Connecting Critical Thinking to Real-Life Scenarios

Most classroom decisions are fake. Here’s how to make them real—and teach students what thinking feels like. Welcome to 🧠 Day 1: Judgement aka: the ability to make considered decisions—especially when every option costs something. We say we want students to think critically. But most of what we assign avoids complexity, risk, or tradeoffs. Judgement isn't about being right. It’s about reasoning in public. And AI gives us a new way to do that—with the friction turned back *on*. Here are 3 AI-powered activities that build judgement as a lived process: › 💼 Boss Mode Tradeoffs Present a messy scenario (e.g. your nonprofit has to cut either a staff role or a community program). ⤷ Students ask AI to help them surface possible outcomes, ethical concerns, second-order effects. ⤷ As they talk it out, they ask AI to test their rationale, simulate stakeholder responses, or build a risk matrix. ⤷ Final step: revise the decision based on what surprised them. --- › 🤖 Decision Tree Remix AI generates a full decision path (e.g. Should I approve this medical procedure?). ⤷ Students interrogate the flow: What assumptions are baked in? Where are values driving choices? ⤷ They prompt AI to revise the tree using alternate values (e.g. “optimize for long-term trust” vs “optimize for cost savings”). ⤷ End with a student-AI co-designed decision model. --- › 🗳️ Values-First Sim Students ask AI to solve a dilemma using different ethical systems (utilitarian, feminist ethics, libertarian, religious). ⤷ Then they identify contradictions across responses, ask AI to cross-examine itself, and generate questions it didn’t consider. ⤷ Students co-author a new “hybrid values” approach with AI that reflects their own worldview. --- The goal isn’t to replace judgment with automation. It’s to build judgment through iteration—alongside a partner who never gets tired of your questions. Which scenario would light your students up? ⚡️

If our students passively absorb info, we failed them. They need active, meaningful, enduring learning. We do that by increasing conceptual friction (nod to Jason Gulya). Students need challenges and complexities to increase Critical thinking, problem-solving, deeper understanding. ✅ 𝗧𝗶𝗽𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗹𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗴𝗲 #AI 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗽𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹 𝗳𝗿𝗶𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 ➡️ Structured academic controversy Assign students different stances on an issue. Use AI to generate arguments for each side. ➡️ Predict-observe-explain (POE) activities Students predict outcomes, observe results, and explain observations. Use AI to simulate physical phenomena or historical events. Students test predictions and refine their understanding. ➡️ AI-generated prompts for critical thinking Generate complex, open-ended questions. Require students to apply knowledge in new ways. (Use Ruben Hassid Prompt Maker GPT to improve prompts.) ➡️ Interactive simulations and scenarios Create interactive simulations that mimic real-world scenarios. In a physics class, AI can simulate different frictional forces and their effects on motion, allowing students to experiment and observe outcomes in a controlled environment. ➡️ Analyzing AI responses Ask AI to write an essay or solve a problem. Students analyze and critique the AI responses. Identify errors, biases, and areas for improvement. ➡️ AI as a debate partner Use AI to simulate a debate partner. Help students practice argumentation skills. They respond to AI-generated counterarguments in real-time. ➡️ Scaffolded assignments Students use AI tools at different stages of their work. Brainstorm ideas, draft an outline, and refine final product. ➡️ Role-playing and simulations Simulate negotiations or market analysis. Provide a dynamic, interactive learning experience. Students and AI take on different roles in a simulated environment. ➡️ Feedback and revision cycles Provide instant feedback on student work. Encourage multiple revision cycles. ➡️ Ethical and societal implications Explore ethical and societal implications of decisions. Simulate the impact of different policies on society. ✅ 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗲𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 ➡️ Co-create expectations With students, define appropriate use and how AI should be cited. ➡️ Encourage reflection After using AI, students reflect on their experiences: How they'll use AI differently in the future. How AI influenced their thinking. What they learned. ➡️ Provide support and resources Tutorials, help sessions, online resources. Explain how to use AI effectively and ethically. ------------------------- Thoughtfully integrate AI into your classroom to ⬆️ conceptual friction. Challenge students. Promote critical thinking. Prepare them for an AI-infused future. ------------------------- ♻️ 𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗻𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝘀𝗼 𝘄𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻 𝘁𝗼𝗴𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿

In the face of the US housing shortage crisis, which has escalated from "terrible" to merely "bad" despite a surge in apartment construction, we find ourselves at a critical juncture. This challenge, while rooted in rising costs and economic pressures, offers an unexpected avenue for educators and tutors to contribute towards a solution. The crisis underscores a broader need for innovative thinking across all sectors, including education. How? By fostering critical thinking, problem-solving skills, and social responsibility in our students. Tutors and educators can play a pivotal role by integrating real-world issues, like the housing shortage, into their curriculums. This approach not only enriches the learning experience but also encourages students to apply their knowledge towards solving complex societal issues. Imagine a project-based learning module where students explore the economics of housing, the impact of policy, and the potential for sustainable development. Or a coding class tasked with developing an app that connects affordable housing projects with potential residents. The possibilities are endless and the impact, profound. By linking education with real-world challenges, we not only enrich our students' learning journeys but also empower the next generation of thinkers, innovators, and leaders to tackle pressing issues like the housing crisis head-on. Let's discuss: How can educators and tutors further integrate societal challenges into their teaching to inspire innovation and change? Your thoughts and experiences could light the path to a brighter, more sustainable future.