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That direct instruction does have a place. Using discover learning is best practice which is a mix of explicit and discovery put together. I love this!

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Critical thinking skills have to be taught. Writing will get better as you engage in more writing with critical thinking strategies being used. Students need to learn how to think about what they think about then be able to write and explain why they wrote what they wrote about their thinking. (I hope that makes sense).

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Coming up with why questions can help students connect new learning with prior knowledge, therefore helping them retain information to a greater degree.

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Critical thinking, writing, and having the ability to deconstruct knowledge is a critical skill in learning. It is important to have this ability across all contents. This is why students must be challenged.

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I appreciated the need for teachers to model how to think critically because students do not inherently know how to think critically on their own. I liked that the article gives specific ways to teach them.

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I found it interesting that it clarified that there should be guided investigation going on during the lesson. Discovery learning alone will not be sufficient.

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Writing and explaining the learning can aid in student's critical thinking skills.

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Students need to be able to talk through their thinking to better retain information. We have to teach them how to think .

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"Conventional forms of classroom learning fail...students have too few opportunities to not only repeat but also retrieve their learning in multiple ways and contexts." Students have different learning styles and need various opportunities to apply what they are learning to help it stick. Students need real world application, modeling/exemplars, they need opportunities to explore, they need direct instruction, they need peer tutoring/small group activities, etc. to build their understanding and develop more critical thinking skills.

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Social Studies - Critical Thinking Exercises: Introduce activities that challenge students to evaluate sources, debate controversial issues, or analyze differing perspectives. This can enhance their ability to assess their own beliefs.

Real World Applications: Assign projects that require students to apply their knowledge to solve real-world problems or develop action plans for community issues, making their learning more relevant and impactful.

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Writing on its own does not let students learn or develop thinking skills. Only to practice.

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Providing students with learning objectives, direct instruction, worked-out examples, and feedback during the learning process helps develop understanding and proper skills. GUIDED DISCOVERY is essential.

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Students have to be explicitly taught critical thinking skills. Direct instruction and discovery learning combined form "guided discovery." Guided discovery combined with scaffolding, is how students can become successful critical thinkers and can apply their skills across all contents and life.

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“Why” questions may help solidify learning by helping to connect new learning with prior knowledge.

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Pair direct instruction with cognitive writing for better results. Model how to think critically and how to support your conclusions. Base cognitive writing on the application of prior knowledge.

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Students who talked through what they were doing while they were doing it were more likely to get the puzzles right when doing similar puzzles later. If we approach math with this type of ability, we might see a deeper understanding of what we are covering on a daily basis.

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Writing by itself does little to promote or help develop critical thinking skills. At best it is practice. Instead we need to teach them thinking skills.

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Every student starts as a novice in reading and can become an expert. If one is reading to solve, one has not retained the knowledge for a later time. When readers can make what they read visible to themselves and others through articulation or writing, understanding the "why" the piece is written, they have mastered reading.

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If we want to challenge students to think deeper and more critically through writing, we have to show them the skills and how to do so.

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Allowing students to explore and discover what the teachers are wanting students to learn. "Discovery ensures they develop understanding and proper skills"

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Critical thinking includes several skills such as listening to others' point of view, applying logical reasoning to develop and defend arguments, and examining one's own beliefs and changing them in light of new information.

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Direct instruction and discovery learning work best when structured, implemented together, and applied. Students learn best by writing out their experiences to fully understand and streamline their thought process, thus allowing them to articulate and fully comprehend what they learned by paraphrasing it in their own words.

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It is important to direct teach and model how to think then transition those thoughts into writing. Some kids don't know how to do that. They have to see it in action then apply it.

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Linking lessons to real-life situations to make learning relevant. Encouraging students to reflect on their learning experiences to deepen understanding and self-awareness. Writing helps clarify thoughts and articulate ideas clearly, which is essential for effective critical thinking. By reflecting on their thoughts and experiences in writing, students can critically assess their own beliefs and assumptions

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There are simple ways to implement these ideas into history. After we introduce our topic, we can provide primary sources or just a short open ended question for them to ponder before they write. To add to their focus we can open it up as a group read so they know other kids are reading their work.