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CalenDaR:native american heritage Month

national adoption Month

nov. 1 national Family literacy Day [www.famlit.org]

nov. 3 Daylight savings Time ends

nov. 11 Veteran’s Day

nov. 28-30 TCC closed for Thanksgiving holiday

The Trinity River Library is committed to inspiring student success through lifelong learning. November 2013 | Volume 2 Issue 3

Power On: QEP Resources at Your Trinity River Campus Library

Final inFo liTeRaCy ClassesVisit the Trinity River Campus library

website for more information.

nov. 8, 1-4 p.m. nov. 9, 9 a.m.-noon

TCC’s Quality Enhancement Plan – “Power On” – is a focused, Districtwide initiative to enhance student learning by improving critical thinking skills. The QEP is also a required component of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACS-COC) reaffirmation process. In an effort to support this endeavor, the Trinity River Campus Library is pleased to provide faculty members with a dedicated collection of critical thinking resources across multiple disciplines. Included among the items on reserve at the circulation desk are:

• Books addressing reasoning, logic and questioning skills in all areas of life and study

• Subject-specific titles that focus on applying critical thinking to the areas of Psychology, Speech/Communication and English

• And books that provide examples of activities and guided lessons to empower instructors with the ability to incorporate critical thinking into daily instruction

Below, you will find a brief selection of critical thinking titles currently available in the TR Library. Stop by the circulation desk to check one out or view any of the other critical thinking reserves. You

may also call the circulation desk at 817-515-1220 to have a book put on hold.

Teaching and PedagogyWashburn, P. (2010). The vocabulary of critical thinking. New York: Oxford University Press.

Washburn’s book is based on the premise that critical thinking skills, regardless of the discipline to which they are applied, require the ability to perform “basic operations” such as comparing,

generalizing, evaluating and justifying. Students, however, must first master what it means to compare, generalize, evaluate and justify before

attempting to apply those skills to any academic study. This book introduces students to the words themselves which are commonly associated with thinking skills so that they may begin to build their background knowledge.

Multi-disciplinaryBrookfield, S. (1987). Developing critical thinkers: Challenging adults to explore alternative ways of thinking and acting. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Moving beyond the classroom definition of critical thinking, Dr. Brookfield

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Choose the way you think with books about QEPprovides practical examples of how thinking skills can be applied to four areas of adult life: personal relationships, politics, media and the workplace.

Reading and WritingCooper, S., & Patton, R. (2007). Writing logically, thinking critically. New York: Pearson/Longman.

Designed as a supplemental text for an introductory writing class, Cooper and Patton’s book includes assignments and activities for a collaborative learning environment. Additionally, in an effort to branch out from the common focus on critical thinking in expository compositions, the authors incorporate fiction and poetry into their reading samples.

PsychologyHunt, A. (2008). Pragmatic thinking & learning: Refactor your wetware. Raleigh, NC: The Pragmatic Bookshelf.

Written by a former programmer, this book examines the connections between learning theory, cognitive theory and behavior science. The guiding premise here is that the first step to improving thinking skills is to develop an understanding of how all brain functions are related. Essentially, you can choose to change the way you think only if you first understand how thinking works.

Speech/Communication:Ruggiero, V. R. (2009). The art of thinking: A guide to critical and creative thought. New York: Longman.

The Art of Thinking is a supplemental

textbook that is focused on the development of critical thinking skills for the purpose of improving communication.

Part IV of the text includes exercises that are intended to help students improve their ability to persuade others through effective written and verbal communications.

New titles will be purchased and added to this collection regularly. For your convenience, they will also be listed in upcoming issues of TMI News. Don’t forget to sign up for a monthly electronic copy of the newsletter by emailing us at tr.circ@tccd.edu.

Native American heritage books and dvds available at the library:

Native-American author Sherman J. Alexie, Jr. was born and raised on the Spokane Indian Reservation in Washington. In his youth, he overcame many medical, social and financial obstacles to become an award-winning poet by the age of 26. Beyond poetry, Alexie has also drawn upon his life experiences to write short stories, novels, screenplays and young-adult fiction. One of his best-known and most honored works is the semi-autobiographical Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian. This book, and many others by Sherman Alexie, are on display at your TR Library this month. Check one out today!

Author Profile: Sherman Alexie