The modern K-12 teacher's must-have guide to teach students how to ask questions, weigh the evidence, and think critically and independently
Students and teachers alike face a dilemma: Why think deeply when we can just take a shortcut by googling something? Why read an article when we can learn from a social media headline? If, as educators, we want to encourage our students to value thoughtfulness and to embrace the effort it takes to reach deep understandings, we must model that behavior ourselves. In Never Stop Asking, author Dr. Nathan Lang-Raad shows K-12 teachers how human brains like to take mental shortcuts, known as heuristics, that allow the brain to save energy and perform more efficiently. These heuristics, however, can lead to illogical thinking, cognitive biases, and fallacies that can hinder critical thinking.
Never Stop Asking: Teaching Students to be Better Critical Thinkers is the armor we need to defend ourselves and our students against the all-too-tempting shortcuts that the digital age has to offer, employing strategies to consistently and explicitly support teaching critical thinking and weaving it into the everyday landscape of your classroom. Let’s ensure that the students of today will be the skilled thinkers of tomorrow.
- Learn about common psychological shortcuts and biases that hinder students and teachers alike
- Discover the logic and the science behind critical thinking and why it leads to better outcomes
- Gain strategies to bring critical thinking into the classroom and help students build patience, discipline, and skill
- Acknowledge and embrace the digital age in your teaching―without falling victim to its downsides
This is an engaging and important book for K-12 teachers and instructional coaches. Teacher training programs can also be enhanced by the practical wisdom and easy-to-implement strategies inside.
Review
Praise for Never Stop Asking
"Dr. Nathan Lang-Raad clearly has the background, research, and experience to detail why our modern education system was never designed to create critical thinkers. Never Stop Asking is the book educators have been looking for with insights and strategies that ensure students today will be the skilled thinkers of tomorrow."
―Barbara Bray, Podcast Host, Speaker, Author, Story Weaver
"Essential reading for any educator wishing to elevate their understanding of critical thinking in the classroom. Nathan Lang Raad draws from years of experience, elegantly breaking down powerful learning concepts in a unique and clear-sighted way. His ideas and methods come together to form an accessible, rational, and important guide for 21st century teaching―a crucial companion piece for the spirited educator."
―Misbah Gedal, Head of Engagement at Wakelet
"Never Stop Asking performs the real service of giving teachers and administrators a positive and bold vision of what supporting students as critical thinkers really looks like along with exciting and easy ways to implement it. What if your staff read this book and came together in critical thinking dialogue circles to process it and act on it in the classroom? Highly recommended!"
―Laura Gilchrist, ParentCamp Vice-President and and Teacher Professional Development Consultant/Coach, Kansas City, MO
"A thorough introductory treatment of how to teach critical thinking filled with fun, humility, and facts that create a grounding in what is often an elusive concept. What's more, it properly grounds those facts in an acknowledgement of the importance of knowledge in learning to think critically―all of which makes this a valuable resource for educators."
―Michael Horn, Author of From Reopen to Reinvent
"One of the greatest skills necessary for growth and achievement is to view the world through a critical thinking lens. Nathan Lang-Raad's book, Never Stop Asking, inspires readers to reflect on thoughts and actions as they empower students to embrace curiosity, ask questions, and push boundaries of common understanding."
―Tamara Letter, Instructional Coach and Author of A Passion for Kindness: Making the World a Better Place to Lead, Love, and Learn
"This book is a must read for any teacher who cares about creating a critically thinking classroom and society! Nathan synthesizes research and suggests innovative ways to support critical thinking in a refreshing, captivating and informative way."
―David Palank, author of Classhacker and Principal of San Miguel School
"In the world of disinformation and decentralization, the world needs students and citizens who can critically think and ask questions and find answers using decision-making mechanisms that are research-based and not based on anecdotes, ad hominem, or opinions. Dr. Nathan Lang-Raad takes the research body of how we critically think and creates not only a philosophical argument, but provides strategies of how teachers, schools, and individuals can build and practice critical thinking skills. Dr. Lang-Raad allows us to rethink how we think about critical thinking and gives us all a call to action to bring forth strategies to implement it within the schools and institutions we serve in."
―Matthew Rhoads, Ed.D, Tech Integrationist, Professor, and Author
"It's never been more important to consider what students need beyond the foundational skills and academics our schools prioritize. Never Stop Asking invites educators at all levels to contemplate why and how critical thinking should become a higher educational priority, then equips them with the ideas, scenarios, and frameworks to make it a reality in their classrooms or courses―all in one well-researched volume overflowing with actionable insights."
―Carri Schneider, Ed.D., Head of Editorial and Publishing, XQ Institute
From the Back Cover
A must-read guide for K-12 teachers seeking to instill the values of critical and independent thinking in their students
In Never Stop Asking: Teaching Students to be Better Critical Thinkers, veteran educator Dr. Nathan D. Lang-Raad delivers an insightful discussion of how human brains like to take shortcuts that can lead to illogical thinking, cognitive biases, and fallacies that can hinder critical thinking. The author demonstrates how to defend yourself and your students against these shortcuts, which are made even more tempting in the digital age, and presents strategies to consistently and explicitly support critical thinking in your classroom.
You’ll discover the logic and science underlying critical thinking and how it leads to better outcomes, as well as how to acknowledge and embrace digital technologies in your classroom―without falling victim to its drawbacks and pitfalls.
An engaging and important book for K-12 teachers and instructional coaches, Never Stop Asking is also an ideal resource for use in teacher training programs in need of the practical wisdom and easy-to-implement strategies found inside. It’s an essential text in an age where thoughtfulness and deep understanding are at a premium.
“Dr. Nathan Lang-Raad clearly has the background, research, and experience to detail why our modern education system was never designed to create critical thinkers. Never Stop Asking is a must-read book for educators to ensure students today will be the skilled thinkers of tomorrow.”
―BARBARA BRAY, Podcast Host, Speaker, Author, Story Weaver
“Essential reading for any educator wishing to elevate their understanding of critical thinking in the classroom. Nathan Lang-Raad draws from years of experience, elegantly breaking down powerful learning concepts in a unique and clear-sighted way. His ideas and methods come together to form an accessible, rational, and important guide for twenty-first century teaching―a crucial companion piece for the spirited educator.”
―MISBAH GEDAL, Head of Engagement at Wakelet
About the Author
NATHAN D. LANG-RAAD, EdD, is an educator, speaker, and author passionate about inquiry, curiosity, and wonder. With a background in science and education, Lang-Raad brings a unique perspective to his writing, exploring the intersection of science and emotion with practicality and insight.
EN 
VI