Diffendoofer

What does it mean when someone knows how to think?
When someone knows how to think, they can use their prior knowledge to make decisions or inferences about the world. Thinking means applying what we know to new concepts and ideas. As human beings, we are constantly thinking -- thinking about what to bring to class, what to eat for dinner, or if you should have said hi to that acquaintance on the street. Our brains orchestrate every piece of our present and future. When someone knows how to think, they have the ability to create a present and future for themselves. As teachers, it is crucial that we guide our students as they learn how to think critically about themselves and the world around them.

How does a teacher teach a student how to think?
Teaching a student how to think takes time -- it is a gradual process. One way to teach students how to think is through modeling. As a future teacher, I can explain my thought process to my own students at various times during the school day. However, educators need to do more for students than just model how to think. As a future teacher, I must provide tools for my students that allow them to learn how to think and access their thought processes. Another great method of teaching a student how to think is through open-ended questions. Rather than asking questions with concrete answers, educators should ask students open-ended questions that have a variety of answers. Students should be given authentic, real world problems. When students are asked these authentic problems, they have the opportunity to make connections and evaluate what they already know and what they want to know more about.

Have you ever been in a class where you really had to think? 
Many classes have challenged me, especially math and science classes. Physics was one of my most challenging classes in high school. For some reason, physics was so hard for me to understand. Physics made me think in a way that I did not enjoy. I was unable to fully grasp the physics concepts: gravity, wavelength, force, and velocity (among other concepts). Perhaps my teacher did not explain these concepts to me in a way I could understand. I really had to think during this class, but my thinking was not always successful in finding the "right" answer. On the other hand, one class from high school where I really had to think, but in a way that I enjoyed, was my Humanities class. My teacher emphasized that there was often no right answer to his questions. My peers and I would share opinions and possible "answers", feeding off the various input and continuing the conversation. My teacher constantly gave us authentic, real world problems to consider. We wrote blogs and created mind books -- a place for us to gather our thoughts, write notes, draw and use our creativity. I absolutely loved this part of class. It was the perfect creative outlet that allowed me to think and share my thoughts.