Facilitating Discussion and Encouraging Critical Thinking

Facilitating Discussions and Encouraging Critical Thinking
Student`s Name
University
Facilitating Discussions and Encouraging Critical Thinking
1.) A student in your class tells you that she learns best by lecture. She does not want to participate in active learning and will not participate in discussions. How do you handle this situation? Give us at least three interventions and/ or solutions. 
Students who are reluctant to join class discussions are typically shy, unprepared or they simply do not want to share their ideas. Whatever the case, there are many ways to encourage student participation. (1) Required or graded recitation, (2) asking questions and (3) incorporating ideas and experience in the discussion can help promote class participation ADDIN CSL_CITATION { "citationItems" : [ { "id" : "ITEM-1", "itemData" : { "author" : [ { "dropping-particle" : "", "family" : "Weimer", "given" : "Maryellen", "non-dropping-particle" : "", "parse-names" : false, "suffix" : "" } ], "container-title" : "Tips for Encouraging Student Participation in Classroom Discussions", "id" : "ITEM-1", "issued" : { "date-parts" : [ [ "2010" ] ] }, "page" : "9-10", "publisher" : "Magna Publication", "publisher-place" : "Madison", "title" : "Student Recommendations for Encouraging Participation", "type" : "chapter" }, "uris" : [ "/documents/?uuid=bd811793-ca07-4fb2-93ab-34f24ddd4633" ] } ], "mendeley" : { "manualFormatting" : "(Weimer, 2010, p. 9)", "previouslyFormattedCitation" : "(Weimer, 2010)" }, "properties" : { "noteIndex" : 0 }, "schema" : "https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json" }(Weimer, 2010, p. 9).
Students will do everything to get a good grade, hence, it is logical that graded recitations are effective at invoking students to speak up. Meanwhile, the other two strategies help the teacher improve his/her facilitation skills so that students will recite simply because they have new insights to share. When a teacher asks questions, it helps the student think about the topic. Note however, that students hate it when the teacher is merely looking for a specific answer and is not interested in hearing an alternative answer ADDIN CSL_CITATION { "citationItems" : [ { "id" : "ITEM-1", "itemData" : { "author" : [ { "dropping-particle" : "", "family" : "Weimer", "given" : "Maryellen", "non-dropping-particle" : "", "parse-names" : false, "suffix" : "" } ], "container-title" : "Tips for Encouraging Student Participation in Classroom Discussions", "id" : "ITEM-1", "issued" : { "date-parts" : [ [ "2010" ] ] }, "page" : "9-10", "publisher" : "Magna Publication", "publisher-place" : "Madison", "title" : "Student Recommendations for Encouraging Participation", "type" : "chapter" }, "uris" : [ "/documents/?uuid=bd811793-ca07-4fb2-93ab-34f24ddd4633" ] } ], "mendeley" : { "manualFormatting" : "(Weimer, 2010, p. 10)", "previouslyFormattedCitation" : "(Weimer, 2010)" }, "properties" : { "noteIndex" : 0 }, "schema" : "https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json" }(Weimer, 2010, p. 10).
On the other hand, a teacher allows students to incorporate their own ideas and experience in the discussion, participation becomes second nature to them. In this case, students can elaborate on their point and they are able to relate course content with their own experiences ADDIN CSL_CITATION { "citationItems" : [ { "id" : "ITEM-1", "itemData" : { "author" : [ { "dropping-particle" : "", "family" : "Weimer", "given" : "Maryellen", "non-dropping-particle" : "", "parse-names" : false, "suffix" : "" } ], "container-title" : "Tips for Encouraging Student Participation in Classroom Discussions", "id" : "ITEM-1", "issued" : { "date-parts" : [ [ "2010" ] ] }, "page" : "9-10", "publisher" : "Magna Publication", "publisher-place" : "Madison", "title" : "Student Recommendations for Encouraging Participation", "type" : "chapter" }, "uris" : [ "/documents/?uuid=bd811793-ca07-4fb2-93ab-34f24ddd4633" ] } ], "mendeley" : { "manualFormatting" : "(Weimer, 2010, p. 10)", "previouslyFormattedCitation" : "(Weimer, 2010)" }, "properties" : { "noteIndex" : 0 }, "schema" : "https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json" }(Weimer, 2010, p. 10)s so learning becomes more alive.
