Take the Critical Thinking Challenge

In our success-driven culture, it takes courage to try something new and risk failing. However, if we were to “Google it,” history shows that failure was a change agent in the world of innovation. But, not without the critical thinking that took place before and after that said failure. 

 

Critical thinking can be defined as the objective analysis and evaluation of an issue in order to form a judgement. Innovation is borne from critical thinking when we take our approaches out of the box and open our minds to solving problems in new ways. One way Graland recognizes critical thinking skills in our students is through the Middle School’s Grading Purpose Statement. We ask middle schoolers to go beyond rote memorization and regurgitation and we empower them “to better understand, articulate, and take responsibility for their progression toward mastering learning objectives.” 

 

It is with a critical eye we are asking students to look at their progress. Yes, grades are important, but a Graland education is about learning how not to simply “do school” to get the grade. We anticipate there will be times when children fail; they will struggle and have to pick themselves up and persevere to achieve a more successful result. These experiences are how they learn to think and figure things out for themselves. 

 

It’s certainly easier to “Google it,” but developing the ability to think critically will help students be innovators who can impact the future in incredible ways.