Critical Thinking May Be More Important Than We 'think' when it Comes to Schools in American Society

Why is a democratic style of learning important? How do we implement this style into our classrooms each day? These questions and more are considered in the following article analysis, as well as suggestions on how to make critical thinking part of the every day class.

Meredith, K. Policy Matters: Freedom, Responsibility and Democratic Schools.
Thinking Classroom, A Journal of Reading, Writing, and Critical Reflection.

This article brought to life the idea of what schools should look like in a democratic society. The author noted various reforms in education around the world. The topic of Critical Literacy was mentioned and noted as "the capacity to engage in community as a capable individual." This type of literacy may depend on the type of the community the learners are a part of. In this particular article, the type of community involves democracy.

In order for learners to engage in the community of a democratic society, several elements of education are required. For example, students need not only to be able to emit verbatim, they are also expected to fulfill basic societal expectations of democratic citizens. In a democratic society, skills such as independent and critical thinking, creativity, the forming of opinions, and the ability to interact socially, are all necessary in order to engage in the community adequately and effectively.

This topic is frequently discussed in education classes, however, rarely from the viewpoint of a formerly communistic society. It was interesting to note the importance of reform in such newly democratic societies. It was also encouraging to see the success of implementing such reforms. Naturally, it is a lengthy process; however several encouraging statements from teachers in newly democratic education systems were mentioned. The teachers seemed to be excited about using engaging activities, group work, collaboration, and student input.

The newfound freedom of many formerly communistic societies is not to be taken lightly, as noted in the article. Freedom goes hand in hand with responsibility. From several courses, I have learned that in the world of education, there needs to be accountability in order to foster responsibility. In other words, educators have a huge responsibility to create and foster a learning environment in which students are able to feel safe and secure, and get an adequate and meaningful education.
I found this article to be informative and encouraging. It seems that education reforms are being implemented successfully. Naturally, there will always be critics when it comes to change. However, it seems that schools in newly democratic societies are attempting to make changes that will ultimately improve the education system. Also, through these reforms, students should be better able to adapt to the changing society around them.

In order to implement this style of democratic learning, there are several things teachers can do, without adding too much stress to their already chaotic schedules. One thing they can do is have students elect a student council. Each student should submit a 1-2 page report on why they are running for student council, 2-3 changes they would like to see, and why their fellow peers should vote for them. Each student should also get at least 3 adult recommendations. This type of activity promotes leadership and encourages democratic thinking.

Another way to implement critical thinking into the classroom is to have students right reviews or editorials on current news events. Each student should be able to pick from a list of 3-4 events. They should then form several opinions on the event. For example, they may write about an annual art show. Their job is to go to the art show, and answer pre-selected questions about the art show. They then turn their questions into a written assignment and share it with the class. This activity allows students to not only experience the society around them, it also allows them to formulate opinions and model creative and critical thinking.

These are just two easy ways to incorporate critical thinking into the classroom. There are also several activities that can easily become group activities. Group activities should always different roles, such as leader, recorder, researcher, artist, etc. That way, students are learning to think and work together, while each having an independent and equally important role, just like in a democracy!