Cultivating Critical Thinking in Every Classroom

In today's complex world, the ability to think critically is invaluable. It's not just about academic success; it's about preparing students to make informed decisions in all aspects of life. Critical thinking is vital whether they're navigating information online, engaging in community issues, or solving problems at work. It's essential to embed these skills into the classroom experience whenever possible, ensuring students become thoughtful, analytical, and independent thinkers.

Here's how you can use Scrible to weave critical thinking into your teaching practices, creating assignments that challenge students to analyze, evaluate, and synthesize information.

Kickstarting a Critical Thinking Assignment

When you're in Scrible, head over to the assignments tab. Click on "Create Assignment" to begin crafting an assignment geared towards sharpening students' critical thinking skills.

Tweaking Assignments for Deeper Analysis

If you've got an existing assignment that you want to infuse with a dose of critical thinking, select the "Active" or "Draft" tab, find the assignment, and hit the "Edit assignment" icon. In the editing area, make sure you check the "Include sources?" option under the "Sources" tab. This lets you add materials that challenge students to dissect arguments, assess credibility, and appreciate diverse viewpoints. See the article: How do I add sources to an assignment?

Choosing the Right Sources

By selecting "+ New Source," you can introduce students to materials that prompt them to question and critique. Whether it's a provocative article from your Scrible library or a bookmarked webpage that presents a challenging perspective, these sources are the stepping stones to deeper thinking.

Encouraging Evaluation and Annotation

By providing students with pre-selected sources, especially the younger ones, you're offering them a structured way to practice critical analysis. It's like giving them a puzzle where they need to scrutinize each piece before seeing the big picture.

Monitoring Engagement and Progress

Scrible's settings let you keep an eye on how students interact with the assignment materials. Even if you haven't set a minimum number of sources, you can track how many sources each student is exploring and adding to their library, giving you a clear picture of their engagement levels.

To set this up, click "Set library source count requirement" under the "Sources" tab and adjust the minimum number to zero.

We're here to support your journey in fostering critical thinking with Scrible. If you've got insights, questions, or feedback, we're all ears.