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The Learning Approaches Teacher 's Students On The Path Of Developing Critical Thinking Skills

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Classroom instruction of yesteryear involved the teacher to dictate information to students in hopes that they would recall and be able to use the knowledge when opportunity arises. Today’s classrooms are much different. Rather than providing problems and the information required to resolve them, students are given opportunities to explore, question, analyze, interpret, collaborate, experience, and more, to acquire knowledge and build critical thinking skills. The goal is for all students to develop these skills and when opportunity arises, transfer them into real-world situations. Today, there are many ways to engage and involve students in the social studies classroom. This essay will look at three learning approaches teacher’s use to put students on the path of developing critical thinking skills: project based learning, constructivism, and inquiry-based learning. In the process, I look to determine the best learning approach for my “wants and needs” unit, so that I may also become a successful contributor to the critical thinking development of my students. Project-Based Learning When using the project-based learning (PBL) approach, an always changing and engaging environment not only involves the students, but also exposes them to real-world situations and challenges ready for exploration. Directed by an initial question or problem in themed topics such as civics, conflicts, history, commerce, or even culture, students are guided throughout the unit by a

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