This MOOC will explore the importance of critical thinking and active learning concepts in the teaching of reading comprehension and writing at the secondary school level.  

The goal of this course is to enhance the instructional techniques of Grade 7 – 12 teachers in developing and encouraging critical thinking skills in students for appropriate use in everyday and academic settings.

The course is designed for language arts teachers, supervisors and other education officials in secondary schools as well as those designated middle and high schools.  Participants should hold a Bachelor’s degree, and be fluent in English or have excellent proficiency in reading, writing and speaking English.

As stated previously, this course is delivered as a massive, open, online course or MOOC.  It will encompass elements of distributed learning, social learning, and situated learning.  It will engage participants by employing social situations, networking across vast learning communities and interacting with varied resources and materials.

Participants are expected to be available for at least six (6) hours per week for six (6) weeks and should be able to work autonomously and self-manage.

Course Curriculum

  • 1

    19 March: Welcome

    • Welcome

    • Syllabus & Chronogram

    • Navigation Handout

    • Survey

    • Forum Welcome
  • 2

    19 March_Module 1: The Critical Thinker

    • Questionnaire: How Critical A Thinker Are You?

    • Interpreting your results

    • Read: Core Critical Thinking Skills

    • Caracteristics of Critical Thinking

    • Read: Attributes of Critical Thinkers

    • Read: The Critical Thinking Process

    • Watch Video Benefits and Challenges of Critical Thinking in the Classroom

    • Forum 1

    • Read: Module Summary

    • Quiz 1
  • 3

    26 March _Module 2: The Active Learner

    • Watch video: Active vs. Passive Learning

    • Read: The Reality of the Active Learning Classroom

    • Read: Classroom Structures

    • Forum 2

    • Module Summary

    • Quiz 2
  • 4

    2 April_Module 3: Infusing AL and CT in Reading Comprehension across the Curriculum

    • Watch: Critical Thinking and Reading Comprehension

    • Read: Using the Cognitive and Affective Domains to Engage in Critical Thinking

    • Read: The Importance of Vocabulary and Fluency in Reading Comprehension

    • Read: Teaching Tactics that encourage AL and CT in Reading Comprehension

    • Forum 3

    • Module Summary

    • Quiz 3
  • 5

    9 April_Module 4: Writing and Critical Thinking

    • Instructions P2P activity

    • Watch: Critical thinking vs. Creative thinking

    • Read: Critical thinking vs. Creative thinking – mutually exclusive?

    • Read: Learning through Writing – applying CT skills to the Writing Process

    • Read: Section 4 Writing about Reading

    • Forum 4

    • Module Summary

    • Quiz 4
  • 6

    16 April_Module 5:Assessment FOR and AS Learning

    • Read: Using formative assessment in a critical thinking environment

    • Read: Formative Assessment Strategies

    • Read: Remodelling Instruction

    • Forum 5

    • Module Summary

    • Quiz 5

    • Upload your lesson plan
  • 7

    23 April_Module 6: Final Activities

    • Survey

    • About your certificate

About the instructor

Instructor Title

RIED ITEN

The Inter-American Teacher Education Network (ITEN) is a project led by the Department of Human Development Education and Employment of the OAS. ITEN has created a professional network which empowers its participants to take the lead and learn from each other. One of its goals is to generate change towards the professionalization of teachers and the improvement of education in the Americas.ITEN therefore promotes innovation in the classroom for teachers to learn and adapt their teaching methodologies. ITEN’s activities provide user-friendly and attractive tools for practitioners to engage in collaborative activities in massive numbers. Technology is a cross-cutting theme in the project, used in all activities and a key strategy for delivery of project support to the target audience.

What others have been saying about this course:

Use your Call To Action description to encourage students to sign up for your course

Sign up now!

You may also be interested in...