“Education is not the learning of facts but the training of the mind to think.”  Albert Einstein.

We as a parent send our children to schools assuming that they will learn how to think but in most cases we see they score good marks and end up learning how to learn facts.

Correct me if I am wrong!

Now, my question is;

What is the definition of thinking skills in the 21st century

Let me tell you about the fact that thinking skill is one of the most demanding skills in the 21st century also termed critical thinking.

Now, can you tell me what Critical Thinking is? And why it is so important?

Critical Thinking is the ability to think clearly and rationally, understanding the logical connections between ideas. It might be described as the ability to engage in reflective and independent thinking.

In essence, critical thinking requires you to use your ability to reason. It is about being an active learner rather than a passive recipient of information.

Critical thinkers rigorously question ideas and assumptions rather than accepting them at face value. They will always seek to determine whether the ideas, arguments, and findings represent the entire picture and are open to finding that they do not.

Critical thinkers will identify, analyze and solve problems systematically rather than by intuition or instinct.

Someone with critical thinking skills can:

  • Understand the links between ideas.
  • Determine the importance and relevance of arguments and ideas.
  • Recognize, build and appraise arguments.
  • Identify inconsistencies and errors in reasoning.
  • Approach problems consistently and systematically.
  • Reflect on the justification of their own assumptions, beliefs, and values.

Now, I understand the importance of critical thinking in the 21st century.

Can you tell me;

How to train a mind to think?

Suppose that I am talking about a 5 years old boy. If I teach him the English language he will be an expert in writing and speaking that language. If I teach him Mathematics, then he will be skillful in calculations and solving mathematical problems.  And, teaching about Science will make him proficient in explaining and researching scientific theories.

By the way, I am not convinced that learning about those subjects will simply train a mind to think. Are you? mm…

But, What I found suitable for training the mind to think is to make them learn how to write Code. Coding is the process of writing instructions for a device or machine using computer languages like Python to enable them to follow your instructions.

Let me figure out with an example;

Do you remember,

How difficult was it to make an STD call before 1990?

If Yes, then.

The massive development in the field of electronics and computer coding made it possible for you to carry a mobile phone, make an ISD call, join a video conference, watch YouTube lives, and ping a friend on social media. Most interestingly, the roads are clean now, no wires are hanging on the roadside and there are no operators roaming with a ladder to repair the telephone lines.

Moreover, coding is very similar to parenting infants, where you grow them from the most dependent stage to the independent. Bring them to the walky-talky age that they can reply when you smile, and wave hands when you say bye.

With the help of coding, you can make your door lock intelligent enough to recognize an intruder. Enable it to send a notification to your smartphone on sensing suspicious activity by intruders.

Therefore, coding skills can help a child learn how to think which will also enhance creativity & career scope.

We should find the right mentor for our children to introduce coding as there are chances to be misguided if you just “Go with the Flow”.  There is a free course for you to introduce Coding to your children.  For more information, visit www.stem-guide.com.  And also watch the STEM Guide Channel on www.youtube.com

Conclusion:

In this article, I tried to share my ideas about making a child engage in thinking. I hope you will understand the idea and tell me about opinion in the comment box. I will get back to you soon.