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Building Level Plan for
Infusing Critical Thinking Across the Curriculum
Building: Myers Corners
Team Members: Gail Wehmann, Principal
Jay Curtis, Assistant Principal
Mary Bish, Coordinator of Fine & Performing Arts
Mary Ann Moran, 2nd grade teacher
Nicole Hughes, 1st grade teacher
Debra Davidson, 6th grade teacher
Chris Romano, 6th grade teacher
Diane Costa, 6th grade teacher
Dawn Sala, School Psychologist
Louise Rose, AIS teacher
Coleen Diesing, parent
Susan Landaria, parent
1.Assessment of the Current level of Implementation in all Subject Areas
Where are we? How do we find out? (Be specific)
This committee spent the first two meetings together to identify where Myers
Corners was in terms of Critical Thinking across all content areas. Students
have been given opportunities to be engaged in critical thinking when working
with Thinking Maps. However, there is a need to provide students with
additional opportunities.
The use of Thinking Maps is already in place at all grade levels K-6 but not
yet in the special areas. Teachers have begun conversations about critical
thinking during Superintendent’s Conference Days, grade level, and faculty
meetings, in order to develop an awareness and familiarity with Bloom’s
Taxonomy. There is an identified need for additional professional growth in
this area.
2. Areas Identified for Growth
What more do we need to know in order to infuse critical thinking? How will
we get/learn what we need to know? (Be specific)
• Students will have the ability to make connections across the content
areas by developing problem solving skills
We believe that teaching students how to solve problems can be one of the
most useful tools they learn in school. The following activities support
this belief:
o Create question of the day/problem of the month: This activity will
be introduced during morning announcements. Students will be given clues and
opportunities to problem solve in order to find the answer to the problem.
The answer will be shared at the end of each month during morning
announcements. A bulletin board will be posted by the gym which will display
the riddle of the month. The riddle will also be posted in the library.
o Use of Technology: Current programs and software that are being
utilized will be reviewed. Programs that promote critical thinking will be
highlighted for the teachers to use when they schedule time in the computer
labs and/or use of the classroom carts. The use of Smart Boards and the PNW
BOCES website will be encouraged to promote critical thinking. A different
website will be highlighted weekly for teachers to use with their students.
o Student Clubs: There are a number of clubs at Myers that foster
critical thinking including Helping Hands, Student Council, Scholastic Bowl
and Thinking Logically and Critically. The advisors of these clubs have been
asked to share activities with the faculty.
• Continued use/ development of thinking maps
We would like to expand the use of thinking maps so that not just one map is
being used for an assignment, but rather several are used to expand the
students thinking process. We would like to use time during faculty meetings
to have teachers share how the implementation of thinking maps has aided in
students’ critical thinking ability. Time will also be used to further staff
development in the use of thinking maps.
o Special Area Teachers and Support Staff will be trained in March of
2008. After this training, all staff will have been trained.
o Parent Training has been scheduled for April of 2008
o A survey has been developed and given to staff to identify further
staff development needed. The survey was distributed in April.
o Follow-up training will be scheduled for the 2008/09 school year.
3. Professional Growth Methods
How will critical thinking be applied in the instruction of all subject
areas? (Be specific)
• Grade level/ Cross-grade level sharing
Teachers will meet and share critical thinking practices that are being used
in their classrooms. Grade levels will have the time to meet to reflect on
these practices to see how they can be incorporated into their curriculum.
This will be accomplished during faculty meetings, grade level meetings and
Superintendent Conference days.
o November 6, 2007: Teachers at Myers met with their district grade
level colleagues to build an awareness of critical thinking and to create
lessons that infuse critical thinking.
o February 6, 2008: Myers partnered with Brinckerhoff for the day.
Teachers continued grade level sharing of lesson plans with a focus on the
use of thinking maps. Teachers in grades K-2 also focused on writing in the
content areas. Teachers in grades 3-5 learned about the Socratic Seminar.
o Faculty meetings: Debbie Weisel visited with the Myers staff to
model a critical thinking question during the January faculty meeting. We
will continue to use this model at future faculty meetings. Teachers will be
asked to bring examples of lessons and activities and share with their
colleagues.
Grade level meetings: Each grade meets with administration on a
monthly basis. Part of the grade level meeting will be allotted to have
teachers continue to share lesson ideas about critical thinking.
• Training for School Community
Parents: Mini-workshops will be created for the parent community with the
support of the SLT and PTA.
Teachers and Staff:
o Learning Communities have been in place at Myers since October of
2005. This year the focus has been on ELA and critical thinking. A learning
community entitled “A Journey through Blooms Taxonomy and Critical Thinking”
has been created and will be facilitated by Gail Wehmann and teachers. We
will spend four hours together creating critical thinking questions that the
teachers can bring back to their classrooms. The in-service will take place
over March and April of 2008. Additional learning communities will be
created for the 2008/09 school year.
o All teachers have a copy of the NYS Teacher Desk Reference which
contains detailed information about Bloom’s Taxonomy and critical thinking.
Teachers use this resource as they create their lesson plans.
o Training in critical thinking is also available for teachers with
three years experience or less through NYSUT. This information has been
shared with the teachers at Myers.
4.Timeline
How do we move forward? (Be specific)
2007/08 2008-09 2009/10
Identify areas of need: continued use and training of Thinking Maps, Critical
Thinking across the Content Areas
Create riddle of the month, posted on bulletin board by gym and library
Begin faculty discussions during conference days, faculty meetings, grade
level meetings
Identify technology that promotes critical thinking, share with staff
Create and distribute Thinking Maps survey to plan for further staff
development
Invite advisors of clubs to share critical thinking activities with faculty
Establish learning community to focus on Bloom’s Taxonomy
Create Bloom’s Taxonomy poster from learning community to share with staff
Meet as a committee as needed to review plan Plan parent mini-workshops
Plan additional Thinking Maps training (based upon feedback from survey)
Administer surveys to distribute to school community, identify goals for
2009/10 school year
Sharing of work completed during Summer Critical Thinking Institute
5.Budget
Funds have been allocated through budget building codes for the 2008/09
school year.
6. Evaluation
How will we know if our plan has been effective? (Be specific)
The committee will meet as needed to review this plan. Surveys will be
created and given to students, staff and parents to evaluate the different
activities and staff development that has been offered throughout the school
year. Teachers will be asked to assess students using informal observation
and other activities to identify how they have been able to think critically
across the content areas. Administration will focus on critical thinking
during classroom observations, grade level and faculty meetings.
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