Elisheva Avishai: Critical Thinking in Education

Lisa Quan  | 21 de enero de 2024  | Vistas: 3

Antigua Forum Critical Thinking Education

The Antigua Forum is a project of Universidad Francisco Marroquín in Guatemala, and an exclusive, annual gathering of political reformers and entrepreneurs from around the world who believe in the power of human ingenuity and free enterprise to dramatically improve the well-being of people everywhere.

Javier Parellada conducts an interview with Ellie Avishai, the co-director of the Mill Institute at the University of Austin, focusing on the institute's mission to promote critical thinking in education. Ellie shares her background, emphasizing her journey from teaching to an MBA and ultimately focusing on addressing the lack of open dialogue in classrooms. She discusses the importance of fostering an environment where controversial topics can be discussed to uphold the principles of democracy. The conversation delves into the challenges faced by educators in managing such discussions effectively.

I realized that the problem that I wanted to really focus on was this challenge of how you help classrooms be spaces not just where there's critical thinking, but where people are actually able to talk about controversial things.”  

Ellie explains the role of the Mill Institute in providing teacher training, developing resources, and building communities to support educators in facilitating open dialogue. The institute aims to address the decline in critical thinking and communication skills among students by empowering teachers with the necessary tools and strategies. At the Antiqua Forum, Ellie reflects on the institute's scaling challenges and the diverse perspectives gathered during discussions.

I hope that we really will succeed in leading a movement of teachers across North America that are going to be the leaders that help promote this work throughout their schools.”

The conversation concludes with Ellie expressing her hope for the Mill Institute to lead a movement of teachers advocating for open dialogue and critical thinking in education. She believes that by empowering educators, the institute can catalyze significant change throughout North America's educational sector. The main goal is to ensure that students graduate with the ability to engage in constructive conversations about complex issues, thereby fostering a more informed and democratic society.

Autor

Codirector, Mill Institute at University of Austin