From: J D Stone
[[email protected]]
Sent: Saturday, October 23,
2010 7:06 PM
To: J D Stone
Subject: Critical Thinking
Attachments: image003.gif
Critical
Thinking outlined
Development in
thinking is a gradual process that requires time and commitment to the process.
It is not possible to become an excellent thinker in 6 easy steps. Changing
habits of thought is a long-range project, happening over years, not weeks or
months. The essential traits of a critical thinker requires practice and
discipline over time.
How do we develop as
critical thinkers? How can we help ourselves to practice better thinking in
everyday life? The following recommended practices are from the Foundation for Critical
Thinking and are based on the ideas of Dr.
Richard Paul and Dr. Linda Elder from their book: Critical Thinking: Tools for
Taking Charge of Your Learning and Your Life (see Top Six Books for
reference).
First, it’s helpful to
recognize there are stages to becoming a critical thinker:
Stage One: The
Unreflective Thinker
(we are unaware of significant problems in our thinking)
Stage Two: The
Challenged Thinker (we become aware of problems in our
thinking)
Stage Three: The
Beginning Thinker (we try to improve but without regular
practice)
Stage Four: The
Practicing Thinker (we recognize the necessity of regular
practice)
Stage Five: The
Advanced Thinker (we advance in accordance with our practice)
Stage Six: The
Master Thinker (skilled & insightful thinking become second
nature to us)
Development through
these stages depends on:
1) accepting the challenges and limitations in our thinking
2) practicing critical thinking
Developing a practice
of critical thinking can be helped along with these 9 recommended strategies:
1. Use
“Wasted” Time.
For example, you might
ask yourself questions like:
When did I do my worst thinking today? When did I do my best? What did I think
about today? Did I figure anything out? If I had to repeat today what
would I do differently? Why? Did I do anything today to further my long-term
goals? Did I act in accordance with my own expressed values?
Take a little time with each question. Record your observations. As time passes,
you will notice patterns in your thinking. More on this…
2. Identify a
Problem a Day.
At the beginning of
each day choose a problem to work on when you have free moments. Figure out the
logic of the problem by identifying its elements. In other words,
systematically think through the questions: What exactly is the problem? How
can I put it into the form of a question? How does it relate to my goals,
purposes, and needs? More on this…
3. Internalize
Intellectual Standards.
Each week, develop a
heightened awareness of one of the universal intellectual standards (clarity, precision,
accuracy, relevance, depth, breadth, logicalness, significance). Focus one week
on clarity, the next on accuracy, etc. For example, if you are focusing on
clarity for the week, try to notice when you are being unclear in communicating
with others. Notice when others are unclear in what they are saying.
Use 4 techniques for
achieving clarity in reading and writing:
- State
what you mean explicitly and precisely (with careful consideration given
to your choice of words)
- Elaborate
on your meaning in other words
- Give
examples of what you mean from experiences you have had
- Using
analogies, metaphors, pictures, or diagrams- illustrate what you mean. More on this…
4. Keep An
Intellectual Journal.
Each week, write out a
certain number of journal entries. Use the following format:
- Situation.
Describe a situation that is, or was, emotionally significant to you (that
is, that you deeply care about). Focus on one situation at a time.
- Your
Response. Describe what you did in response to that situation. Be specific
and exact.
- Analysis.
Then analyze, in the light of what you have written, what precisely was
going on in the situation. Dig beneath the surface.
- Assessment.
Assess the implications of your analysis. What did you learn about
yourself? What would you do differently if you could re-live the
situation?
5.
Build Your Character.
Choose
one intellectual trait—intellectual perseverance, autonomy, empathy, courage,
humility, etc.— to strive for each month, focusing on how you can develop that
trait in yourself. More on this…
6.
Deal with Your Ego.
Egocentric
thinking is an automatic subconscious bias in favor of oneself. On a daily
basis, you can begin to observe your egocentric thinking in action by
contemplating questions like these: Under what circumstances do I think with a
bias in favor of myself? Did I ever become irritable over small things? Did I
do or say anything “irrational” to get my way? Did I try to impose my will upon
others? Did I ever fail to speak my mind when I felt strongly about something,
and then later feel resentment? Once you identify egocentric thinking in
operation, you can then work to replace it with more rational thought through
systematic self-reflection. More on this…
7.
Redefine the Way You See Things.
We
live in a world, both personal and social, in which every situation is
“defined,” that is, given a meaning. How a situation is defined determines not
only how we feel about it, but also how we act in it, and what implications it
has for us. However, virtually every situation can be defined in more than one
way. This fact carries with it tremendous opportunities. More on this…
8.
Get in touch with your emotions.
Whenever
you feel some negative emotion, systematically ask yourself: What, exactly, is
the thinking leading to this emotion? More on this…
9.
Analyze group influences on your life.
Closely
analyze the behavior that is encouraged, and discouraged, in the groups to which
you belong. For any given group, what are you “required” to believe? What are
you “forbidden” to do? Every group enforces some level of conformity. Discover
what pressure you are bowing to and think explicitly about whether or not to
reject that pressure. More on this…
The
key point to keep in mind when devising strategies is that you are engaged in a
personal experiment. You are testing ideas in your everyday life. You are
integrating them, and building on them, in the light of your actual experience.
Other Useful Resources
- Refer
to this excellent video for a good overview of what it means to be a
critical thinker.
- The
Foundation for
Critical Thinking has a wealth or resources and access to research on
this topic.
- For
an overview of the attitudes and competencies required for critical
thinking, refer to this open educational resource developed by the
University of Hong Kong Critical Thinking, Logic and Creativity.
- For
some more information and tips on how to think critically, see Wikipedia’s
critical
thinking, concept mapping, and mind
mapping.
- For
some tips on problem solving, see the University of Texas at Austin’s New Problem Solving Tactics.
Top Six Books: (Available from UBC Library)
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