2.) A student in your class writes an essay in which he states that his philosophy is strongly based in his religion. He states that due to this he does not have read certain chapters of the text; nor does he have to be "open-minded". What do you do? Be specific. Back up your statements with information from your texts or other sources
While critical thinking is defined in many ways, one thing remains constant in these definitions: it is not a reactionary process and involves deep analysis before a judgment is made. Richard Paul of the Center of Critical Thinking defines critical thinking as "thinking about your thinking while you`re thinking in order to make your thinking better" ADDIN CSL_CITATION { "citationItems" : [ { "id" : "ITEM-1", "itemData" : { "author" : [ { "dropping-particle" : "", "family" : "Geertsen", "given" : "H. Reed", "non-dropping-particle" : "", "parse-names" : false, "suffix" : "" } ], "container-title" : "Teaching Sociology", "id" : "ITEM-1", "issue" : "1", "issued" : { "date-parts" : [ [ "2003" ] ] }, "page" : "1-19", "title" : "Rethinking Thinking about Higher-Level Thinking", "type" : "article-journal", "volume" : "31" }, "uris" : [ "/documents/?uuid=bccf8549-4f31-467e-be9d-487dda795341" ] } ], "mendeley" : { "manualFormatting" : "(Geertsen, 2003, p.2)", "previouslyFormattedCitation" : "(Geertsen, 2003)" }, "properties" : { "noteIndex" : 0 }, "schema" : "https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json" }(Geertsen, 2003, p.2). From this definition alone, we can already see that critical thinking is dynamic in that the very standards by which thinking is judged changes as thinking improves. This claim is supported by Wanda Teays who defines critical thinking as "the use of conscious reflection to elevate thoughts above those found in everyday thinking" ADDIN CSL_CITATION { "citationItems" : [ { "id" : "ITEM-1", "itemData" : { "author" : [ { "dropping-particle" : "", "family" : "Geertsen", "given" : "H. Reed", "non-dropping-particle" : "", "parse-names" : false, "suffix" : "" } ], "container-title" : "Teaching Sociology", "id" : "ITEM-1", "issue" : "1", "issued" : { "date-parts" : [ [ "2003" ] ] }, "page" : "1-19", "title" : "Rethinking Thinking about Higher-Level Thinking", "type" : "article-journal", "volume" : "31" }, "uris" : [ "/documents/?uuid=bccf8549-4f31-467e-be9d-487dda795341" ] } ], "mendeley" : { "manualFormatting" : "(Geertsen, 2003, p. 2)", "previouslyFormattedCitation" : "(Geertsen, 2003)" }, "properties" : { "noteIndex" : 0 }, "schema" : "https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json" }(Geertsen, 2003, p. 2). Critical thinking is all about discovering how one processes information and understanding how one`s own beliefs and biases shapes the contours of one`s thoughts. It is not about forgetting one`s own beliefs, but rather understanding how such belief figures in the dynamics of the whole.
Looking at critical thinking this way, it becomes easier to explain to a student why he or she should read the entire text before writing his/her essay. Some chapters may contradict one`s own beliefs, and this is a good thing because they provide an unbiased view of the religion. Some of the claims made in other chapters may be erroneous because the writer is not involved with the same religion as the student, and it is the student`s opportunity to correct the error. By doing so, the contradictory chapters may end up strengthening one`s beliefs instead of opposing it.
In short, critical thinking is all about self-development through the acquisition of knowledge so that a person can gain a more holistic view of the world. When this happens, the intricacies of one culture and belief begin to make sense and the individual learns the importance of culture/belief in light of the whole. It is all about learning the archetypes and understanding the things that unite us as human beings. Religion is just one expression of our humanity, it is not the entirety of our being. Christianity cannot explain why Mohammed`s enlightenment was of the same nature as that of Christ and Siddharta Gautama Buddha. Why did these three prophets receive enlightenment after fasting and during a difficult trial? Don`t we, as human beings experience the same way? Why is there a call for universal religion? How does one`s beliefs in one religion figure in the whole scheme?
One can only answer the posted questions if one reads the entire text and supplements it with other literature. Aside from texts, individuals are also great sources of information because their interpretations of experiences vary ADDIN CSL_CITATION { "citationItems" : [ { "id" : "ITEM-1", "itemData" : { "author" : [ { "dropping-particle" : "", "family" : "Ulrich", "given" : "W.", "non-dropping-particle" : "", "parse-names" : false, "suffix" : "" } ], "container-title" : "The Journal of the Operational Research Society", "id" : "ITEM-1", "issue" : "4", "issued" : { "date-parts" : [ [ "2003" ] ] }, "page" : "325-342", "title" : "Beyond Methodology Choice: Critical Systems Thinking as Critically Systemic Discourse", "type" : "article-journal", "volume" : "54" }, "uris" : [ "/documents/?uuid=c7403be3-0d87-45bf-82ee-0ca70a22555e" ] } ], "mendeley" : { "previouslyFormattedCitation" : "(Ulrich, 2003)" }, "properties" : { "noteIndex" : 0 }, "schema" : "https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json" }(Ulrich, 2003). Moreover, individual definitions of the same phenomenon are different, but each definition is a truth if held against the person`s background. And even then, one can never be sure that the answers he/she find are the same for everyone. Perhaps this is the best thing about critical thinking - one discovers unique answers based on one`s own beliefs. Through critical thinking, one can integrate different definitions and create new ones that are inclusive and will explain what makes us human.
At a time of disconnectedness and decay, the need for holistic understanding is important to create a better future for children. Religions can no longer afford to declare wars against each other. In fact many religious leaders such as Pope John Paul II and the Dalai Lama have reiterated on mutual respect for various religions ADDIN CSL_CITATION { "citationItems" : [ { "id" : "ITEM-1", "itemData" : { "author" : [ { "dropping-particle" : "", "family" : "Dalai Lama", "given" : "", "non-dropping-particle" : "", "parse-names" : false, "suffix" : "" } ], "container-title" : "His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama of ...