Issue link: http://educator.cta.org/i/2788
T "The California standards state very explicitly that teachers need to actively engage all students in critical thinking in all subject areas," says Enoch Hale. "But I regularly hear from teachers asking how they can take the time to help students to think critically about content when they have the pressure of teaching to the test. Larger class sizes and funding problems also make it more difficult. Class size is linked to what a teacher can pragmatically accomplish in a classroom." " Teaching critical thinking is encouraged, but it's challenging to do with standardized testing and the p r e s s u r e w e'r e u n d e r t o m a k e i t t h rou g h STA R te s t i ng ," a g re e s Na dine Loza, a social studies teacher at Rowland High School and a member of the Association of Rowland Educators. "A teacher's ability to incorp or at e m ore c r it i c a l t h i n k i n g i nt o the classroom is really hurt by that." "If we can get b e yond the notion of s cho ols as testing factories, then t e a c h e r s w i l l h av e t h e f r e e d o m t o strive for a higher standard of excellence," says Jeff L antos, a teacher at Marquez Charter Elementar y School in Los Angeles and a member of United Te achers L os Angeles. "Par t o f t h at h i g h e r s t a n d a r d w o u l d i n clude the teaching of critical thinking. But endless test preparation has the opposite effect. It reduces inquir y. It goes against S ocratic dialogue and c an d r ai n mu ch of t he p ass i on from teaching and learning." What exactly is critical thinking? Educators may think they are using critical thinking strategies in the James Steward and Adela Ramirez conduct a hands-on science experiment at Desert Springs Middle School. 10 California Educator | 8-21 June.09.indd 10 june 2009 6/4/09 1:57:20 PM