ABOUT THE PROGRAMTeaching Critical Thinking
Numerous current curricular reform proposals call for improved critical thinking skills as an important goal for American K-12 education. Our program is based on two premises: (1) that learning to teach these skills is an important area of need in teacher education and professional development; (2) that the meaning of “critical thinking” needs to be broadened in a multimedia and technologically oriented society. Critical thinking isn't just the diagnosis of faulty logic or informal fallacies, but critically reading and engaging a range of cultural productions.
The purpose is to provide teachers with new conceptual tools for thinking about the aim of critical thinking (what it is; why it's important), as well as pedagogical and curricular ideas for incorporating it more into their teaching.
The Educational Policy Studies Department at the University of Illinois has a long history of association with critical thinking issues, both in teaching and research. The department is also a college and campus leader in developing and offering innovative online programs; several TCT faculty have been involved with developing and teaching in other online programs for teachers, and they bring their experience to this program as well.
Technology requirements
TCT is a completely online program. You will need to have access to a networked computer and broadband connectivity to participate in course activities. It will also be better if you have a headphone and microphone available: you will be able to hear lectures and other audio or video content better with a headset, and if you want to participate in class discussions via voice, and not only via text, you will need a microphone.
All courses are designed with a course management application called Moodle, a free open-source application. Audio conferencing and chat is conducted with a separate web-based application called Elluminate. Academic Outreach will provide Elluminate licensing, and there is a simple online workshop for learning how to use it.
Program Orientation
All students will be required to participate in an on-line orientation, which will be held the week before courses begin. More specific information about the orientation meeting will be sent to students accepted into the program.
