News2018April
News from the Graduate Program in Critical & Creative Thinking
University of Massachusetts Boston24 April 2018
Student Matters
Registration for summer 2018 courses is open. Current students may register through WISER. Courses are open to non-degree students, who may register here.
CRCRTH 611 Seminar in Critical Thinking (Theme: Design for Living Complexities); (hybrid; course meets Mon & Thurs 5:00-8:00pm EDT from July 16-Aug. 23; face-to-face #1272, online #1419). For more information on the theme, see the course descriptions.
CRCRTH 612 Seminar in Creativity (Theme: Overcoming Creative Blocks) (online only; register for class #1420; May 29-July 12)
CRCRTH 627 Issues and Controversies in Antiracist and Multicultural Education (online only; register for class #1421; July 16-Aug. 23)
Fall 2018 course offerings (all times Eastern). See full descriptions. Register for the class # corresponding to how you will attend.
Note course formats -- hybrid courses combine two section for weekly meetings, where face-to-face section comes to campus, and online students participate directly at the same times via web video conference:
CRCRTH 601, Critical Thinking (hybrid; Thursdays, 4:00-6:45pm). Face-to-face: register for class #9621. Online: register for class #9855.
CRCRTH 603, Foundations of Philosophical Thought (hybrid; Wednesdays, 7:00-9:45pm). Face-to-face: register for class #9622. Online: register for #9856.
CRCRTH 618, Creative Thinking, Collaboration, and Organizational Change (hybrid; Tuesdays, 4:00-6:45pm). Face-to-face: register for class #9623. Online: register for #9857.
BIOL 654, Sustainability Science: Environment, Economy and Equity (Thursdays, 5:30-8:15pm; face-to-face class #14288). Note that this course serves as a substitute for CRCRTH 640, Environment, Science, and Society: Critical Thinking that was originally planned but will not be offered this fall.
CRCRTH 655, Metacognition (synchronous online; Thursdays, 7:00-9:45pm). Register for #9866.
CRCRTH 692, Processes of Research & Engagement (hybrid; Tuesdays, 7:00-9:45pm). Face-to-face: register for class #9629. Online: register for #9867.
CCT Community
CCT student Marisa Charley welcomed baby daughter Ruthie Charley into the world in early April. Congratulations and wishes for a joyful and healthy year to the Charley family!
P.S. 25 April: Bobby Ricketts has been selected as the graduate student speaker at UMass Boston commencement (see citation for a CCT award he's also receiving). A Boston-area native, he now lives in Copenhagen and has undertaken his M.A. in Critical & Creative Thinking from afar. CCT has created a gofundme campaign seeking to cover his plane fare to Boston and back.
CCT Faculty Nina Greenwald and David Martin offer their Thinking Matters special presentation to your organization, school, staff or personnel, on ways critical and creative thinking can assist everyone to become better problem-solvers. Increasingly, in this "beyond Google” age, standard thinking practices aren’t sufficient to avoid thinking traps and move us forward. In a fast-moving technological world, increasing interconnectedness, and new forms employment, learning new tools and techniques is essential for improving our thinking for life and work. Thinking effectiveness improves dramatically when practiced within relevant areas of focus and real-world contexts. It's why we like to talk with people internal to a group or an organization to understand important goals and objectives. From this, we can tailor presentations to incorporate relevant examples and exercises that address specific needs and interests. Our interactive sessions incorporate both learning and coaching in enjoyable formats that engage humor, and promote thinking agility and beneficial thinking attitudes in a climate of personal safety. As well, we are prepared to make presentations designed to engage localities or wider communities in problem-solving based on overarching matters of concern. Please share this announcement with others who might like to know about what we do. Currently, we are scheduling presentations for spring/summer/fall 2018 and can be reached at: nlgreenwald@comcast.net and davidmartindr@aol.com
Kelys Rodríguez, will visit CCT next fall as a Visitor Research Scholar, describes herself:
I am a doctoral student at Universidad del Norte in Barranquilla, Colombia. My doctoral research aims to study Critical Thinking level in a group of pre-service teachers. My main purpose is to compare their Critical Thinking and Emotional Intelligence levels and investigate if there is any relationship between them. We believe that teachers and every citizen need to improve their critical thinking and emotional intelligence skills in XXI century.
