Knowledge
Fostering Critical Thinking: Techniques and Strategies for Educators
Schools should prioritize curricular, co-curricular, and extracurricular activities from the day a student joins the school
In modern society, critical thinking is a crucial skill for individuals to become independent and reasonable thinkers and efficient citizens. Educators and researchers around the world are striving to assess students’ critical thinking abilities and nurture this vital skill through various learning approaches, theories, and technological advancements.
However, with the advent of e-learning, new challenges have arisen in teaching and learning paths. As a result, researchers have developed models and strategies for developing critical thinking with e-learning tools that have specific characteristics and applications.
Furthermore, technical institutions have fallen behind in practicality, with many failing to merge with relevant industries to provide practical knowledge to their students. Today, students are increasingly reliant on mobile devices, TV, laptops, and social media platforms like Facebook, YouTube, WhatsApp, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc. While technology can enhance knowledge, it can also destroy lives when used negatively.
Parents often struggle to monitor their children’s activities and provide proper guidance, leaving them addicted to technology for entertainment purposes without engaging in physical activities or study purposes. Consequently, they are not instilled with values such as respecting their elders, caring for their parents, and upholding family traditions.
To address this problem, schools must take proactive measures, such as taking students to an orphanage, hospital, or old-age home and encouraging them to write a project on the residents’ life history as a case study. The students can submit the report for evaluation, and the best projects can be discussed in front of all students to instill the eternal truth of life.
Schools should also emphasize the practicality of life and teach students that no one will help them, emphasizing the need for self-dedication and hard work to achieve success. In addition, both male and female counselors should be appointed in each school to counsel the depressed students and understand their subject interests.
Recruiting dedicated faculty members who can handle children with care is also crucial, with high salaries being offered through psychometric tests, interviews, and educational qualifications. Jamming devices should be installed on school premises to prevent students from accessing their mobile devices during school hours. From 4 pm to 9 pm, mobile devices should be turned off to encourage physical activities and personal study.
Finally, schools should prioritize curricular, co-curricular, and extracurricular activities from the day a student joins the school. Practical and visually-oriented teaching methods can also be employed to facilitate easy memorization.
Author – Dr. Rajendra Kumar Das, Director Student Relations, Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology, Bhubaneswar
