Trying to define critical thinking and problem solving is like pinning Jell-O to a wall. We know insightful comments that are the outcome of successful critical thinking, and we clearly recognize the outcomes of high-level problem solving.

 

What the individual or group did to arrive at those insights or solve the problem is more difficult to describe with precision. This is in part because it is nuanced and in part because the skills and approaches needed are myriad, depending on the type of problem being tackled, on limiting parameters and desired outcomes. This complexity only makes it more important that we prioritize teaching the skills and approaches necessary to become proficient problem solvers and thinkers.

 

On the macro scale, there are pressing problems (global warming, international relations, health, and economic sustainability, to name a few) that we will need our best and brightest to tackle, and on a micro scale, we know that these are the skills most in demand in the market place and most difficult to automate into obsolescence.

 

As a school we have thought carefully about what skills underlie successful critical thinking and problem solving. We have also spent hundreds if not thousands of hours reshaping our curriculum so that our time and classroom efforts and assessment loops focus on teaching these skills and giving kids lots and lots of problem solving and critical thinking practice. This is important because we know from research that the only way to reshape brain physiology is through repetition.

 

What we focus our attention on and practice literally reshapes our brains. It is in these new synaptic connections that learning resides.

 

In the Middle School, these collective efforts in each subject area are called our ThinkingLAB program. We work to embed skill development and practice opportunities for our students to tackle complex problems both individually and in small groups. Because problems and the need to think critically take many shapes in the “real” world, we replicate this by asking students in each subject area to generate original thinking related to complex tasks.

 

Of course to do this well, we need to move slowly by helping students develop an understanding of the building blocks of math, science, social studies, world language and English; it is upon this foundation of rich content that problem solving and original thought is built.

 

We also break down the underlying skills, and give direct instruction and practice in each because we know that problem solving doesn’t just happen, it develops from the ability to break down a problem, analyze the parts, view from different perspectives, draw upon personal experience, collaborate expertly, generate ideas, pilot and reevaluate the results until a best solution is discovered. This is heady stuff for middle schoolers and important ongoing work for every teacher in every field of study. We know that students will develop these skills at the developmental pace that is right for each and that we need to carefully place the bar just out of reach, as this is where the greatest learning takes place.

 

One class that is unique to CA is our Seventh Grade Outside the Box program. Outside the Box is the outgrowth of our faculty’s efforts to create a class that focuses directly on critical thinking and problem solving. In this sense, Outside the Box creates the opportunity to “go deep” with few or no time constraints to ensure that students experience the type of problem solving practice likely to move the needle. This means that students in our seventh grade program tackle not one or two complex problems, but twelve or thirteen during the year. It means that the class is paced to enable us to teach the skills we believe will lead to increased creativity and productivity. It also means that we take the time to directly teach and reinforce logical argument as well as logical fallacies (appeal to authority, correlation is not causation, etc.). The class also digs into how to assess resources for reliability and how to support an idea with evidence. This is an increasingly important skill for every child (and adult) as the quantity, but not necessarily reliability, of information accelerates. Importantly, we want this process of skill development to be as relevant to our students as possible. When we do this, educational research indicates that students are invested, learn and retain more. It would be impossible to detail everything we do in each class in the Middle School to teach and reinforce problem solving and critical thinking skills. Because outcomes matter, I have included below a few remarks about the Outside the Box class from students currently taking on these many challenges:

 

“My problem solving has changed because now instead of finding the quickest solution I find the most efficient and best solution possible. Problem solving is not just coming up with one idea and just using that. You have to brainstorm for a little bit before you can start your project.” Sarah Wagner

 

“In my Outside the Box class, I have learned to think creatively, use others’ input, use my imagination, work as a team, and stay on the topic in class.” Jamie Smith

 

“During Outside the Box this year I learned so many important thinking skills. However, the biggest thing I uncovered this year was my identity. I learned how to acknowledge the strong opinions I usually have about different issues, but also to acknowledge that other people may have very different opinions, and it's fine to disagree.

 

Never once were we told what to believe; on the contrary, we were given space to discover our own opinions and thoughts.” Galilea Landa-Posas

 

“During this year’s OTB class, I have learned many lessons such as teamwork, perseverance and communication, but the most important lesson I have learned so far is how to think about others. Earlier this year our class did a project on the Flint water crisis, and I realized how lucky we all are with clean water and a great family and a great school.” Julia Hall

 

As a program, we will continue to evolve the skills we prioritize and the instructional strategies we use to develop critical thinking and problem solving. Ultimately, though, what we want students to have is a rich toolbox of strategies each can use to take on the inevitable problems and pitfalls, intellectual and interpersonal, that come their way. If you have questions about our ThinkingLAB program, feel to free to be in touch with me, as I am a passionate believer in the importance of prioritizing the skills we emphasize and then in giving kids excellent instruction and lots and lots of practice.