I am sure that having direct contact with teachers and students at UMass Boston will be an opportunity for me to collaborate in different academic activities. I also hope that, upon return to Colombia, I will be in the capacity to make valuable contributions to the educational field in my country, as well as to maintain academic and research links in order to help broaden the scientific knowledge on the connections between critical thinking and emotional intelligence in public educational contexts.
In Barranquilla, I am a coordinator in a public middle school. I support the academic activities, working with teachers, students and parents. I have no doubt that the internship will be an opportunity for academic and professional enrichment.
I have never been to The United States, it is going to be my first time living out of my hometown. Many have told me that being in Boston will be amazing, because it is known as an academic and cultural city in the country. I am very excited that Fall arrives soon.
CCT Events
CCT Community Open House Event: Spring 2018 Presentations by CCT Students
This event includes presentations by students in Critical and Creative Thinking program completing major projects toward their capstone requirement, and by students completing projects in Reflective Practice. All are welcome to attend, including prospective students and all others in the university community.
Monday, April 30 and Tuesday, May 1, 2018, 12:15-9:30pm ET
Participate online (Zoom conferencing) or on campus (Integrated Science Complex building (ISC), room I03-3300). Join or leave at any time throughout the presentations.
RSVP (optional) to cct@umb.edu, and see the event page for details and schedules for both days.
Spring 2018 Online Collaborative Exploration (CE) Series: Teaching about scientific and political change in times of crisis
Topic for April/May: Teach and engage others to participate in questioning and shaping the direction of scientific and social changes.
Online meetings: 4 Wednesdays, 12:00-1:00pm EDT on April 25, May 2, 9, and 16
For more information about the series and planned upcoming monthly topics, see http://sicw.wikispaces.com/CE. Apply here to register. All who are interested in the topic and able to commit to attending at least 3 of the 4 online meetings are welcome to join.
CEs are free, non-credit learning experiences, based on a Project-Based Learning where participants explore a specific topic within the overall theme based on their own inquiry. Each four-week CE involves interaction through live web conferences once per week for an hour, and online written discussion in between to share ideas and questions.
See the full description of the upcoming topic.
Alum and CCT associates Notes
Constance Cook (CCT '11) and Adam Klein, as duo Little Blue Heron, performed their program of Acoustic Traditional Music and Songs on April 18th in Wareham, MA. This concert for all ages featured music from New England, the British Isles, Appalachia, among other regions. The duo also performed recently at the New England Fold Festival Association in April, and an upcoming performance will take place on July 8th at the New Bedford Festival. More information and announcements can be found on the Little Blue Heron Facebook page.
CCT alums and associates are encouraged to send items of interest to the Critical and Creative Thinking community to be included in future newsletters. Please submit events, announcements, and opportunities through this form: http://bit.ly/CCTSICWi
Events
Fourth Annual Umass Boston's College of Science and Mathematics Student Success Showcase
Sponsored by Sanofi Genzyme and Oracle
Friday, May 11, 2018 from 1:00-3:30pm
UMass Boston Integrated Sciences Complex, Atrium (1st and 2nd Floor)
Please RSVP by Friday, May 4, 2018. More information here.
The purpose of the showcase is to highlight CSM students’ yearlong work in science research laboratories and the Freshman Success Communities (FSCs). The showcase provides a venue for students and faculty to celebrate each other’s work. It also gives an opportunity for students to present in a professional conference setting. Stop by the ISC Atrium to view the posters. We are hosting approximately 150 poster presentations featuring close to 300 CSM students. Selected participants will include Sanofi Genzyme Undergraduate and Doctoral Research Fellows, Oracle Undergraduate and Doctoral Research Fellows, as well as students participating in the Freshman Success Community Program.
2018 Integral Practitioner Convergence
hosted by Meridian University's Center for Transformative Learning
May 18-20, 2018, Berlin, Germany
Integral practitioners from around the world are converging in Berlin on May 18 - 20, 2018 to learn from each other about the capabilities, methods, model, and practices they are innovating in the context of their professional engagements. The format of this gathering will not be like a typical conference organized by keynote speakers, panels, and workshops. Instead, the three-day Convergence will draw on self-organizing processes that support the emergent discovery and self-management intrinsic to integral practice. Participants will include aspiring, early career, mid-career, established, and distinguished Integral Practitioners in the domains of education, business, well-being & healthcare, and the arts.
