Critical Thinking: It’s Not Just a Buzz Term

At Caravan Classroom, I love learning about learning. I am genuinely interested in the psychology of how children learn, and how education is changing.

When I was at university, multiple lecturers spoke to us as pre-service teachers about preparing students for a world that does not yet exist. It made sense, but I didn’t fully grasp how quickly that future would arrive, or how rapidly things would change. The world we live in is progressing at an extraordinary rate.

Even after I graduated and became a fully qualified teacher, my workplace regularly delivered professional development around ICTs, critical thinking, and supporting students to become 21st-century learners.

So, what is critical thinking?

Critical thinking is the disciplined process of analysing, evaluating and interpreting information to form reasoned and informed judgements. It involves questioning assumptions, evaluating evidence and considering multiple perspectives before reaching conclusions or making decisions.

Have you ever stopped to consider what the process of “analysing” actually involves? What does it look like in practice? What is effective analysis?

Sometimes it is easy to skim over these terms and assume our children already understand them. However, modelling analysis, evaluation, interpretation, justification, questioning and comparing sources of information is extremely beneficial to our children. The good news is that with practice, they can become second nature. Although we often refer to "critical thinking skills", critical thinking is more accurately described as a process than a discrete set of skills.

Regardless of whether you are pro-AI or not, it is here. AI is embedded in so many software programs and technologies that we may not even realise we are using it. As a parent and educator, I do hold concerns about AI, but it is not going away. It can be an exceptionally valuable tool, but when misused, it has the potential to weaken our ability to think critically. It is an easy tool that can replace much of our thinking process, but only if we let it.

As parents, we can be proactive in supporting our children in today’s technologically advanced world. One thing I have learned is to shift the focus away from teaching program, or device-specific skills, and towards broader technological understanding that can be applied across multiple platforms. This better supports our children as 21st-century learners.

A 21st-century learner is a person who actively engages with technology, collaboration, creativity and critical thinking to navigate a rapidly changing, interconnected world. Often, by the time we finish teaching a software program, a new one has already been released to replace it.

So how do we support ICT literacy?

I believe a strong first step is teaching children about the ethical use of technology. This includes:

• Privacy and data protection
• Intellectual property and academic integrity
• Accountability
• Digital citizenship

These core principles are fundamental to supporting our children to become capable and responsible users of technology.

In the past month, I spoke with an artist and graphic designer from my hometown of Maryborough while working on some resources that will be launched later in the year. We somehow ended up discussing AI, and she shared the challenges she is experiencing as a business owner who has spent years developing and refining her craft, only to see AI-generated images appearing everywhere, often without users understanding where the original source material has come from. It was confronting to hear firsthand the impact AI is having on the creative arts industry.

In recent months, I have also come across increasing conversations in online spaces about using AI to generate entire educational resources and curriculum documents. It raises important questions about where this content is sourced from, its accuracy, whether it inadvertently reproduces the work of others, and how we continue to appropriately recognise and reward the business owners, professionals, and creators who have dedicated years to refining their skills and expertise.

The only way we can make a meaningful change is by modelling critical thinking for our children and teaching them how to be responsible users of technology in an increasingly complex, rapidly evolving world. It also asks us to pause and consider the people behind what we consume - the growers, makers, artisans, and professionals who have spent years, often decades, dedicating themselves to refining their craft and building expertise.

After all, even ChatGPT doesn’t always get it right. That’s exactly why critical thinking matters - so we can fact-check, question, and evaluate what we are presented with, and use technology to support our thinking, not replace it.

If you’ve enjoyed reading this article, I’d love to hear from you. I really value feedback, as it helps shape and inform the future direction of our newsletters.

Happy travels,

Carlee - Founder
Caravan Classroom