Reboot’s Position on AI and Critical Thinking in Children
Artificial Intelligence is quickly becoming a permanent structural shift, similar to the early internet and social media. Under the right circumstances, AI tools can boost a user’s productivity, and even help people become better critical thinkers. However, unchecked AI use can erode a user’s analytical and problem solving skills over the long-term, with potentially serious repercussions for young people who have yet to learn to think critically.
Reboot's Resources on Critical Thinking
The Reboot Foundation advances critical thinking by funding scientific research on how we reason, and by providing a hub of practical exercises, expert guidance, and teaching tools to help people think better every day. It is never too late to develop your critical thinking capacities. Adults can and do learn to develop their critical thinking, although starting early and with lots of practice helps to progressively develop and improve critical thinking.
Reboot’s Position on Social Media and Children
As a society, we need to do far more to give young people the tools to think critically. In the current debate over “fake news,” people forget that fake news isn’t all that new. Gossip is as old as language itself. And with the rise of social media and its never-ending array of new platforms, learning how to improve critical thinking is vital. At the Reboot Foundation, we believe that our “fake news” crisis is really a crisis in media literacy and critical thinking.
Parents’ Guide to Critical Thinking
Modern society and culture place enormous demands on young people, who lack the necessary tools to analyze the multiple sources of information—the internet, television, social networks, and advertising—before them. Our guide for parents strives to provide an understanding of what critical thinking is and how to foster it in their children.
Teachers’ Guide to Critical Thinking
Reboot’s guide for teachers contains resources for teaching critical thinking to students of all ages, in any subject, including math, science, literature, civics, writing, and philosophy. The guide — written with teachers, for teachers — is an invaluable resource for teaching students the skills they need to be engaged and informed global citizens.
Free Lesson Plans for Teachers
The Reboot Foundation offers free lesson plans for teachers designed to help improve students' critical thinking skills. These lesson plans will teach teens how to identify various logical fallacies and how to spot flawed arguments – two core skills of good critical thinkers. The lesson plans are based on the research of Dr. Ben Motz at Indiana University whose research found that small amounts of critical thinking practice allow the fast and efficient teaching of critical thinking skills.
Our SHARP Framework for Critical Thinking
Learning sound critical thinking skills is not that hard, but it does take persistence and dedication. And you can start with Reboot’s SHARP method. Developed by Reboot Foundation President Helen Lee Bouygues, SHARP thinking is a step-by-step approach to critical thinking and better reasoning. The method is a powerful and proven strategy to engage in better decision making. Part reflection, part reasoning, part creativity, SHARP thinking can empower critical thinking at school, at home and at work.
Interviews
Reboot President Helen Lee Bouygues spoke with mathematician Cedric Villani about critical thinking. They discussed the study of mathematics and ways in which it can promote better thinking, as well as issues around “fake news” and the role of science in politics.
Videos
Reboot President Helen Lee Bouygues discusses the purpose behind the foundation, how parents can instill critical thinking habits in their children, and more. You can also view a roundtable discussion among educators who helped draft Reboot's Teacher's Guide To Critical Thinking.
