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Foundation for Critical Thinking


This year, the Foundation for Critical Thinking is celebrating 30 years at the forefront of educational reform focused on advancing fairminded critical societies. We are sponsoring several academic events this year, including the 30th Annual International Conference on Critical Thinking. We invite you to join us for this special conference.  We also recommend that you explore our thinker's guides, books, professional development programs and other resources aimed at fostering critical thinking in all subjects and disciplines, in all parts of human life.  You will find below an introduction to a few of our events and resources.

Spring 2010 Workshops in Critical Thinking


March 20 and 21st, 2010
at the Berkeley Doubletree Marina, Berkeley, California

Featuring the Following Workshop Topics...

choose one

  • Integrating a Comprehensive Understanding of Critical Thinking into Effective Design for Teaching and Learning Academic Content… Dr. Richard Paul

  • Placing a Robust Framework for Critical Thinking At the Heart Of Your Institution’s Mission, Accreditation or Reaccreditation Process… Dr. Linda Elder

  • Approaching Students as Thinkers; Cultivating the Intellect… Dr. Enoch Hale

Read more about this event    -   Register online for this event



Professional Development Inservices and Seminars Professional Development Specialized for Your Department or Program

Critical thinking is not isolated or unrelated to other important goals in education, rather, it is a seminal goal. When appropriately introduced into instruction, critical thinking facilitates and enhances numerous other ends. Critical thinking is best conceived, therefore, as the hub around which other educational ends cluster.

As students learn to think more critically, they become more proficient in thinking within and across systems and their associated content. They develop skills, abilities, and values essential to success in everyday life.

To accomplish these goals, those who teach must have a solid grounding in critical thinking and in the teaching strategies essential to it.  Click on the following links for more information about each one...

If you are interested in more information about our professional development programs , please fill out our inservice request form or call 800.833.3645



Join us for the World's Oldest Conference on Critical Thinking!

CONFERENCE THEME:
How To Teach Students To Master Content By Developing A Questioning Mind

July 19 - 22, 2010
Preconference:  July 17-18

at the Claremont Resort Hotel & Spa
in Berkeley, California
Join us for a very special celebration of 30 years at the forefront of educational reform through the advancement of fairminded critical thinking.



Critical Thinking Resources from our Bookstore

Thinker's Guide Series
Our most popular series of texts available separately or in the full Set of Thinker's Guides.

The Foundation for Critical Thinking offers instructional materials that can be used in virtually every subject and discipline.  Click on the titles below to learn about each one...

 

 We must take command of our minds, work actively for justice in the world, and focus on values that are universal, values we can share with all rational people of good will. We must cultivate intellectual humility, integrity, perseverance, and empathy in ourselves, and in our students. Disciplined and skilled thinking are no longer luxuries but necessities, no longer add-ons for enrichment programs, but core requirements for every student in every subject on every day.

Richard Paul and Linda Elder, 2004

 





Please do not pass this message by.

CRITICAL THINKING IS AT RISK.

Here are some of the big reasons why:

  1. Many people believe that critical thinking should be free and that scholars qualified to teach critical thinking should do so for free. Accordingly, they do not think they should have to pay for critical thinking textbooks, courses, or other resources when there is "so much free material online" - despite how erroneous that material may be.
  2. There are many misguided academicians, and some outright charlatans, pushing forth and capitalizing on a pseudo-, partial, or otherwise impoverished concept of critical thinking.
  3. Little to no funding is designated for critical thinking professional development in schools, colleges, or universities, despite the lip service widely given to critical thinking (as is frequently found in mission statements).
  4. Most people, including faculty, think they already know what critical thinking is, despite how few have studied it to any significant degree, and despite how few can articulate a coherent, accurate, and sufficiently deep explanation of it.
  5. People rarely exhibit the necessary level of discipline to study and use critical thinking for reaching higher levels of self-actualization. In part, this is due to wasting intellectual and emotional energy on fruitless electronic entertainment designed to be addictive and profitable rather than educational and uplifting.
  6. On the whole, fairminded critical thinking is neither understood, fostered, nor valued in educational institutions or societies.
  7. People are increasingly able to cluster themselves with others of like mind through alluring internet platforms that enable them to validate one another's thinking - even when their reasoning is nonsensical, lopsided, prejudiced, or even dangerous.
  8. Critical thinking does not yet hold an independent place in academia. Instead, "critical thinking" is continually being "defined" and redefined according to any academic area or instructor that, claiming (frequently unsupported) expertise, steps forward to teach it.

As you see, increasingly powerful trends against the teaching, learning, and practice of critical thinking entail extraordinary challenges to our mission. To continue our work, we must now rely upon your financial support. If critical thinking matters to you, please click here to contribute what you can today.

WE NEED YOUR HELP TO CONTINUE OUR WORK.

Thank you for your support of ethical critical thinking.