Becoming a Strategic Thinker

Description

• Goes beyond other critical thinking texts. (pg. xi-xiii).

  • Shows students in a much more detailed way how to think for themselves.

• A focus on eight generic skills—Includes detailed chapters on 1) analysis; 2) evaluation; 3) induction; 4) deduction; 5) grouping; 6) synthesis; 7) abstracting; and 8) persuasive expression. (pg. iii).

  • Builds students’ skills that are essential in all departments in all colleges.

• Learning objectives—Begins each chapter with a set of learning objectives, alerting students to focus on competencies and understandings. (pg. 1).

  • Allows students to keep the “big picture” in mind as they read through the chapter.

• Running glossary—Contained in the margins next to text; provides short, clear definitions for each key term where they are introduced. (pg. 54; 57; 60).

  • Gives students easy access to all definitions as they read through the text, enhancing understanding.

• Exercises in each chapter. (pg. 125-127).

  • Provides students with lots of opportunities to practice the ideas and skills that are presented in the text.

• A personal tone.

  • Gives students a text that seems as if the author is talking with them rather than to them.

• Knowledge Styles Diagnostic Inventory (KSDI). (pg. 34-35; pg. 49-50).

  • Allows students to the KSDI on their own to identify their own style for approaching and using information.

TECHNOLOGY AND PEARSON CHOICES

MyStudentSuccessLab 3.0 (www.mystudentsuccesslab.com) is an online solution designed to help students ‘Start strong, Finish stronger’ by building skills for ongoing personal and professional development. This TOPICAL based technology promotes student engagement through:

·          Video interviews on key issues ‘by students, for students’.

·          The Learning Path Diagnostic offers 65 Full Course Pre-Diagnostic (Bloom’s Taxonomy level 1-2) and 65 Full Course Post-Diagnostic Bloom’s Taxonomy level 3-4)questions, and 20 pre-test (Bloom’s Taxonomy level 1-2) and 20 post-test (Bloom’s Taxonomy level 3-4) questions.

·          The Practice exercises improve class preparation and learning. 

·          Graded Activities build critical thinking skills and develop problem-solving abilities (includes Essays and Journaling).

·          Instructors benefit from an Implementation Guide to easily assign and assess progress. 

·          Students have access to relevant FinishStronger247 YouTube videos, the Pearson student Facebook page chock full of tips, MySearchLab use for doing effective research, and more.

 

PearsonChoices – CourseSmart and Custom Publishing.  

For courses in Critical Thinking, Freshman Experience, College Orientation, Study Skills, and Information Literacy.

 

This book addresses the biggest challenges facing students today: (1) dealing with the flood of information in all courses and from society at large; and (2) learning how to discern good information from bad. By addressing these challenges, this book shows students how to become a Strategic Thinker and thereby be more efficient in making decisions about what information to access and then what to do with this information in their courses and their lives.

In a thought-provoking manner, Potter—an expert on media literacy—lays out eight essential skills that will empower students to become insightful, independent learners. Through these eight skills, the book takes the concept of critical thinking beyond the traditional focus on one or two skills, yielding a positive, more constructive approach.

Features include:

• Learning objectives
• Running glossary in the margins
• Knowledge Styles Diagnostic Inventory

Written in a personal, engaging style, Becoming a Strategic Thinker guides readers through the hurdles of filtering information to get the most value from it, generating useful and accurate knowledge structures, and communicating that knowledge to others in a powerfully persuasive way.

1. The Challenges.
2. Strategic Thinking.
3. Knowledge Styles.
4. Skill 1: Analysis.
5. Skill 2: Evaluation.
6. Skill 3: Induction.
7. Skill 4: Deduction.
8. Skill 5: Grouping.
9. Skill 6: Synthesis.
10. Skill 7: Abstracting.
11. Skill 8: Persuasive Expression.
12. Conclusion.

For courses in Critical Thinking, Freshman Experience, College Orientation, Study Skills, and Information Literacy.

This book addresses the biggest challenges facing students today: (1) dealing with the flood of information in all courses and from society at large; and (2) learning how to discern good information from bad. By addressing these challenges, this book shows students how to become a Strategic Thinker and thereby be more efficient in making decisions about what information to access and then what to do with this information in their courses and their lives.