Guatemala’s English-language Magazine

Available worldwide at www.revuemag.com

October 2009 FREE
Year 18, No. 8

◗ Día de los Muertos

◗ Traditional Kite Making
◗ El Pilar: A hidden gem
EDUCATION by Christine K. Wilson photos: Santiago Albert Pons
Using cartoons and clippings from current events,
teachers practice making learning more interest-
ing and enriching in their classrooms.
Teaching to Think
S
ocrates once said “I cannot teach
anybody anything, I can only make
them think.” Teaching someone how
to think instead of what to think is the hall-
mark of a good education. A student who
thinks is capable of analyzing, of making
decisions, and forming opinions—skills
badly needed in today’s world. Fortunately
for La Antigua, several teachers are follow-
ing Socrates’ path. They are among more
than 40 teachers from 13 public schools
and organizations who have completed the
workshop. “Reading and Writing for Criti-
cal Thinking” (RWCT) recently held at
the Cooperación Española.
The workshops, held monthly for six
months, provide teachers with strategies
on how to help students incorporate logic
to read carefully, discuss analytically and
write clearly. Using this method, the chil-
dren are first asked to consider their as-
sumptions on a certain subject, then to
research it thoroughly and finally to re-
flect on what they have learned and how
to apply it. These extra steps go beyond
the typical read-and-memorize approach
A passionate teacher, Patty Rosales brings
the strategies of critical thinking to the
Antigua community.
used in most local schools. As Patty Rosa-
les, workshop trainer explains, integrating
the RWCT strategies “is the beginning of
a deeper and more analytical learning.”
On a recent day, the laughs can be
heard down the entire length of the corri-
dors of the Cooperación Española. At the
RWCT workshop, teachers are presenting
a cartoon of their own creation to illus-
trate what they have read. The cartoon
provides more than just a good laugh, it is
a way to summarize and express opinions.
Strategies like incorporating cartoons,
games and current events in the classroom
are some of the methods that teachers use
to help their students take ownership of
their learning. As Elix Estrada, from the
Familia de Esperanza project, points out,
“When I integrate activities in the class-
room, the children not only enjoy it more
but also learn more.”
The RWCT was developed by several lead-
ing American universities and is now used in
more than 30 countries. In Guatemala, the
RWCT program was ...continued on page 92
revuemag.com « 21
Learning can be fun and interactive as participants in the RWCT workshop find out.
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initiated by the Consejo de Lectura or read-
ing council. Experience has shown that the
benefits of RWCT go beyond the classroom
to help children become better citizens. As
Mrs. Rosales explains, “Developing critical
thinking in students is the key to fomenting
positive change in Guatemala.” Mrs. Rosales
would like to see more workshops take place
to create a ripple effect on the country.
But as Olga Pérez de Girón, director of
the San Cristóbal El Bajo grammar school,
says: “We come here to better ourselves, but
we could never afford to pay for this level
of training.” Lack of government funds for
training is a common problem. That is why
this RWCT workshop is sponsored by Em-
presarios por la Educación, Entrepreneurs
for Education. Empresarios por la Edu-
92 » revuemag.com
cación is a non-profit organization whose
mission is to utilize the skills, energy and
resources of the private sector for the good
of public education.
Empresarios has recently established a
chapter in Antigua and is developing sev-
eral projects to improve the area’s schools
in addition to the RWCT workshops.
For example, Empresarios will coordinate
English-speaking volunteers to help public
school English teachers to improve their
pronunciation, vocabulary and grammar.
Over time, this and other projects will help
develop a nation of thinkers who can build
a better future for Guatemala.
Empresarios por la Educación:
www.empresariosporlaeducacion.org
Reading and Writing for Critical Thinking:
www.ct-net.net