What should Texas teach to develop critical thinking skills?

[struggle4progress]

Poll question: What should Texas teach to develop critical thinking skills?

Governor Perry's office is pushing "intelligent design" as a way to develop students' critical thinking skills.

But maybe that's not the best way to accomplish the goal.

What subjects would the Texas schools teach if they REALLY wanted to develop teenage minds?

[MazeRat7]

1. Science and Mathmatics... were do you think "logic" comes from (n/t)

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

2. Logic has nothing to do with mathematics.

It is deductive reasoning. It comes from ones ability to see the one true level of 'Reality'.

[MazeRat7]

8. Exactly... "Science and Mathmatics"...

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

9. No. Not Exactly. It has nothing to do with Science Or Mathematics.

They are seperate entities.

Thank You.

[MazeRat7]

10. Sorry but you are just wrong... thats ok..we all are sometime. Thanks!!!

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

11. Not So. Logic is far more reaching than science or math.

Math and science can contain logic and logic can be used in conjunction with math or science, but logic in no way stems from either of the latter. You are misguided and should visit dictionary.com before proceeding further down the path of ignorance.

Thanks again for playing. Try again next time.

[MazeRat7]

13. Reach was not the question. The questions was what "best" to teach...

I think I have enough degrees to understand the scope of logic... my point was about engendering critical thinking. You don't do that with sports, foreign language, history, or social studies. You might get a "taste" of critical thinking with literature, but if you want true logical analysis, you need math and science.

MZr7

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

16. Thanks for explaining further, but now I disagree even more.

Not sure how you think in a million years that teaching math and science could help win logical arguments more effectively.

I once again recommend you go to dictionary.com, as it seems you are using the word logic in a very narrow fashion.

[struggle4progress]

14. I am much afeared, suh, that if you will not immediately reconsider ..

.. your sorry error, I shall be forced to take to the field to defend the honor of Euclid and his school, whose work appears without any comparable precedent whatsoever.

Although too many have been sorely mislead by the sophistries which preceeded him (including the idle chattering of that much over-rated windbag Aristotle, who bequeathed us jibbering rubbish, such as "the walking walks and is white in virtue of being something else besides; whereas substance, in the sense of whatever signifies a this somewhat, is not what it is in virtue of being something else besides"), the true seekers for wisdom have recognized a genuine historical novelty in the ancient Greek mathematicians, of such depth and importance that Littlewood was able to tell Hardy without any shame that he regarded them not as clever schoolboys but as his genuine colleagues, "fellows of another college."

As, however, suh, I earnestly wish to avoid meeting you, at dawn, with seconds, at fifty paces, I will generously concede to you that not all valuable reasoning is mathematics. There is, for example, the great intellectual tradition of English law that arose there soon after the arrival of William the Bastard, sometimes called the Conquerer, although nobody now living has the dimmest notion of the meanings of the earliest court records, since the original tradition of the legal arguments has been lost. And, of course, there is the great anti-scholastic rebellion which lead to Galileo's New Science, in which truth is tested against experiment, rather than against ideology.

Nevertheless, suh, as real logic first arose as mathematics, I must take deep offense at your claim that "logic has nothing to do with mathematics."

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

18. Sorry Suh, But Reconsideration Denied, Suh

The statement said logic comes from mathematics. It does not. Period.

Secondly, Logic was not created by ANYBODY, ever. Logic is inherent in the fabric of reality. It is and always was.

[struggle4progress]

25. No, suh, logic is NOT "inherent in the fabric of reality." It is a mere ..

.. human convention and an aid to organizing the thoughts of our own minds. This is precisely why the logical precision which the ancient Greek mathematicians, despite their many flaws and failings, represents such a stunning achievement. You do them a grievous wrong, suh, a grievous wrong.

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

27. Yes, Suh, It Is, Suh.

And I could give a rats ass about greek mathematicians, suh....

Goodnight now, suh.

[GrpCaptMandrake]

4. I think "logic" comes from the Greek word "logos"

meaning "word."

The message is clear: "Teach a child to read and him or her can pass a literacy test." -Dear Leader

Texas is, sadly, screwed.

[Avalux]

3. Is this a serious poll?

I'm confused because so many of the choices are irrelevant.

[struggle4progress]

15. To develop critical thinking skills, one should get people to think ..

.. about issues in which they can take an interest, and around which some controversy might swirl.

Most of these topics wouldn't have a snowball's chance in hell of getting serious time in a Texas high school classroom, though a number involve issues which teenagers might have strong opinions.

I expect many student minds are less-than-fully-engaged in the typical classroom.

This leaves an enormous amount of intellectual energy for other (more engaging) pursuits, such as committing petty crimes and evading the police, which were hobbies of a number of my contemporaries long ago when I was in high school.

Why wouldn't a detailed investigation of FOIA opportunities, or a thorough discussion of sexual practices at different times around the world, say, provide real opportunities for the development of critical thinking skills? Why shouldn't we teach students practical civics skills, such as protesting or organizing? Such topics provide excellent opportunities for intellectual development.

Anything would have been better than the dreary propagandizing I experienced in Texas some years ago, and recent news suggests the situation hasn't changed.

[Boojatta]

21. Beware of swirl

issues in which they can take an interest, and around which some controversy might swirl.

How much faith do you have in public school teachers? Do you really think that the issues would be interesting to the students and controversial, but the teachers would remain objective and unbiased?

Would grades in a Texas high school critical thinking course that focuses on interesting and controversial issues actually be based on successful use of critical thinking or would the grades be based on whatever happens to please or displease a particular teacher?

[struggle4progress]

26. There's nothing wrong with controversy, especially if kids get involved:

my only concern about ID is that it should not be taught as science.

It's true that some public school teachers ain't such great shakes -- but then again a bunch of em are really great people.

Those teachers who grade on the basis of personal opinion will do it in classes on any subject whatsoever, whether the subject is controversial or not.

And, come to think of it, I'm not sure that every required course should be graded: "pass/fail" or even "attended/did-not-attend" may do just fine for certain classes.

[Name removed]

5. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[struggle4progress]

7. !

[Gman]

6. Teaching what is wrong with ID according to science

would be great for developing critical thinking skills. Make he kids stick to the centuries old precepts and assumptions of science and point out where their logic strays into areas not covered by natural science.

[NewHampshireDem]

12. Alchemy! Or maybe phrenology, or even divination with chicken entrails n/

:evilgrin:

[0007]

17. Always yell "shit" before a crash and tell you're partner to

hold the beer before impact occurs.

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

19. Figgerin'.

[taught_me_patience]

20. if your HS beats another HS in football

you're a better school. Seems football is all they care about anyway.


taught.

[Boojatta]

22. Maybe high school students in Texas already have good critical thinking

skills. Only those who fail a test of critical thinking skills should have to attend classroom sessions devoted to teaching critical thinking.

[Nikki Stone 1]

23. "Everything your parents don't believe in--101" (This IS Texas....)

nt

[PsN2Wind]

24. How about?

Texas is away down heah. Connecticut is away up theah. Dubya ain't no Texan!!!!

[Carla in Ca]

28. ABSTINENCE!!!

n/t

[Blue-Jay]

29. Why start now?