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Junior High, Intermediate, Middle School Education and Teaching

Selected Works

Critical thinking

Publication Year

Articles 1 - 2 of 2

Full-Text Articles in Education

Original Political Cartoon Methodology And Adaptations, John H. Bickford Iii Jan 2012

Original Political Cartoon Methodology And Adaptations, John H. Bickford Iii

John Bickford

This paper is grounded on the premise that effective educators base lessons on rich and intriguing content which is relevant to students’ lives, implement the content using engaging and age-appropriate methodology, and measure students’ learning through authentic assessments. In order to support practicing teachers’ effective implementation of best practice methodology and assessment, educational researchers investigate the interconnections between content, methodology, and assessment. As technology facilitates teaching methodologies and learning assessments, meaningful activities such as students’ original political cartooning should be examined, detailed, and adapted. In this article, the methodological suggestions for, and adaptations of, students’ original political cartoons guide educators …


A Comparative Analysis Of Two Methods For Guiding Discussions Surrounding Controversial And Unresolved Topics, John H. Bickford Iii Jan 2011

A Comparative Analysis Of Two Methods For Guiding Discussions Surrounding Controversial And Unresolved Topics, John H. Bickford Iii

John Bickford

Debates, a popular classroom method, elicit students’ participation and critical thinking. Debates’ focus of winning, at times, generates arguments. Constructive controversy, a researched-based methodological alternative, similarly facilitates students’ engagement and critical thinking while also inventively diminishing arguments through cooperative negotiation (Johnson & Johnson, 2009). The author examines both methods’ impact on students’ engagement, students’ thinking, and the dialogues’ productivity. Three findings and three educationally significant insights emerged.