College+Readiness

//Teaching Students to Dig Deeper//, I listed ten college readiness traits that I wish I had when I went to college. So after all I said about us not being good thinkers, here is the list of what my ideal thinkers are like (derived from Dr. David Conley's research on what incoming college freshmen need to know and be able to do when they get to college): Now if schools concentrated on these things we'd all be geniuses. Most schools and even the state testing don't have it wrong. Our brains can hold a lot and their job is to fill them. The only thing that is amiss is that they only go half way. Students get a lot of information, but really do not have a reason to retain it. That is where the thinking comes into play -- to drive the information deep into the recesses of that huge cranium between our ears.
 * 1) Analytic thinkers break things down in to small parts that are easier to understand.
 * 2) Critical thinkers judge the information and choose the most worthy things to know.
 * 3) Creative thinkers seek solutions to problems by synthesizing what they know.
 * 4) Inquisitive thinkers are always learning new things about the world around them.
 * 5) Opportunistic thinkers take advantage of learning from people who know more.
 * 6) Flexible thinkers are willing to admit they are wrong, and resilient enough to keep at it.
 * 7) Open-minded thinkers will listen and observe but reserve judgment for later.
 * 8) Teachable thinkers are thirsty for knowledge and are actively seeking answers.
 * 9) Risk-taking thinkers aren't afraid of looking at things in a different way.
 * 10) Expressive thinkers know how to research their ideas and share their vision.

http://www.edutopia.org/blog/brainteasers-and-college-readiness-ben-johnson

http://news.yahoo.com/50-college-gems-bargain-tuitions-sat-optional-policies-154700450.html