For more information and to register, see the web site.
38th Annual International Conference on Critical Thinking
July 16-20, 2018
Rohnert Park, CA, DoubleTree Hotel
Conference theme: Critical Thinking Throughout Education and Across the Professions – in Every Classroom, Every Boardroom, Every Business, Every Government, in Every Country Around the World
For full details and registration, see the web site.
Opportunities
The Online Learning Consortium invites educators to participate in a survey as part of a research study that examines pedagogical perspectives and practices within higher education across online, blended/hybrid, and on-site modalities. This study seeks to learn how research related to neuroscience, psychology, and education may inform instruction and assessment. Instructors (professor/faculty/instructor/adjunct), instructional designers, and professional development administrators who work worldwide within institutions of higher education (IHEs) (college or university) across online, blended/hybrid, and on-site modalities are invited to participate. This study is being led by the Online Learning Consortium, Drexel University, and Northern Arizona University in collaboration with Taft College, FLASCO (Latin American Social Science Research Faculty- Quito, Ecuador), Radboud University - Science Education Hub, American University, Loma Linda University, and The University of Toledo.
If you would like to participate, please complete this survey by May 21, 2018.
Reports will be published by the Online Learning Consortium in the summer of 2018.
Resources
CoResolve: Deep Democracy Training for Leaders and Managers
From the web site: "Our introduction to Deep Democracy course is CoResolve, a 2 day course for managers and leaders who find themselves working with interpersonal, team and client dynamics. This specialized course covers the theory and practice of managing up, managing down and managing across within complex organizations. It is a highly experiential course, limited to 10 participants, applicable to both experienced and emerging leaders. Our advanced Deep Democracy course is open to those who have completed CoResolve and a coaching and supervision program."
The National School Reform Faculty organization empowers educators to create meaningful learning experiences for all, by collaborating effectively in reflective democratic communities that foster educational equity and social justice. All are invited to visit our recently updated web site, including resources for educators, information on upcoming trainings, and current projects.
Food for Thought
(additional web links and posts can also be found on CCT's Diigo pages. General critical and creative thinking focus: https://groups.diigo.com/group/ccreflect; Science in a Changing World focus: https://groups.diigo.com/group/sicwumb)
Video:
Art education matters, so what’s the problem? (YouTube)
A lyrical bridge between past, present, and future: David Whyte (TED)
Articles:
What Are Screens Doing to Our Eyes—and Our Ability to See? (Wired)
More than knowing the right answer (The Learner's Way)
The Myth of 'Learning Styles' (The Atlantic)
5 Science-Backed Ways to Boost Your Creativity (Entrepreneur)
The Universe in Verse 2018 (Brain Pickings)
On Vonnegut’s Karass vs. Granfalloon (VGR Online)
How to rewrite your own life story (The Guardian)
Can you solve it? The hipster bicycle race (The Guardian)
Some women don't want kids. And that's OK (Upworthy)
Play Saturn's Rings: Use the Cassini Spacecraft to Strum Saturn's Harp Strings (System Sounds)
The Price Women Pay for Tips (New York Times)
Why It’s So Hard to Hear Negative Feedback (New York Times)
How to Spot and Overcome Your Hidden Weaknesses (New York Times)
Anne Curzan Gets April Fooled (The Chronicle of Higher Education)
Gratitude by David Whyte (Mellisae Lucia's blog)
Style Is an Algorithm: No one is original anymore, not even you (Racked)
How To Be a Systems Thinker: A Conversation With Mary Catherine Bateson (Edge)
The Facebook Controversy: Privacy Is Not the Issue (Scientific American)
Education report card shows Common Core still fails US students (The Hill)
The Epidemic of Anxiety Among Today’s Students (NEA Today)
What we say vs what we mean: what is conversational implicature? (Aeon)
This App Can Tell You the Indigenous History of the Land You Live On (Yes)
Humor
18 People Just Realized They Didn’t Grow Up In A Normal Family (Pleated Jeans)