Critical Thinking Workshops (Yr 8) - anyone else done these?

[BecauseImWorthIt]

DS2 has been offered the chance to take part in these - or at least apply for the chance as the school has 5 places.

It's a 2 year commitment.

Does anyone have any experience of these to help us decide if it's something we should put him forward for?

no experience, but i would put him forward personally - they can't jail him if it's not for him once he starts...!

if he's been id'd as g and t then he has a right to what's being offered for him. wouldn;t stand in the way of that....

I'd ask the school what it is, when it is and how much time it's going to take up (and if they don't know, ask them to find out for you) then work out whether it's of sufficient priority to be worth doing. If, for instance, it was two years of Saturdays gone, that could have an impact on sporting activities that your son might prefer to do (or you might prefer him to). Just because he's got a right to do something doesn't mean it's necessarily worth doing.

I've already asked for more info from the school - just wondered if anyone here had 'hands on', more specific experience.

I haven't any experience, but if it's a new scheme, perhaps nobody has. Critical Thinking is something sixth formers can do a qualification in, I think. Would it be worth posting in Secondary to see if anyone there can tell you what they consider that their child got out of studying it?

Good idea Hallgerda, thanks.

biwi i was itching for ds1 to do critical thinking next year (he is 15 btw) but his school dont
i considered moving schools as local syate do it but they have dropped it
ds likes debating etc so it would be good for him

is your ds interested in the subject?

That's the problem PYBF - we don't know anything about it! I know that some (older) children have been taking an early AS level in Critical Thinking (sitting it in Year 11), but beyond that know very little.

We have impressed upon ds2 that it is an honour that he has been asked to participate, but won't force him if it's something he's really not bothered about. The school, too, have been at pains to impress upon us/him that it is a 2 year commitment so we need to be sure about it before he starts.

TBH I am quite keen for him to do anything like this that will look good on an eventual CV/college application etc, as currently he does bugger all beyond the Wii! He's not interested in or good at sport either, so encouraging something a bit more academic/intellectual is perhaps the way to go. Although he was identified as G&T when he joined the school, there has been very little real involvement or anything to show for it so far.

All I need now is a bit more info - and I have asked the school for that already.

Why were you so keen for your ds to do it? What benefits/advantages do you think it offers them?

Critical Thinking generally is fab for brighter kids - well, actually for all children. It's all about focussing on higher level thinking skills.

e.g. SYNTHESIS
creating a unique, original product that may be in verbal form or may be a physical object
combination of ideas to form a new whole

what would you predict/infer from ...?
what ideas can you add to ...?
how would you create/design a new ...?
what might happen if you combined ...?
what solutions would you suggest for ...?

EVALUATION
making value decisions about issues
resolving controversies or differences of opinion
development of opinions, judgements or decisions

do you agree that ...?
what do you think about ...?
what is the most important ...?
place the following in order of priority ...
how would you decide about ...?
what criteria would you use to assess ...?

My boys have done some of this sort of thing at primary, and I've done some research on it. I would jump at the chance if my boys had an opportunity to participate in such workshops in secondary.

More able students do benefit if - from time to time - they have opportunities to engage with similarly able students at a higher level. Also the skills he will learn he should be able to use an apply across the curriculum in his studies.

PS If he 'commits' to it and then hates it after 3 months they're not exactly going to stage a public execution are they? What can they do? Is it extra-curric/out of school hours?

HTH

Thanks Roisin - that's really helpful.

I know they won't stage a public execution if he wants to leave, but as there are only 5 places (and obviously no guarantee that he will get one) I don't want him to leave the programme when someone else could have had the place!

roisin that is really helpful i agree
i could simply take steps to include those phrases in younger chiildrens conversations to encourage it...

nips back to memorise text!