According to the British Higher School of Art and Design data, 65% of today’s Generation Z schoolchildren will work in non-existent today professional fields. How can we prepare them for a future that we know so little about? What and how to teach them if the answer to any question can be googled much faster than remembered? How suitable is the school for this in its modern format?

In the 21st century, people co-exist with computer technologies, implementing high-speed Internet in all spheres of life. Almost from birth, a person is surrounded by an oversaturated educational field, which is very difficult to navigate. We use informational web resources, student help services, apps, programs, and other technologies more often than libraries.

At this stage of the development of society, education problems are becoming a priority all over the world: it is education that determines the future of individual nations and humanity as a whole. It is no coincidence that education development issues are being considered today at the highest state level. Yet, while government officials and experts discuss modern approaches to education at scientific conferences, educators are often overwhelmed by the abundance of innovations offered to solve the problems they face. That is why it is of great practical importance that the teachers know about the educational possibilities of each technology. In this material, we will focus on critical thinking development technology.

Today, educating a person who does not carry overwhelming baggage of encyclopedic knowledge but possesses an essential quality as critical thinking is more important than ever. This skill allows one to find grains of truth in the streams of information from any source. A person needs critical thinking, which helps him or her to live among people, to socialize.

In the 21st century, the goals and objectives of education are changing. Since the further accumulation of information leads to an overload of students, the teacher’s task is not to summarize knowledge but to equip the student with a tool that can be used to acquire knowledge independently.

That is why new concepts of education, which are based on the activity approach, are being created. The present time requires a change of thinking in many areas of life. Modern reality calls for replacing the formula “education for life” with the formula “education throughout life.”

This problem is closely related to the implementation and development of new educational technologies in the learning process. Renewal of education requires the use of non-traditional forms and methods of learning process organization, which have the goal of helping students learn to:

– perceive;

– do and make;

– live and co-exist together;

– live in harmony with themselves.

Critical thinking is one of the types of human intellectual activity characterized by a high level of perception, the objectivity of the person’s information field.

Critical thinking is:

– the ability to pose new meaningful questions;

– develop a variety of supporting arguments;

– make thoughtful and independent decisions.

The fundamental thesis of the entire technology of critical thinking in education is “Constructing one’s knowledge within the framework of one’s search activity.”

Therefore, the critical thinking development technique makes it possible to make the classroom work more compelling, exciting and creative, and, most importantly – rewarding.

It is based on the learning approach “system-activity.” The lesson is structured to include each student in learning and cognitive activities. Such a lesson makes students think, teaches them to find new ways of solving problems and develops communication skills.

People with critical thinking meet all the requirements of modern society. They know how to see problems and prospects, set precise tasks, develop optimal ways to achieve them. They have clear, original, independent thinking, ready for self-realization and self-expression.