Sacred Heart College in Observatory is proud to be the first school in South Africa to develop critical thinking as part of its curriculum.
“Sacred Heart College taught me how to think for myself because of the critical thinking skills courses and the teaching methods,” said Darren Blanckensee, a 2014 matriculant who received four As at Sacred Heart College. “We learnt how things work, and were not simply taught to pass.”
The College is working closely with the MindBurst Workshop. MindBurst is a company that developed critical thinking skills materials and activities for Sacred Heart College, and has used them in State schools in collaboration with another company, Piermont CSI.
They realised that many teachers and schools needed a simple entry point to the practice of critical thinking, one that does not cost much time or money. In consultation with Sacred Heart College, MindBurst Workshop created a product called Rapid Gains Critical Thinking (RGCT).
“We asked ourselves what small, short-term interventions could have the biggest, long-term consequences,” said Andre Croucamp, founder of MindBurst.
“What emerged from our research was a list of 10 rapid gains. Each of these was divided into five cards, making a pack of 50 cards.”
The product is locally developed, economical, and can be used in any school from a rural farm school to a highly technical, independent school.
The main purpose of the RGCT cards is to help teachers reflect on their teaching practice and help school management reflect on their school’s culture.
Without paying large fees, attending lengthy training courses or taking up precious curriculum time, teachers and schools can begin a journey of critical thinking skills, or enhance the one they are already on. The cards were designed to help teachers reflect on their own thinking habits.
The staff members of Sacred Heart College were the first to work with the RGCT cards during their five-day professional development programme from 7 to 12 January. All over the world, educators are recognising the need to integrate critical thinking skills into curricula, teaching practice and school culture.
Sacred Heart College and MindBurst are proud to be developing a South African response to this challenge.
Details: Naomi Meyer marketing@sacredheart.co.za
