Critical Skills in the languages class
Introduction
In 2006, Judit Munso (Principal Teacher of Modern Languages at Lossiemouth High School) attended a course on a methodology entitled ‘Critical Skills’. Judit was unfamiliar with the term and had no idea what the course would be about, but imagined it was connected with Curriculum for Excellence.
Judit says:
‘On the first day of training I, along with everyone else, was confused, not knowing what was going on. At the end of the day we were asked to complete a log and in mine I wrote the word 'confused'. However, by the end of day 3, I began to understand the underlying psychology of the methodology.’
What is the Critical Skills Programme?
The Critical Skills Programme (CSP) can help to provide opportunities and experiences which enable young people to develop the four capacities of Curriculum for Excellence.
The opportunities for children to develop these capacities depend upon the provision of appropriate environments for learning, choices of teaching and learning approaches and ways in which learning is organised.
The CSP involves:
- problem solving
- decision making
- critical thinking
- creative thinking
- communication
- organisation
- management
- leadership.