Developing Minds 2024 

Critical Thinking Across Social Studies

Schedule

  • Dr. Mark Battersby (Capilano University Philosophy)
    Critical Thinking in Inquiry
  • Dr. Rosemary-Claire Collard (SFU Geography)
    The Extinction Paradox: Using Critical Human Geography Concepts and Methods to Understand Biodiversity Loss
  • Dr. Lindsay Gibson (UBC Education)
    Critical Thinking in History Education
  • Dr. Qiu Lin (SFU Philosophy)
    Critical Thinking: East and West
  • Dr. Kevin O’Neill (SFU Education) and Dr. Laura D’Amico (SFU Education)
    Critical Thinking and Education Technologies: Can we make AI compatible with the development of young minds? 
  • Dr. Sam Black (SFU Philosophy)
    Critical Thinking in Political Philosophy: “Sir, your class is offensive to me.” Teaching political philosophy in politicized classrooms and campuses
  • Dr. Mark Leier (SFU History)
    Critical Thinking in Historiography: Studying and Teaching History as an Act of Resistance

EVENT DETAILS

  • Friday, February 16th, 2024 
  • 8:00am to 5:30pm
  • SFU Harbour Centre or online

Program Book

About Developing Minds

Recent changes in the BC education curriculum established 'Critical Thinking' as a core teaching approach throughout K-12 classrooms. Students benefit from a rich community of inquiry that promotes deeper understanding of curriculum content and equips them with valuable life skills. School systems already using this approach have documented success using a number of outcome metrics.

Critical thinking skills transfer readily from the classroom into post-secondary education, and beyond. Not only do they enhance learning outcomes but students also gain a competitive advantage in the job market by acquiring skills in critical, creative and collaborative thinking frequently sought by modern employers.

The Developing Minds conference seeks to open up discussion among provincial education stakeholders keen to explore how teaching critical thinking in K-12 classrooms transfers into post-secondary education for student benefit. 

Simon Fraser University presents a day of roundtable discussion and keynote presentations on teaching critical thinking within BC’s education system, with a focus on connecting creative thinking with critical thinking skills in the classroom. Attendees will hear from keynote speakers with direct experience, and then collaborate to build a provincial framework of reference.