Critical ThinkingCritical Thinking

“ “ Insanity is doing the same Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again thing over and over again and expecting different and expecting different results.” results.” Albert Einstein Albert Einstein

What does this mean to you?

What skills do you need What skills do you need to be a good critical to be a good critical

thinker?thinker?

Necessary Skills Necessary Skills Good communication skills: listening skills speaking and writing skills asking good questions Good reasoning/evaluation skills creativity ability to compare possible

solutions

Skills Skills Motivation to take action Ability to honestly assess

outcome

DefinitionDefinition

Critical thinking is the intellectually disciplined process of actively and skillfully conceptualizing, applying, analyzing, synthesizing, and/or evaluating information gathered from, or generated by, observation, experience, reflection, reasoning, or communication, as a guide to belief and action.

www.criticalthinking.org/aboutCT/definingCT.shtml

In other wordsIn other wordsCritical thinking is a mental

process of analyzing and evaluating information.

In the model presented, the elements inform analysis and the standards inform evaluation.

A quick surveyA quick surveyI need six volunteers

What is your favorite color?What did you drink with dinner

last night?What would you prefer to wear:

◦Pink High-top sneakers◦Black regular sneakers with the NBA

logo

Break information into Break information into partspartsSeparate the ideasCompare and contrastExamine cause and effect

Look for themes, patterns, and categories

Separate Fact from Separate Fact from OpinionOpinionA statement of fact is objectively real and verifiable

A statement of opinion is a belief, conclusion, or judgment that is inherently difficult, and sometimes impossible, to verify

Give me some examplesGive me some examples

FactOpinion

Perspectives and Perspectives and AssumptionsAssumptionsPerspective – A characteristic way of thinking about people, situations, events, or ideas

Assumption – A judgment, generalization, or bias influenced by experience and values

Bias – a preference or inclination, especially one that prevents evenhanded judgment

The Eight Elements of The Eight Elements of ThoughtThought

Conclusions

Concepts

Assumptions

Information

Implications &Consequences

Question at Issue

Elements of Thought

PurposePoint of View

Let’s apply 4 of these to a Let’s apply 4 of these to a current issuecurrent issueQuestion at issueWhat information do we have?

Point of viewAssumptions