As I lay here, sick and overcome
with the same crud that has been plaguing my friends and family around me, I
have not much else to do than succumb to slowing down and allowing my body time
to heal. This has given way to much thinking during my waking hours. It has
been one month and one day since I began MSLD 500 and have been introduced to
critical thinking. I have spent some time reflecting on my critical thinking competencies
like where I started and how far I have come. I have even thought about what it
means to me and why I do it. Before I formally learned any of the critical
thinking processes, I had an open mind and great intentions to survey the world
around me. Since I did not see critical thinking as a systematic whole I was
going about it in such a disorganized manner. It is kind of like throwing darts
at paint filled balloons, sometimes I would hit one but a lot of times I just
missed. It sounds fun but I was not getting anywhere.
Learning to think things through: A guide to critical thinking across
the curriculum by Gerald M. Nosich really brought critical thinking into my
forefront and gave me a sense of understanding that helped me eliminate the
chaotic and sporadic thinking I had been involved in and gave me a solid
foundation of methods. A brief overview: The elements of reasoning can be diagrammed by taking a circle and cutting it into eight pie wedges and assigning
these elements to its own section. The elements are purpose, questions at
issue, assumptions, implications/consequences, information, concepts,
conclusions/interpretations and point of view. These elements are also
surrounded by context and alternatives. There is no one correct place to start
in the circle. Spin the wheel and start where you are comfortable depending on
the issue. These are then applied to the standards of critical thinking which
are clearness, accuracy, importance/relevance, sufficiency, depth, breadth and
precision which act like filters to eliminate anything that does not meet the
criteria. There is more behind the idea of critical thinking; however, this is
a good place to start in explaining how learn to think critically.
Previous to my familiarity with
critical thinking I was engaging in some of the elements and some of the
standards on my own. However, it is impractical to think one can simply think
their way through an issue using those guidelines if you have never learned
them as a comprehensive unit. It is almost impossible to do something without
knowing about it. Since having the opportunity to learn them, I have adopted
them into my daily practice. Critical thinking for me is something I practice
throughout each day and I do it at home, at work, when I watch TV, when I am
out doing errands or simply enjoying leisure time. Back to my mention of
critical thinking during television, it is kind of brilliant because I am
getting so much better thinking through who did it and I am getting really good
at being right! It is a wonderful way to open a new window of thought and
allows you to see things you may not have realized where there at all. I think
for many people and especially for me, there can be hesitance due to doubt in
incorporating a new way of thinking. I feel that I am a generally receptive
person, but doubt can cloud your judgment and reasons for wanting to do
something differently and can make you erase the idea altogether. It seems
easier to deny something different, safer even.
The main thing for me is that I feared
I would be able to do it or that I would even be good at it. It is like green
eggs and ham; I just had to try it to know for sure. Oh, and I did try it… and
just like Sam-I-Am, I liked it! Another factor for me is embracing the fact that
developing my critical thinking would be good for me. This reminds me of my
personal struggle with vegetables all the way through young adulthood. I really
like asparagus but there are other vegetables to contend with, like broccoli. A
simple avoidance would have been preferable to me because I was under the
misguided perception that broccoli is served steamed, mushy and disgusting. It is
just completely displeasing to me. The great thing about learning about the
world around us is that you find out there are other ways to do things. Once I
realized you could keep broccoli in a raw state and make broccoli salad, mixed
in with other ingredients that complimented its flavor it transformed my
thought of vegetables altogether. It was amazing; freeing even, that I did not
have to do the one size fits all routine. I could make it my own, something
that works for me and my preferences. I think critical thinking can do that,
too. If you use it as a tool for your own purposes it becomes useful rather
than compulsory.
For me critical thinking is
important because you can be skeptical without being cynical, open-minded
without being indecisive, analytical without being discriminating, decisive
without being stubborn and evaluate without being judgmental. I truly feel like
you can begin to unlock the world around you when you think critically, or as
the Nosich text points out, think effectively. One probably cannot become a
critical thinking master in one month’s time, but I know regular practice is
something I am willing to do. I personally think you can constantly push and
grow yourself to be better and I do not want how I do my thinking to be an
exception.
Reference: Nosich, G. M. (2012).
Learning to think things through: a guide to critical thinking across the
curriculum (4th ed.). Boston: Pearson.
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