2011/11/27

Title: How to Include Critical Thinking in the Classroom

Speaker: Jennie Roloff Rothman

Complete the following sentences:

When I hear “Japan” I think…

Japanese people believe…

Japan is…

This is one of many of the stimulating exercises Roloff Rothman introduced to Gunma JALT this month. Her course, Understanding World Politics, currently offered at the Kanda University of International Studies, aims to help students become both critical thinkers and global citizens. Roloff Rothman outlined her syllabus and demonstrated some of its key activities. Attendees took part in exercises relating to political ideology, international relations theory, and the Israeli/Palestinian conflict. Through these activities, Roloff Rothman showed how the three objectives of improving English ability, developing critical thinking skills, and increasing international understanding are all interconnected. Last, she gave suggestions on how and why critical thinking can be incorporated into other learning materials for a range of ability levels.