Structured & Independent Thinking
What may be regarded as “normal” one minute was part of a (technological) revolution yesterday and may not have existed last week.
Social Media – in its various and evolving formats – is having profound and disturbing effects on our children.
How do we protect our children from the current online experience of the technological revolution of social media? While we endeavour/struggle to get to grips with “AI”, and AI tools get into the education domain – how do we guide the next generation of citizens of the world*?
*”the next generation of citizens of the world”, page 369 “The Organised Mind” Daniel Levitin Penguin Books 2015
“Critical Thinking” has been a headline – on and off – for years; in vogue, in fashion and funded one minute, funding withdrawn the next. Part of every curriculum? Part of STEM? Part of what a humanities education encourages?
In his book, “The Organised Mind”, Daniel Levitin writes about the importance of verifying the information we encounter, testing and evaluating it (page 369), “This is the skill we must teach the next generation of citizens of the world, the capability to think clearly, critically, and creatively.”
My Take: Structured & Independent Thinking
How might we teach the next generation thinking skills? I guess many teachers in many classes are teaching thinking skills in a variety of ways. Faced with the current onslaught of information in so many formats – including the popular short-video clip – misinformation, disinformation, AI-assisted creations, opinion masquarding as fact – how are we – how are children – supposed to make sense of it all, to verify what they encounter?
See: BLOG POST: William Hague writing in The Times on the current parliamentary activity of Josh Macallister MP.
Thinking About It; Planning to Do; Doing Something About it (NOW)
What can we DO about this? Sooner rather than later! “It is now time to act”. NOW.
Some headlines.
TEACHING
EDUCATING
TUTORING
LEARNING AWARENESS
LEARNING KNOWLEDGE
LEARNING SKILLS
WHAT IS INDEPENDENT THINKING?
WHAT IS SELF-DIRECTED LEARNING?
REPLACE
AUGMENT
The AI will do this (for you. The AI will do the thinking.
The Individual YOU will do the thinking.
How might you arrange/employ/accept AI Assistance?
WHAT IS AI IN EDUCATION?
Author: Andre Gauthier
