California Educator

In the age of testing, can schools teach critical thinking? Are students learning how to think critically? A B C D Yes, if students perform well on standardized tests. No, schools just teach students to fill in the bubbles. Sometimes, but not often enough. All of the above. It's a troubling question. Whether students are encouraged to become critical thinkers is a growing concern as pressures mount to raise test scores and NCLB reauthorization is just around the corner. The issue has sparked new conversations about how we measure success and failure, and whether schools are doing an adequate job of teaching students how to think, instead of just mastering multiple choice exams and rote learning. President Obama has urged states to develop standards "that don't simply measure whether students can fill in a bubble on a test but whether they possess 21st century skills like problem-solving and critical thinking, entrepreneurship and creativity." Critical thinking hasn't been entirely replaced in California's schools by drill-and-kill instruction and scripted learning, but it's in serious jeopardy, says Enoch Hale, a former high school teacher in Grossmont who is now on a fellowship at the Foundation for Critical Thinking, located in Dillon Beach. >>> 8 California Educator | 8-21 June.09.indd 8 june United Teachers Los Angeles member Jeff Lantos uses theatrical "stealth learning" techniques to engage his students at Marquez Charter Elementary School. 2009 6/4/09 1:57:10 PM

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