Be Thoughtful and Wise – BTW training on the basics of critical thinking and media literacy

Aims & objectives

The main aims and objectives:
• To develop critical thinking;
• To develop media literacy;
• To develop active listening skills (active listening is important in the perception of information, as it allows you to get into the essence and deeply understand what is being said);
• To develop skills of public speech (a well-prepared public speech is one of the most powerful tools for persuading an audience. To avoid being manipulated, you must be able to identify the rhetorical means by which it is constructed. And the best way to learn them is to put them into practice by preparing your own public speech);
• To give the overview, understanding, and feeling of Improvisation Theatre as a tool for personal development and as a method in youth work (Critical thinking requires not only analytical abilities but also developed emotional intelligence and creativity. Improvisation Theatre is a unique tool that is ideal for developing these skills. We also use this method to prepare participants for public speaking, training their confidence and raising awareness of the importance of non-verbal communication);
• To create brochures with tips on how to develop critical thinking and media literacy and examples of public speeches with analyses of them; and to disseminate them on the international, national, regional, and local levels;
• To establish trustworthy partnerships with youth workers from different countries;
• To improve skills and develop different competencies being crucial for youth workers and youth leaders in the process of non-formal education.

Target group & international/intercultural composition of the group & team

In the TC were involved participants who:
• are 18-40 years old;
• work with youth;
• are open to new experience and learning opportunities;
• are open-minded and flexible;
• are able to communicate and express themselves in English;
• are motivated and interested in the topic of the project.

The training involved 34 participants from 15 countries: Czech Republic, France, Germany, Italy, Romania, Armenia, Belarus, Moldova, Russian Federation, Ukraine, Latvia, Georgia, Poland, Serbia, Portugal.

Training methods used & main activities

This project included the following areas/topics/methods of work:
• Rational thinking and cognitive biases. To get closer to objectivity, it is important to be aware of the fact that people are irrational beings, and their thinking is characterized by systematic mistakes. Knowing about possible cognitive biases will help participants identify them in the process of thinking and reduce their influence in forming conclusions or making
decisions;
• Rhetoric and oratory. A well-prepared public speech is one of the most powerful tools for persuading an audience. Unfortunately, it is not always the ideas that sound from behind the stands are useful to the public. To avoid being manipulated, you must be able to identify the rhetorical means by which it is constructed. And the best way to learn them is
to put them into practice by preparing your own public speech. In addition, the ability to convey ideas to the audience will be a useful skill for those who are engaged in social activities and work with young people;
• Improvisation Theatre. Critical thinking requires not only analytical abilities, but also developed emotional intelligence and creativity. Thus, active listening is important in the perception of information, as it allows you to get into the essence and deeply understand what is being said; openness to new ideas expands the perspective of the view and allows you to consider the subject from different sides. Improvisation Theatre is a unique tool that is ideal for developing these skills. We
also use this method to prepare participants for public speaking, training their confidence and raising awareness of the importance of non-verbal communication.

Outcomes of the activity

The results of the project are recorded in the Guide, dedicated to critical thinking and media literacy. It includes some tips for a wide range of people about how to develop critical thinking, media literacy, and skills of public speaking. We hope to distribute this brochure (both Internet and printed version) and draw the attention of target groups to this issue, increase their awareness in this area. In addition, during the project participants achieved an understanding of how to interact with the public and competence of making public speeches. We hope it will help participants spread their positive ideas among the people (it’s worth underlining that ideas could be not only about the media literacy, but also about other values – it depends on the sphere where each participant works, but mainly democracy, non-violence, equality, human rights, diversity, intercultural dialogue, climate changing, healthy lifestyle, etc – so the common values for Europe and the whole world).

http://toolbox.salto-youth.net/3108

Your tasks and responsibilities within the team

one of the full time Trainers responsible for the content.

I worked on this training for 8 days as a full time trainer.