One of the types of human activities called intellectual and characterized by a high level of understanding, perception, objectivity of the approach to the information field that surrounds it, is critical thinking.
Many meanings of the term “critical thinking” are found in the literature, however, very often they are not in agreement with each other. However, this phenomenon should be understood equally by everyone: both the university teacher and the elementary school teacher, representatives of the most diverse ethnic groups and cultures should understand it, so the definition itself should be as flexible as possible.
Sometimes critical thinking is also called directional thinking, because it is already aimed at obtaining a certain result. It is a carefully considered, balanced decision regarding any judgment: whether we should accept, postpone it or reject it, as well as the level of confidence with which we do it.
Let us first consider those types of mental activity that do not fit the definition of “critical thinking”. The most important mental operation is memorization, without which the educational process is impossible, but it is radically different from critical thinking. A computer has memory much better than any of us, however, everyone understands that thinking is not its ability to remember. However, in the old fashioned way, many school teachers value memory above any thinking and in examinations and tests they check only the memory capacity of students, but this is wrong, you should focus on those types of mental activity that are much more complicated.
An understanding of complex ideas involves another type of so-called “uncritical thinking,” without which the learning process is impossible. Sometimes it is necessary to work your head properly in the lessons of literature and history, mathematics and biology, in order to understand what is written in the textbook, or what the teacher says. Understanding is a complex mental operation, especially if the material is not easy. The third type of “uncritical” thinking is intuitive or creative thinking. The brain of a musician, artist, athlete does the most difficult work, however, they themselves usually don’t even notice it. Such thought processes are unconscious, as a rule.
We note that the technology for the development of critical thinking has basic principles, which include three stages, or phases. These stages in the Russian translation have the following names: challenge - (semantic stage), comprehension of the received information (reflection), reflection. At the challenge stage, the stage of reflection, the stage of reflection, there are specific strategies and techniques. The development of critical thinking occurs when specific goals and motives appear to learn new things.
Information that helps to develop thinking should be relevant, so it is best absorbed. It is very difficult to motivate the cognitive activity of a modern student.
At the end of the twentieth century, the technology of critical thinking through writing and reading was developed in the United States.
For better organization of the lesson, use stage separation. The first stage is called "challenge." At each lesson, his presence is required. At this stage, it is possible to actualize and generalize the knowledge that the student has on a specific problem or topic; to the topic under study arouse sustained interest, as well as the student can be motivated to learn; at home and in the lesson of the student to encourage active work. Other tasks are pursued by the second stage, called "comprehension." Here they receive new information, they are comprehended and correlated with the knowledge that already exists.
At the third stage, called “reflection”, the main is the generalization and holistic understanding of the information that was received, the appropriation by the student of new information and new knowledge, each of the students forms their own attitude to the material being studied.