The Critical Skills Classroom

Students

  • Frequently work in teams
  • Actively solve meaningful problems
  • Publicly exhibit their learning
  • Reflect on what they are learning and doing
  • Apply quality criteria to their work
  • Take responsibility and ownership for
    their learning and the classroom community
    •
 

Teachers

Mediate, coach and support the learning process

Work

Interconnected

Curriculum, Assessment and Classroom Culture

Guided by specific curriculum targets

   Teachers mediate, coach & support  


Critical Skills Challenges
 

A key aspect of the Critical Skills approach is the design and use
complex, open-ended problem-solving activities which enable pupils to:

 

 

  • Develop understanding through performance

  • Demonstrate their developing skills and attitudes

  • Attend to the processes of learning and social interaction

  • See the big picture that makes the work worth doing
    •

Challenges pose a problem for students to solve as individuals, in small groups, or as a full learning community. The choice of work they may produce enhances their creative talents, is not limited by the teacher and allows students of all abilities and learning styles to have a greater chance of success.

 

Tools for thinking


Many of the skills and attitudes that we want pupils to develop need to be taught explicitly. Critical Skills training provides teachers with many tools for this purpose. Four tools of particular importance are:

Brainstorming and Distillation - to develop creative and critical thinking skills

Quality Conversation / Discussion - so that all pupils can contribute their ideas

Quality Audience - how to listen effectively

Full Value Contract - working and playing hard, safe and fair

 

brainstorm