Core Skills Programme: Critical Thinking and Problem Solving
FOR SCHOOL NETWORKS AT FLEXIBLE TIMES & DATES
The Geographical Association is providing FREE[1] professional development in critical thinking and problem solving for teachers, including those who teach geography and history as part of the British Council’s Connecting Classrooms programme. Our aim is to embed critical thinking in the classroom, with opportunities to develop professional partnerships working and linking with schools overseas.
Critical thinking and problem solving have been identified as key skills which support pupils’ learning, raise attainment and strengthen their development as informed and thoughtful future citizens. They add value to the curriculum, including by developing critical enquiry and analysis skills, and developing understanding of identity and our place in the world.
This programme is available through a FREE training course that is available for delivery to a cluster /network of schools in your locality AT TIMES AND DATES CONVENIENT TO YOUR SCHOOLS and presented by Lynn Cutler of GLADE for the GA. It will include:
- Developing understanding and practical strategies for critical thinking and problem solving
- Developing and applying practice in your classroom and sharing practice with other teachers
- Using your learning to strengthen international links at your school.
The programme consists of three half day workshops (example timings 13:15 – 16:15) or 1 whole day followed by 1 half day workshops, with a gap of ten weeks for classroom trial and application of professional learning between the second and third sessions:
- Autumn term /term 1 date 2017: half-day training in critical thinking, focused on different perspectives and considering evidence.
- Autumn term /term 1 date 2017: further half-day training focused on non-routine problems and deep structures.
- Application of learning with delivery in participants’ classrooms.
- Autumn term /term 2 date 2017: final session focused on sharing classroom practice and review.
- Follow-up: further sharing practice, and the opportunity to work with colleagues abroad through a Connecting Classrooms school visit, funded by the British Council.
Venue: school host /school lead to be confirmed. NB. Minimum numbers of schools are needed for this course to run, with places available for multiple teachers per school .
Contact: in the first instance Lynn Cutler [email protected] to register your interest for the schools-cluster programme.
[1] CPD is free for teachers in primary and secondary maintained schools and academies.
