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Good morningMy name is Rafaela Peña Rojas.Pre task- workshop 4.1- three life skills:Empathy, Problem solvingCritical thinking.  I think they are important and help us to adquiere or learn other skills.I think it is very important to foster life skills in adolescents. In this way, they will have the ability to function in their environment.  2- strategies to promote students independence in my classroom:To develop the independence of the students in the classes, it is important to encourage communication, trust, respect and empathy among all.Students must have a say in their learning process. Remember that teachers also learn from students.

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Good morningMy name is Rafaela Peña Rojas.Pre task- workshop 4.1- three life skills:Empathy, Problem solvingCritical thinking.  I think they are important and help us to adquiere or learn other skills.I think it is very important to foster life skills in adolescents. In this way, they will have the ability to function in their environment.  2- strategies to promote students independence in my classroom:To develop the independence of the students in the classes, it is important to encourage communication, trust, respect and empathy among all.Students must have a say in their learning process. Remember that teachers also learn from students.

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Enjoying, self-respect, respect for others, collaboration, listening

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Enjoying, self-respect, respect for others, collaboration, listening

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1. I use digital portfolios where student can show what they do and share it with the class. It follows general guidelines (to make evaluation easier) and I encourage creativity and they get extra points for relevant additional information.

2. Every four weeks they analyse what we have done in class. I try to show them the scope and range of their work. Making them aware of the connection everything they learn has with other aspects of their career or life.

3  Collaborative activities are part of every session. For that, listening to each other is essential.

Belkys Blanco

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Self-construction of knowledge,  solving problems of daily life;  encouraging creativity to come up with innovative solutions and Self-assessment 

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Self-construction of knowledge,  solving problems of daily life;  encouraging creativity to come up with innovative solutions and Self-assessment 

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Grey Montilla

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management of emotions and feelings, empathy, interpersonal relationships, creative thinking and assertive communication

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management of emotions and feelings, empathy, interpersonal relationships, creative thinking and assertive communication

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Assigning roles in group work

Cruz Garcia

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-Promoting searching for information outside the classroom
-Encouraging teamwork with assigned roles

-using games or dynamics where previous topics are worked together with new ones

-Using images to generate brainstorming, create sentences, --stories, what emotions or thoughts it generates

Maria Virginia Balcazar

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Through life skills education, young genera- tions are equipped with foundational skills necessary for transitioning  to productive adulthood; manage stress; learn to deal with
difficult emotions; practice positivism; improve self-esteem; feel empathy; learn to listen to others carefully; learn to set personal boundary; handle dispute well; find balance between priorities and demands; communicate confidently; set goals; make decisions,  solve problems; think critically and creatively; use executive functional skills; and learn to bounce back from adversity.

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project work
group work
doing research
forums, events

Maricela Ventura

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Life skills: critical Thinking and Problem Solving, Communication and Collaboration, Creativity and Imagination,  Digital Literacy,  Student Leadership and Global Citizenship. 

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Life skills: critical Thinking and Problem Solving, Communication and Collaboration, Creativity and Imagination,  Digital Literacy,  Student Leadership and Global Citizenship. 

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Life skills are defined as a group of psychosocial competencies and interpersonal skills that help people make informed decisions, solve problems,  think  critically  and  creatively,  communicate  effectively, build healthy relationships, empathize with others, and cope with and

manage their lives in a healthy and productive manner.

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Organising SS in groups and assigning different roles. SS distribute the work among members.

Yessica Zalaya

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Critical thinking is a 21st-century skill that enables a person to think rationally and logically in order to reach a plausible conclusion. A critical thinker assesses facts and figures and data objectively and determines what to believe and what not to believe. Critical thinking skills empower a person to decipher complex problems and make impartial and better decisions based on effective information.

1. 10 Innovative Strategies for Promoting Critical Thinking in the Classroom

2. How to Foster Critical Thinking Skills in Students? Creative Strategies and Real-World Examples

3. 9 Must-Have AI Tools for Teachers to Create Interactive Learning Materials

4. The Future of Education: 8 Predictions for the Next Decade

5. The Latest in EdTech: 5 Innovative Tools and Technologies for the Classroom

6. 8 Free Math Problem Solving Websites and Applications

Critical thinking skills cultivate habits of mind such as strategic thinking, skepticism, discerning fallacy from the facts, asking good questions and probing deep into the issues to find the truth.

