Reflection

Critical Thinking Workshop

When is the last time we read a book? How many books do we read in a year? 

When children are introduced to books at an early age, they have more opportunity and time to read books. Books and literature  can help young students develop important  critical-thinking skills. Students who read find it far easier to think critically than others. Analyzing a book requires us to read  deeper and ponder complex questions.

The world is changing rapidly and students need to learn to adapt just as quickly as these changes occur.

Critical thinking has been identified as a key skill to foster innovation and creativity. I had an opportunity to attend a workshop on “Critical thinking in the classroom” which was conducted by Ms. Niveditha Bedadur.This workshop focused on how to improve reasoning,planning, critiquing and making judgments among students. One fact I found stunning was that reading helps the students to build critical thinking in their life.

Michael Crichton, author of the story “Jurassic Park” and “The Lost World,”didn’t just take me on an entertaining roller-coaster ride but reignited my childhood passion for extinct animals, sparked my  interest in science, and continually fuelled my own creativity. 

“Jurassic Park” gave me a perspective on how humans interact with the animal world and what we can do to alter things — especially with genetic engineering. While the story line shows how people can use science to do beautiful things and change situations for the better, it also demonstrates how we can make devastating mistakes.

Meanwhile if our students haven’t found a book that’s personally affected them, I urge them to resolve that. The benefits of literature are legion. Reading improves vocabulary, organisational skills, and the ability to read, comprehend, and analyse text. Plus, it can provide people with important historical perspectives, encourage sympathy for other human beings, and promote appreciation for diversity and understanding of other cultures.

Moreover, literature can help students develop the critical-thinking skills many employers think are lacking in today’s world.

Volcano

Ayan (Name changed) was a curious and bright child in my kindergarten class. He loves learning new things everyday. One day he came and told me that he watched a volcano eruption on Discovery Channel. Then he asked why volcanoes were formed and how it erupted. He was very curious to know about volcanoes. So I told him we can do a science experiment about volcanoes. Days passed by, and I completely forgot about the experiment. One fine day he sent a video on the experiment “Volcano eruption” . Later his mother told, he started asking everyday when the teacher was going to do the experiement. Ayan always has so many questions in my class. He is very much interested to know more about science topics. This has made me prepare well before going to the class. I have learnt so many things from him. Even the other children have also benefited from him.

Children are curious and risk takers. They have lots of courage. They venture out in a world that is immense and dangerous. As a teacher it’s our duty to build and retain the same level of curiosity in each child.