Promoting critical thinking skills with EdTech

Have you ever asked yourself what the best way to foster critical thinking skills with EdTech is? It’s only by embracing the possibilities offered by school technology that you’ll manage to drive a positive change in the classroom and beyond.

Why is critical thinking so important

Critical thinking is not just one of the most sought-after soft skills in the job world. Think about it. We use critical thinking skills for most things, from making daily decisions to solving problems or debating. It’s essential in everyday life! 

Rationality and evidence-based reasoning are at the core of this skill. When it’s fostered at a young age, it helps pupils think creatively and connect the dots between concepts. What’s best, critical thinking goes beyond a specific subject area. In fact, it’s vital across the board and crucial for students to thrive in higher education or their future professions. 

Even though some experts argue that critical thinking can’t be taught, teachers can do a lot in the classroom to foster this way of thinking. When we think about 21st Century education, technology has a huge play in this respect. 

Classroom activities to think critically and creatively

While some of today’s educators and parents are concerned that tech turns pupils into passive consumers of information, we firmly believe that – if used accurately – it constructively encourages critical thinking skills.

With that in mind, we’ve assembled a list of tech-powered classroom activities to engage your students and let them sharpen critical thinking in a fun and creative way.

Coding 

Coding is great for shaping critical thinking at so many levels. First of all, it involves problem-solving while also teaching sometimes there is more than one correct answer. Secondly, it motivates kids to try multiple attempts and not fear mistakes. Moreover, it has a literary aspect in it, being centred on a language. 

STEM Projects

Hands-on activities empower students to put themselves on the line and explore cause/effect relationships. Ever thought about machine hands and data entry?

Collaborative problem-solving

This can play out in multiple ways. Here’s one: split your classroom into groups and present a situation. Ask them to come up with a possible solution. Finally, start a debate and let the groups discuss their ideas.

Esports

Different age groups might require a variety of suitable gaming solutions, but one thing is for sure. Esports can help you level up your classroom in more than one way. For example, are you familiar with Minecraft for education?

Research-based assignments

Letting students be active players in their learning is a fantastic way for them to start thinking critically. Periodically, assign research on a topic and provide a selection of reliable resources to check out (by doing so, you’ll make sure your pupils will stay away from fake news). When the assignment is due, let them show their peers what they have found out with interactive presentations and discuss their ideas all together!

Extra tip: make active use of classroom technology. 

Don’t use devices to digitalise classroom tasks such as writing or grading simply. The best way to stimulate critical thinking is by making proactive use of EdTech to come up with new creative ideas to engage your students! Let them be part of the whole process, and they will be forever thankful.

Would you like to find the best devices to foster your students’ critical thinking skills with digital learning? Contact us. We’ll provide you with all the support you need: acerforeducation.emea@acer.com