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I have had the opportunity recently to rewrite several PBL units for the Summer enrichment program and I have shared one that I feel is well established and connected to the students and learning.

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In order to have self assessment according to william you need to have the appropriate questions tied to the feedback. There are five keys to self assessment 1) the role of the teacher and knowing your students 2) feedback that moves the learner forward, 3)making sure they understand the success criteria, 4) peer assessment, 5) self assessment and managing emotions

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As I wrote in one of the discussion relationship, relationships, relationships. Those are the 3 most important words because without them we have nothing. If we don't create a space where kids feel cared for in a way that allows them to see the value in risk taking them everything else is nonexistent. The message in this video says it all.

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The One Thing All Great Teachers Do | Nick Fuhrman | TEDxUGA

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If we really want to create a culture of Innovation then we need to rethink the way we teach by using Project Based Learning that is rooted in problem solving thats using critical thinking. The job landscape is changing rapidly. Research says that by 2030 65% of the jobs don't exist yet.

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Often times I use this R.A.F.T. board in writing because it allows the students to have choice and fun in a area that is often seen as "not fun". I have allowed the students to use any media format to present their rafts.

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Kiddos need this modeled starting in Pre-K in a way that allows for them to practice in real world setting so that can see the success and have buy-in.

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Critical thinking skills allow you to understand and address situations based on all available facts and information. Typically, using critical thinking at work involves processing and organizing facts, data and other information to define a problem and develop effective solutions.

It's a good idea to reflect on the critical thinking skills you already possess and which you may need to develop. You should include your strongest critical thinking skills on your resume and discuss them during interviews. In addition, you might consider setting goals and adopting practices to help you build the critical thinking skills necessary to succeed in your job.

In this article, we explain what critical thinking is, why it's important and how you can improve your skills in this area.

What is critical thinking?

Critical thinking is the act of analyzing facts to understand a problem or topic thoroughly. The critical thinking process typically includes steps like collecting information and data, asking thoughtful questions and analyzing possible solutions. For example, if you're working in human resources and must resolve a conflict between two employees, you will use critical thinking to understand the nature of the conflict and what action should be taken to resolve it.

Here are additional courses of action you might take when using critical thinking for problem-solving at work:

Identify a problem or issue

Create inferences on why the problem exists and how it can be solved

Collect information or data on the issue through research

Organize and sort data and findings

Develop and execute solutions

Analyze what solutions worked or didn't work

Identify ways to improve the solution

Being objective is a fundamental part of critical thinking. That means analyzing the problem without allowing personal bias, emotions or assumptions to influence how you think about it. Instead, a strong critical thinker will only analyze the problem based on the context and facts collected after conducting thorough and impartial research.

Critical thinking skills are essential in every industry at every career level, from entry-level associates to top executives. Good critical thinkers can work both independently and with others to solve problems. Issues such as process inefficiencies, management or finances can be improved by using critical thought. Because of this, employers value and seek out candidates who demonstrate strong critical thinking skills.
Related: 6 Ways to Improve Critical Thinking at Work

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Critical thinking skills:
1. Observation: The ability to notice and predict opportunities, problems and solutions.
2. Analysis: The gathering, understanding and interpreting of data and other information.
3. Inference: Drawing conclusions based on relevant data, information and personal knowledge and experience.
4. Communication: Sharing and receiving information with others verbally, nonverbally and in writing.
5. Problem solving: The process of gathering, analyzing and communicating information to identify and troubleshoot solutions.

5 important critical thinking skills

Here are five common and impactful critical thinking skills you might consider including on your resume or discussing in your interview:

1. Observation

Observational skills are the starting point for critical thinking. People who are observant can quickly sense and identify a new problem. Those skilled in observation are also capable of understanding why something might be a problem. They may even be able to predict when a problem might occur before it happens based on their experience.

Improve your observation skills by slowing down your pace of processing information and training yourself to pay closer attention to your surroundings. You might practice mindfulness techniques, journaling or actively listening during and outside of work to thoroughly examine what you're hearing or seeing. Then, consider if you notice trends in behavior, transactions or data that might be helpful for your team to address.
Related: Inductive Reasoning: Definition and How to Use It
Once a problem has been identified, analysis skills become essential. The ability to analyze and effectively evaluate a situation involves knowing what facts, data or information about the problem are important. This also often includes gathering unbiased research, asking relevant questions about the data to ensure it's accurate and assessing the findings objectively.