Importance of Acquiring Critical Thinking Skills

Acquiring critical thinking skills was never as valuable as it is today because of the prevalence of the modern knowledge economy. Today, information and technology are the driving forces behind the global economy. To keep pace with ever-changing technology and new inventions, one has to be flexible enough to embrace changes swiftly.

Read our article: How to Foster Critical Thinking Skills in Students? Creative Strategies and Real-World Examples

Today critical thinking skills are one of the most sought-after skills by the companies. In fact, critical thinking skills are paramount not only for active learning and academic achievement but also for the professional career of the students. The lack of critical thinking skills catalyzes memorization of the topics without a deeper insight, egocentrism, closed-mindedness, reduced student interest in the classroom and not being able to make timely and better decisions.

Benefits of Critical Thinking Skills in Education

Certain strategies are more eloquent than others in teaching students how to think critically. Encouraging critical thinking in the class is indispensable for the learning and growth of the students. In this way, we can raise a generation of innovators and thinkers rather than followers. Some of the benefits offered by thinking critically in the classroom are given below:

It allows a student to decipher problems and think through the situations in a disciplined and systematic manner

Through a critical thinking ability, a student can comprehend the logical correlation between distinct ideas

The student is able to rethink and re-justify his beliefs and ideas based on facts and figures

Read our article: How to Foster Critical Thinking Skills in Students? Creative Strategies and Real-World Examples

Critical thinking skills assist in the enhanced student learning experience in the classroom and prepares the students for lifelong learning and success

The critical thinking process is the foundation of new discoveries and inventions in the world of science and technology

The ability to think critically allows the students to think intellectually and enhances their presentation skills, hence they can convey their ideas and thoughts in a logical and convincing manner

Critical thinking skills make students a terrific communicator because they have logical reasons behind their ideas

11 Activities that Promote Critical Thinking in the Class

We have compiled a list of 11 activities that will facilitate you to promote critical thinking abilities in the students.

Divide students into teams and introduce each team with a hypothetical challenging scenario. Allocate minimum resources and time to each team and ask them to reach a viable conclusion using those resources. The scenarios can include situations like stranded on an island or stuck in a forest. Students will come up with creative solutions to come out from the imaginary problematic situation they are encountering. Besides encouraging students to think critically, this activity will enhance teamwork, communication and problem-solving skills of the students.

It is a very flexible game that allows students to think creatively. To start this activity, divide students into groups. Give each group a limited amount of resources such as pipe cleaners, blocks, and marshmallows etc. Every group is supposed to use these resources and construct a certain item such as building, tower or a bridge in a limited time. You can use a variety of materials in the classroom to challenge the students. This activity is helpful in promoting teamwork and creative skills among the students.

It is also one of the classics which can be used in the classroom to encourage critical thinking. Print pictures of objects, animals or concepts and start by telling a unique story about the printed picture. The next student is supposed to continue the story and pass the picture to the other student and so on.

In this activity, you can ask students to identify a real-world problem in their schools, community or city. After the problem is recognized, students should work in teams to come up with the best possible outcome of that problem.

Make groups of three or four in the class. Ask them to drop an egg from a certain height and think of creative ideas to save the egg from breaking. Students can come up with diverse ideas to conserve the egg like a soft-landing material or any other device. Remember that this activity can get chaotic, so select the area in the school that can be cleaned easily afterward and where there are no chances of damaging the school property.

In this activity, the teacher can act as a facilitator and spark an interesting conversation in the class on any given topic. Give a small introductory speech on an open-ended topic. The topic can be related to current affairs, technological development or a new discovery in the field of science. Encourage students to participate in the debate by expressing their views and ideas on the topic. Conclude the debate with a viable solution or fresh ideas generated during the activity through brainstorming.

Read our article: How to Foster Critical Thinking Skills in Students? Creative Strategies and Real-World Examples

This project-based learning activity is best for teaching in the engineering class. Divide students into groups. Present a problem to the students and ask them to build a model or simulate a product using computer animations or graphics that will solve the problem. After students are done with building models, each group is supposed to explain their proposed product to the rest of the class. The primary objective of this activity is to promote creative thinking and problem-solving skills among the students.

