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Most simply put, Mindtools are those computer-based technologies and programs that foster and facilitate critical thinking. Dr. David Jonassen coined the term "Mindtools" to describe this concept and he makes the case that this is how technology should best be put to use in schools. For example, think of your average spreadsheet. Many teachers, if indeed they would use a spreadsheet at all, would create very specific directions for recording a certain set of data, say weather observation data, and then tell the students exactly what to do to "analyze" it by putting certain numbers in specific cells and then typing in a specific formula in another cell. Then the teacher would ask the resulting number from the formula, for example, what is the average temperature in January? Who has done most if not all of the thinking in this case? In the "Mindful" classroom the teacher has already taught the class the basics of creating a spreadsheets so the focus need not be the software, but the questions it allows you to ask and answer. For example: What, if any, measurements seem to be related to one another? Describe and explain those relationships? To what extent is the 30-year running average a predictor of weather on any particular day? Each of these questions encompasses other questions that require more than literal level thinking and none of them could be practically answered without the use of the Mindtool. And, even more powerful than these questions are those that the students generate for themselves. Jonassen also argues forcefully that there is additional power in using Mindtools in collaborative learning environments. For more a more in depth discussion, consult Jonassen's books. [Home] [Mindtools
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