Developing critical thinking processes that can be applied to all academics and real life situations is crucial to student success both academically and in the real world they each will face as adults.
My students are 21 high school freshmen enrolled in the AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination) college preparatory program.
This is a course students voluntarily sign up for and commit to for all four years of high school. AVID targets individuals with academic ability and the desire to succeed but who may lack support and resources to do so. AVID provides this support by developing an academically rigorous schedule for students and providing the support for success. This support is developed through extensive team building within the classroom and the development of critical thinking skills through an in-depth curriculum that teaches strategies and behaviors for successful individuals.
My Project
The purpose of utilizing the brain teaser puzzles in class is to build positive relationships among students and foster daily critical thinking skills that can be applied to any course or life situation. I would like to have the requested brainteasers to kick off the start of each class with partners working together to solve the "puzzle." This type of non threatening brainteaser will facilitate teamwork between the partners and assist students in apply the processes of problem solving step by step and moving from knowledge based thinking to analyzing and evaluating which is critical for problem solving in the world of academia as well as real life situations.
Brainteasers will be an integral portion of my daily AVID class.
The ultimate result will be a classroom culture in which problem solving is approached collaboratively and allows all students to develop critical thinking skills.
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