This activity can be used in computer science, engineering or any of the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) classes. Introduce a variety of alternatives such as different formulas for solving the same problem, different computer codes, product designs or distinct explanations of the same topic.

Form groups in the class and ask them to select the best alternative. Each group will then explain its chosen alternative to the rest of the class with reasonable justification of its preference. During the process, the rest of the class can participate by asking questions from the group. This activity is very helpful in nurturing logical thinking and analytical skills among the students.

Present an article from a journal related to any topic that you are teaching. Ask the students to read the article critically and evaluate strengths and weaknesses in the article. Students can write about what they think about the article, any misleading statement or biases of the author and critique it by using their own judgments.

In this way, students can challenge the fallacies and rationality of judgments in the article. Hence, they can use their own thinking to come up with novel ideas pertaining to the topic.

In this activity, students will come up with their own questions. Make pairs or groups in the class and ask the students to discuss the questions together. The activity will be useful if the teacher gives students a topic on which the question should be based.

For example, if the teacher is teaching biology, the questions of the students can be based on reverse osmosis, human heart, respiratory system and so on. This activity drives student engagement and supports higher-order thinking skills among students.

Silence is a great way to slow down thinking and promote deep reflection on any subject. Present a driving question to the students and divide them into groups. The students will discuss the question with their teammates and brainstorm their ideas on a big paper. After reflection and discussion, students can write their findings in silence. This is a great learning activity for students who are introverts and love to ruminate silently rather than thinking aloud.

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11 Activities That Promote Critical Thinking In The Class

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What is Critical Thinking? Critical thinking is a 21st-century skill that enables a person to think rationally and logically in order to reach a plausible conclusion. A critical thinker assesses facts and figures and data objectively and determines what to believe and what not to believe.

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Social skills (assertiveness, cooperation, teamwork, empathy),  thinking skills (creative and critical thinking) and skills to mage emotions (self-esteem, control of emotions)

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Social skills (assertiveness, cooperation, teamwork, empathy),  thinking skills (creative and critical thinking) and skills to mage emotions (self-esteem, control of emotions)

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Making SS responsible, assigning roles

Nellytza Contreras

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Group work makes SS work together, support each other. and assess their progress.

Eucaris Muñoz

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communication, decision making, creative thinking, managing emotions and feelings, self-awareness, empathy

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communication, decision making, creative thinking, managing emotions and feelings, self-awareness, empathy

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Encouraging peer support

Fabiola D Becerra Vivas

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Creativity - Problem solving - Teamwork - 

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Creativity - Problem solving - Teamwork - 

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Learner autonomy
Delegating
Assigning
Self-directed learning

Florentino Blanco

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In order to promote learner autonomy, I can add that giving the learners more opportunities to reflect, search and learn outside the classroom, will help them a lot to be independent because they have to figure out some issues that will be presented by themselves.  Additionally, talking or train them about autonomy can also help them to be aware of the processes that it implies when experiencing learner autonomy, something related to Metacognition!
👩🏻‍💻🧑‍🏫

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Leadership skills, communication skills and critical thinking

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Leadership skills, communication skills and critical thinking

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-Assigning roles within groups
Can you read and add two more tips for learner autonomy?
https://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/sites/teacheng/files/b459%20ELTRP%20Report%20Busaidi_final.pdf
Yarinett Rojas

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Assertive communication, decision making, creative and critical thinking

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Assertive communication, decision making, creative and critical thinking

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Learner autonomy
Can you read and add two tips here?
https://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/sites/teacheng/files/b459%20ELTRP%20Report%20Busaidi_final.pdf
Rosario Angulo

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Empathy, problem solving, critical thinking

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Empathy, problem solving, critical thinking

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-Peer assessment
-Giving roles to learners within groups
-Making Ls responsible for class materials (pens, boxes, posters, etc.)

Lia Padilla

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Positive teacher-student relationships boost good behaviour in teenagers for up to four years

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The first study to look at the impact of the relationship with teachers on adolescent behaviour finds that a positive teacher-student relationship can be as