concept map that analyzes and
synthesizes ideas from readings or discussions. Afterwards, ask students to
post their maps (electronically or physically) for peer feedback. Students
can organize their map around one idea or question. Using this technique
will give faculty a visual representation of the associations that students
have formed between different concepts.
1.
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1.
2. Give students an index card and have them write down a possible
real-world application for the concept you chose.
Choose techniques that will provide useful feedback and involve your
students in learning.
Plan ahead for data analysis and how you will respond to areas needing
improvement.
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Some Benefits of Keeping a Reflective Teaching Journal
Over time, keeping a reflective journal will help
teachers to develop a critical eye for troubleshooting in the classroom. This
practise will then benefit and improve the overall teaching experience, which will
have a direct impact on the student’s learning experience. This creates a virtuous
circle of personal investment, motivation and performance levels for teachers and
students alike.
A reflective journal can coach and train teachers to learn so much about
themselves and their profession. From personal and professional
perspectives, it can help teachers in improving numerous teaching qualities
and skills. The reflective journal can assist them in:
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incorporating reflective procedural practice during teaching;
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bad, and the ugly”, while documenting one’s state of mind from lesson to lesson
and day to day.
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3. Becoming a Reflective Professional
As mentioned earlier (big bullet point list at the
beginning of this article), the teacher who keeps a reflective journal will benefit in
many different ways. The reflection process is a conscious effort at the early
stages, however, over time; this process is rapidly assimilated and becomes
second nature (an unconscious, metacognitive skill). The reflective method will
assist the teacher to acquire many transversal skills that will provide them the
opportunity to work more efficiently in an independent or collegial fashion. These
skills are useful and applicable in both professional and personal life.
4. Improving Decision-making
In noting down lessons, personal and student
feedback, teachers stand to gain a better understanding of what impact their
methods and strategies have on their student’s learning styles. In the long-
term and with much experience, the teacher can learn to quickly perceive eventual
obstacles or pitfalls associated with a specific teaching method or approach.
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form an ‘if’ hypothesis, or testable explanation (Perhaps they can’t see
or understand my diagram on the board. If I improve the diagram, perhaps
this will help.);
test the prediction (Use another colour and darken the information on
the board.);
repeat: Use the results to make new hypotheses or predictions (They are
still not answering – the problem is not my diagram on the board. Perhaps
they don’t understand this problem, question, illustration, and example. Let
me try that again with another method or example.), and then,
Over time and with practise, this process can be used directly
in the classroom environment to assess student learning in order to signal the need
or opportunity to modify and adapt a teaching situation. It builds transversal
metacognitive skills since it requires judgement, critical analysis, brainstorming,
and collaboration. And these skills lead to better informed decision-making and
self-confidence building.
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troubleshoot or brainstorm solutions in an unbiased and factual manner. Emotion
may be integrated as a side note into the reflective journal, but the recent
memoires should be based on fact. The recent memories are very unique and
different from distant memories that may be deformed with time or by someone
else’s opinions.
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8. Analyzing and Reasoning a Dilemma
If there is one area where reflection and the reflective
journal can really make a difference, it is in moments of crisis and despair.
Taking the time to reflect on issues allows an individual to make better informed
decisions. A reflective journal offers a secure, private, and safe space for this.
In times of crisis, a reflective journal provides structure and support “to empty
one’s sack”, so to speak. This is very precious in diffident moments of uncertainty
and isolation.
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forum was created as a community-driven collaborative means to create
synergy amongst novice, seasoned, or veteran professionals, in order to
exchange on and address all types of problems, issues, challenges or success
and research related to the vast profession of teaching.
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