Improve your analytical skills by taking on new experiences. For example, you might read a book about a concept you're unfamiliar with or take an online math class to push yourself to think in new ways and consider new ideas. Doing so can help you build the skills to interpret new information and make rational decisions based on sound analysis.
Read more: Analytical Skills: Definitions and Examples
3. Inference

Inference is a skill that involves drawing conclusions about the information you collect and may require you to possess technical or industry-specific knowledge or experience. When you make an inference, that means you are developing answers based on limited information. For example, a car mechanic may need to infer what is causing a car's engine to stall at seemingly random times based on the information available to them.

Improve your inference skills by placing focus on making educated guesses rather than quickly drawing conclusions. This requires slowing down to look for as many clues as possible-such as images, data or reports-that might help you evaluate a situation. Carefully consider all the pieces of the puzzle together before making a decision.
Related: Deductive Reasoning: Definition and Examples
4. Communication

Communication skills are important when it comes time to explain and discuss issues and their possible solutions with colleagues and other stakeholders. Communication is an important skill to have and improve on for many purposes at work including critical thinking.

Improve your communication skills within the context of critical thinking by engaging in difficult discussions, for example, where you and another participant may hold differing views about the topic. Maintain good communication habits like active listening and respect to try to understand their perspective and explain your ideas in a calm, rational manner. This can help prepare you to evaluate solutions more effectively with your colleagues.
Read more: Communication Skills: Definitions and Examples
5. Problem-solving

After you've identified a problem, analyzed it and explored possible remedies, the final step is to execute the solution.

Problem-solving often requires critical thinking to implement the best solution and understand whether or not the solution is working as it relates to the goal.

Improve your problem-solving skills by setting goals to acquire more industry knowledge within your field. Problem-solving at work typically becomes easier if you have a strong understanding of industry-specific information. It can also be helpful to observe how others around you solve problems at work-take note of their techniques and ask questions about their process.
Related: The Best Ways to Strengthen Your Logical Thinking Skills
More critical thinking skills

While the five skills listed above are essential to successful critical thinking, there are a plethora of soft skills that relate to thoughtful analysis. Here are some other skills to consider when developing your critical thinking:
Read more: How to Improve Your Soft Skills in the Workplace
How to improve your critical thinking skills

While you might already have many of the skills above, it may still be helpful to consider other areas for improvement-especially for specific skills listed on a job descriptionYou can always improve your critical thinking skills through practice and extended educational opportunities.

To further improve your critical thinking skills, consider taking some of the following steps:

Expand your industry-specific or technical skills to help you more easily identify problems.

Take additional courses in your industry that require critical thinking and analysis.

Actively volunteer to solve problems for your current employer.

Seek advice from professionals in your field or desired industry.

Play solo and cooperative games that require critical thinking skills, such as analysis and inference.
Asking a friend, colleague or manager to assess your current skill set can also help provide you with an objective view of your strengths. You may find it beneficial or even necessary to practice your critical thinking skills to help build your resume or advance in your career.

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10 Essential Critical Thinking Skills (And How to Improve Them)

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Critical thinking skills allow you to understand and address situations based on all available facts and information. Typically, using critical thinking at work involves processing and organizing facts, data and other information to define a problem and develop effective solutions.

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When I think about critical thinking i often think about many topic interwoven together. Critical thinkers solve problems, reflectively think and use voice to express solution to problems.

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I am a big fan of Dylan William

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When I was reflecting on this topic the one thing that popped into my head was this word "AUTHENTIC". I do believe that current district curriculum often hinder the way teachers approach teaching and learning. To much focus of standardized tests and not enough focus on real world learning that connects the students to real world around them. This video is powerful.

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How to Teach Kids Better Problem Solving | Michael Arnold | TEDxGreenville

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Students voices are often silenced when it comes to showing what they really understand. When the correct modeling happens and students can interact and with others learning occurs for some a high rate. I read an interesting article recently about all the possible places in a school community where students voices were engaged. This graphic says it all.

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Reflecting is a the forefront of Innovation.  I am constantly reflection of every lesson I model, co- teach.  If I am teaching a lesson I am constantly reflecting during and after the lesson.  The internal reflections I have during the lesson might match my post reflection after I have had time to think.  There are also times when my initial thoughts' were way off base.  When I am working with teachers I use a reflection journal along with a PDSA cycle so that I can track notes and thoughts both with the teacher and separately.  When we used reflection in the class I find it beneficial to have questions ready to guide the students reflections because we have to remember that not all students are going to be able to do this self reflection without scaffolding.  Here are a couple of examples of question I might use in a students centered reflection.

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If we truely want to see students rise to the occasion then we must provide them with a choices and one idea that I have used recently was I was able to get a local office to write a letter to my class with a challenge of redesigning a space on the school campus to make it more sustainable.

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Mr. Sloan presentation on Characteristics of a Innovative Learning Environment.  

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Mr. Sloan presentation on Characteristics of a Innovative Learning Environment.  