Is That Right?
is a useful volume for any teacher who would like to introduce critical
thinking into the elementary and middle school curriculum. Although
Ian Wright is currently a professor of social studies education
at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, his years as
a classroom teacher are most evident in this book. The practical
lesson plans included in the volume provide concrete examples for
teachers. The book is addressed to the everyday concerns of teachers
and does not become overly bogged down with theoretical concerns.
For example, Wright defines critical thinking as "making judgments
about what to believe and what to do in situations that are problematic
— that is situations where we do not know initially what to
believe or do" (p. 56).
Wright acknowledges
that he has not always practiced critical thinking in the classroom,
but he has become an enthusiastic convert. Nevertheless, the environment
in both the United States and Canada is increasingly hostile to
critical thinking. High stakes standardized testing, which determine
grade placement and faculty retention, have placed considerable
pressure upon teachers to focus upon more rote memory of factual
material. In the United States this educational approach is embodied
in the No Child Left Behind Act and standards movement.
It is a fallacy, however,
to assume that critical thinking is not about standards and excellence.
As Wright points out, not all opinions are equally valid. Critical
thinking is all about developing measurements and assessment tools,
for both students and teachers, to ascertain which arguments or
opinions are most valid and best supported. The ultimate goal for
an educated community is not memorizing or regurgitating information,
but learning to become intelligent citizens who are capable of making
informed choices.
Critical thinking provides
the foundation for such a citizenry by developing practical tools
for evaluating evidence. Teachers seeking more concrete means of
evaluation in the classroom might consult the critical thinking
rubrics developed by Wright. But the bottom line for those who obsess
upon objectivity should be recognition that in our daily lives we
must deal with ambiguity, and the classroom under the guidance of
a caring teacher is an appropriate laboratory to begin this process.
Our best students and citizens are those who develop a healthy respect
for the roles played by ambiguity and paradox in historical causation
and human motivation.
While Wright asserts
that critical thinking skills may be employed in most academic subjects,
his experience and examples focus primarily upon the field of social
studies. And here we encounter another level of controversy. Some
in the discipline of history assert that the social studies are
too present minded and expect too little from children. Indeed,
many of the sample lessons provided by Wright deal with such issues
as "what makes a good friend" or "what to do about
garbage." Groups in the United Sates such as the National Council
for History Education maintain that young learners are capable of
historical understanding and that the social studies approach is
ahistorical and lacking substance or context. But in many ways this
debate between history and the social studies is a tempest in a
teapot; for the critical thinking approach fits well into the history
classroom.
In evaluating a primary
document or actions taken in the past, the skills of analyzing which
argument is best supported still applies. And this works just as
well for a classroom mock trial as a more traditional research paper.
Was John Brown a terrorist who murdered innocent people or was he
a freedom fighter against the tyranny of slavery? Or is reality
too complex for such bipolar thinking? The key point is that critical
thinking provides an approach to historical inquiry which accounts
for the complexity of the past and demonstrates how the past may
shed light upon the present.
Those who may really
challenge the critical thinking approach are individuals and groups
who assert that history should simply be about patriotism and indoctrination
rather than the questioning of ideas and even values. Some argue
that in the age of terrorism our children might learn to unquestionably
embrace Western Civilization against threats from alien ideologies.
Yet, as fewer and fewer media conglomerates control mainstream access
to information, real security flows from an electorate trained to
critically evaluate ideas and resist political or corporate manipulation.
Thus, as usual, teachers
are on the front lines of dealing with a complex world. Critical
thinking should make this heavy responsibility a little less onerous;
for teachers who embrace critical thinking techniques are not authority
figures who must always provide the "right" answer. Instead,
the teacher is an intelligent guide working alongside the students
to develop and foster the tools necessary to make critical distinctions.
Wright's book is both
inspirational and practical. His ideas may be applied to the university
as well as the elementary school classroom. The inclusion of sample
lesson plans and a bibliography, complete with appropriate web sites,
make Is That Right? a volume which should find a place on
most teachers' bookshelves. More than just a teaching tool, critical
thinking is essential to the preservation of a democratic ethos.