The Information Age has been shaping the conception of thinking in education through the capability of computerized problem solving, through the resulting application of the information processing model to human thinking, and through the theories emerging from other cognitive science research in metacognition, construction of knowledge, and scientific inquiry. This paper is organized to provide background on the fragmentation of thinking and potential unifying principles underlying the possible integration of fragments. Topics covered are: (1) skills-oriented approach; (2) metacognition; (3) constructivist approach; and (4) scientific inquiry. In each topic, the content, history, assumptions, advantages, and issues are discussed. This paper summarizes recommendations of the New Jersey Basic Skills Council for those who make educational policy, those who construct or select instructional materials, and classroom teachers. (YP)