Letterato Opens a New Course on Critical Thinking in English

Letterato, the young Thinkers’ Academy, has kicked off a new English-language program in critical thinking for IX-XII grade students. The program is designed to address important skills development, such as logical reasoning, interpersonal communication, and creative thinking, and is aimed at the cultivation of intellectual autonomy, fair-mindedness and objectivity in students.

As we take a tour of The Thinkers’ Academy, everything resonates care and a willingness to a create student-oriented environment. Comfortable seats, carpets, colorful interior design make an exclusive environment where youngsters can relax and dive into deep thought and analysis individually or in teams.

Tamara Razmadze, the founder and director of Letterato, shows us the main classroom and explains: “We live in a technological era where information is largely available and knowledge much more accessible. However, human intelligence has never been so important. The ability to think critically, determine the quality and reliability of information, analyze an issue from different angles and rationalize key decisions, whether it refers to personal life or issues of public importance, are traits that will be more and more valued as technological breakthroughs accelerate. The quality of education, closely linked with innovation and creativity, plays a key role in the well-being of countries around the globe, reflected in the competitiveness and quality of life in general.”

And that is how the idea of Letterato was born: to fill a void which exists in supporting youth in the development of their critical and creative thinking abilities, and to create a space where they can engage in meaningful dialogue with their peers, exchange ideas and broaden their horizons. “This is a space where teenagers solve complex problems while having fun,” Razmadze tells us.

The Critical Thinking Course in English Language is part of this endeavor to offer something rewarding for the young generation of the expat community, or those Georgian youngsters who would like to integrate in the multicultural environment, expand their knowledge and skills, and get equipped with the abilities that will shape their success in future. The three-month course is led by a tutor from the USA, Michael Martley, MBA and Bachelor of Political Science, who has been living in Georgia since 2014.

According to Martley, critical thinking and problem solving are skills that will set you apart from others. Finding and implementing solutions is what the world needs in general, not stagnation. “Being a critical thinker benefits any occupation. I think we can all agree that leading business people have set themselves apart by dissecting challenges and finding solutions. A great chef has to create unique dishes; a great lawyer has to negotiate complicated situations, and great scientists are finding cures for diseases,” he says.

Martley has over 15 years of diverse working experience, serving in a variety of career roles, including time in financial services, the defense sector, and civil society organizations. Mike has conducted a number of career skills classes, including creative/critical thinking aspects as part of his responsibilities. Teaching, for him is a great way to give back to society. “The course will start in April and the students will enhance their wisdom and knowledge as we conduct discussions and/or exercises each session on a variety of real world topics that will create situations where they will learn to think through challenges and find solutions. They will create, build, problem-solve and work in teams while exercising their critical thinking skills in dynamic ways. At the course conclusion, they can walk away with confidence in understanding problems, analyzing solutions and making decisions as an individual or in teams,” Martley tells us.

After the completion of the three-month course, students will have obtained stronger analytical skills, better problem-solving skills, as well as enhanced critical reasoning and communications skills. The curriculum is designed in an interactive way and offers a variety of case studies, group work, role playing and practical exercises. The curriculum comprises diverse topics and concepts, from human rights, knowledge management and planning, to globalization, cost-benefit analysis and self-actualization. “I want the students to finish the course with an understanding of these concepts and generate their own point of view based on evidence and ethics,” Mike Martley says. The 12-week curriculum focuses on students who will take a walk in simulated real-world situations referring to city management and planning, governance and public good, self-development and lessons of failure.

Tamara Razmadze explains, “what I like about our curriculum and this course in particular, is that it also stimulates the youngsters to think about themselves and what they are going to aspire to in future: whether they want to become creators versus consumers. We assist the students to unleash their potential and utilize it for their well-being and for the greater good.”

Letterato was established with the key aim to assist students in expanding their knowledge, acquiring critical, objectivity-based thinking and debating skills and broadening their horizons in important areas of modern life such as human and civil rights, political decisions, ethics, literature and arts, beyond the regular school hours. According to Tamara Razmadze, “Today we are seeing incredible democratization of knowledge and accessibility of information, which is one of the greatest achievements of human civilization, but we also live in an era of superficial knowledge and ready-to-use answers to all questions we have. This leads to intellectual laziness, which is the opposite of critical thinking. That is why low-quality, biased or fake information is so vastly circulated and accepted in today’s world. We help our young generation to re-imagine the world they live in and start questioning, not digesting whatever material is presented to them. At the same time, the problems they have to solve will require the utilization of ethics, emotional intelligence and exhaustive information - relevant and to the point. The teaching curricula are designed in a way that responds to the requirements of modern reality that makes the learning process really dynamic and exciting,” Razmadze says.

More about Letterato can be found at the following link: www.letterato.ge You can sign-up to the Critical Thinking Course in English Language before the end of March at the following link: http://www.letterato.ge/index.php/en/registration or at info@letterato.ge