Actual Intelligence with Steve Pearlman Critical Thinking & Reading with Dan Willingham
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Dec 13, 2017 
Dan Willingham, critical thinking pioneer, discusses the relationship between critical thinking, reading, and teaching. They explore the role of existing knowledge in decoding thinking and whether reading for evaluation enhances outcomes. Dave also talks about attention in thinking, like when listening to a podcast.
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Two Distinct Modes Of Critical Thinking
- Critical thinking splits into two related but different capacities: creating cognitive challenges and meeting presented challenges.
- Each capacity requires different supports and teaching approaches and schools mostly focus on the latter.
Knowledge Is The Foundation For Critical Thought
- Strong critical thinking in a domain depends heavily on extensive background knowledge and experience.
- Thinking critically is often an end point of study, not a starter skill.
Back-Plan Skills Alongside Content
- Back-plan both content and critical-thinking processes from the end-of-program goals.
- Practice critical thinking across multiple years and contexts instead of expecting mastery in a single course.