Presented By Jim Carmichael, Catherine Matsuo, Tessa Woodward, Blanka Klimova, Ahmad Amer, Idil Mentesoglu

Session Details

SYMPOSIUM DESCRIPTION "Teaching Thinking"

The topic and aims of the symposium

These days people are faced with unpredictability in e.g. employment, population migration, and technology. We all need then, at times, to keep alert and to think clearly, critically and compassionately. Our symposium thus treats the matter of teachers thinking and of teachers encouraging students to think. Individual speakers will share work they are doing with students in EAP, formal debate, general English, cultural history and literature classes. The common thread to all this work is that it encourages students and teachers to think. Participants will leave with a wider view of this relatively new field and a useful reading list for future exploration.

The speakers: Each of the speakers below will talk for about 20 minutes. Questions of clarification can follow each individual speaker but the main time for discussion, questions and comments will be after all the presentations. At that point all participants will be encouraged to join in and share their experience and thoughts.

1. Jim Carmichael, Bell International College, Cambridge UK 'Using critical thinking on EAP courses' Critical Thinking (CT), a set of skills or tools which can be used in any argument, is not new. What is fairly new is the idea that it can be taught. Jim will report on the practical application of CT on various EAP courses.

2. Catherine Matsuo, Fukuoka University, Japan 'Teaching thinking through a genre-based approach to formal debate'. Catherine will use a summary of 3 years of action research to answer the question, 'Why does formal debate teach you to think?' Catherine uses genre theory and genre-based pedagogy to optimise the teaching of thinking in ELT.

3. Tessa Woodward, Hilderstone College, UK 'Experiencing a simple thinking framework'  Thinking frameworks can be used to help us e.g. to make decisions, get organised, and free ourselves from obsessions. These frameworks are interesting, enjoyable and easy to use. Tessa will invite participants to experience one. She will mention the book Headstrong (2006) TW pubs as a resource.

4.Blanka Klimova, University of Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic 'Let's think and learn' Blanka will show how strategies used with Czech university students of travel and tourism management help them to develop critical thinking and reflective skills while studying the cultural history of Britain.

5 and 6. Next are two speakers on 'Thinking in literature classes'

Ahmad Amer, Al-Qasemi College, Israel 'From LOTS to HOTS' Ahmad is involved in a project designed to see the implementation of inquiry and higher order thinking in schools (HOTS) in literature teaching. He will include examples of types of questions and learning logs that encourage HOTS.

Idil Mentesoglu, Cyprus 'Stories, young learners and thinking' Idil will explore two main approaches to using stories with young learners to enhance imagination, creativity, decision making and reasoning. She will introduce some sample activities.

Tessa Woodward will chair the symposium.

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