Marilyn Nippold, PhD: Pro-Ed Publishing: Financial - Royalty (Ongoing). No non-financial relationships to disclose
Abstract of Presentation In this seminar, I will describe a language arts program, Philosophy for Adolescents (Nippold & Marr, 2022), designed to encourage critical thinking and the use of advanced language skills. For students ages 12-17 years old, the program consists of 40 fables attributed to the Greek storyteller Aesop. Many of the fables focus on ethical themes and the intellectual traits of strong critical thinkers. Examples include empathy, humility, and integrity. Summary of Presentation Critical thinking occurs when an individual can analyze statements or arguments that represent diverse points of view and then decide independently what to believe or how to behave. Although critical thinking improves during the adolescent years (Nippold, LaFavre, & Shinham, 2020), many students struggle in this area, particularly in being able to offer reasons and evidence to support their views. Students from disadvantaged backgrounds and those with language or learning difficulties are particularly at risk for having poor critical thinking skills. This suggests that these adolescents could benefit from instruction in critical thinking. Although some schools in the US offer this type of instruction, many do not, and although strong critical thinking requires competence in spoken and written language, it is not routinely addressed by speech-language pathologists who work with adolescents in middle schools and high schools. In this seminar, I will describe a language arts program, Philosophy for Adolescents (Nippold & Marr, 2022), designed for students ages 12-17 years old. Based on empirical research in critical thinking, education, psychology, speech-language pathology, and later language development, Philosophy for Adolescents also builds on the foundational work of philosopher Richard Paul (Paul, 1992; Paul & Elder, 2009), an international authority on critical thinking. The program consists of 40 fables attributed to the Greek storyteller Aesop (c. 620-564 BC). Many of the fables focus on the ethical themes that Paul argued were the essential intellectual traits of strong critical thinkers. Examples include empathy, integrity, and humility, along with their contrasting traits of self-interest, deception, and arrogance. Sessions using the program are carried out individually or in small groups of 3-4 students led by a mentor who facilitates an open discussion of the themes, moral messages, and possible consequences of behaving in certain ways that present ethical dilemmas. Students are encouraged to indicate if they agree or disagree with the moral messages, to give solid reasons and clear evidence to support their views, and to listen respectfully to the opinions of others. In this way, students learn openness to different points of view. They also learn to analyze information, to decide for themselves what to believe, to justify their own beliefs, and to express themselves, using advanced language skills. Thus, the emphasis is on teaching students how to think rather than what to think, and how to communicate effectively -- with accuracy, clarity, and efficiency (ACE). Examples of advanced language skills that are emphasized include the use and understanding of narrative and expository discourse, complex syntax, metacognitive and metalinguistic verbs, and abstract nouns. Designed for flexible application, Philosophy for Adolescents may be employed by speech-language pathologists working independently or collaboratively with classroom teachers, teaching assistants, or other school-based professionals. Individual Implementation of the program will be illustrated by a case study of a 12-year-old girl. In addition, the audience will have the opportunity to role play using some of the fables and questions, as they carry out the program while acting as students and/or mentors (SLPs, teachers).
References: Nippold, M. A., LaFavre, S., & Shinham, K. (2020). How adolescents interpret the moral messages of fables: Examining the development of critical thinking. Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, 63(4), 1212-1226. Nippold, M. A., & Marr, E. (2022). Philosophy for adolescents: Using fables to support critical thinking and advanced language skills. Language, Speech, and Hearing Services in Schools, 53(3), 786-802. https://pubs.asha.org/doi/10.1044/2022_LSHSS-21-00142. Paul, R. (1992). Critical thinking: What every person needs to survive in a rapidly changing world (2nd ed). Santa Rosa, CA: Foundation for Critical Thinking. Paul, R., & Elder, L. (2009). The miniature guide to critical thinking: Concepts and tools. Tomales, CA: Foundation for Critical Thinking.
Learning Objectives:
At the completion of this activity, participants should be able to:
Explain the nature of critical thinking and its importance for academic success and personal well-being
Explain how to evaluate critical thinking in adolescents in conjunction with advanced langauge skills
Explain how to carry out intervention with adolescents that is designed to address critical thinking and advanced language skills