Critical ThinkingCritical Thinking

Pam CiganickPam Ciganick

What must we rethink?What must we rethink?

“The illiterate of the 21st Century will not be those who cannot read or write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn.”

– Alvin Toffler

http://youtube.com/watch?v=NLlGopyXT_g

Henry Smith married 150 women Henry Smith married 150 women in the course of 10 years. He was in the course of 10 years. He was never arrested for bigamy never arrested for bigamy although each marriage was although each marriage was witnessed and recorded with the witnessed and recorded with the proper authorities. Why?proper authorities. Why?

““Traditional thinking is all about Traditional thinking is all about “what is.” Future thinking will “what is.” Future thinking will also need to be about what can also need to be about what can be.”be.”

-Edward de Bono-Edward de Bono

Critical Thinking Critical Thinking DefinedDefined

““Critical thinking is a technique Critical thinking is a technique for evaluating information and for evaluating information and ideas, for deciding what to accept ideas, for deciding what to accept and believe.” and believe.” Dan Kurland Dan Kurland

Set of ValuesSet of Values

*Thinking for yourself, as compared to accepting *Thinking for yourself, as compared to accepting unquestioningly what others want you to believe.unquestioningly what others want you to believe.

*Welcoming the opportunity to explore new ideas, *Welcoming the opportunity to explore new ideas, points of view and possibilities.points of view and possibilities.

*Using reason to investigate questions, evaluate *Using reason to investigate questions, evaluate ideas, advocate positions, and resolve conflicts.ideas, advocate positions, and resolve conflicts.

*Including the voices and perspectives of diverse *Including the voices and perspectives of diverse parties in the discussion of issues.parties in the discussion of issues.

*Weighing ideas based on their merits, not who *Weighing ideas based on their merits, not who advocates them.advocates them.

*Achieving the best possible resolution of questions, *Achieving the best possible resolution of questions, as compared to winning arguments for the sake of as compared to winning arguments for the sake of winning them. winning them. – East Tennessee State University (East Tennessee State University (

www.etsu.edu/criticalthinking/what_is_ct.aspwww.etsu.edu/criticalthinking/what_is_ct.asp

Set of SkillsSet of Skills

*Inquiry Skills: the ability to frame *Inquiry Skills: the ability to frame questions and gather information.questions and gather information.

*Understanding and Evaluation Skills: *Understanding and Evaluation Skills: the ability to understand others’ ideas the ability to understand others’ ideas and evaluate arguments offered in and evaluate arguments offered in support of them.support of them.

*Advocacy Skills: the ability to formulate *Advocacy Skills: the ability to formulate positions and support them in a manner positions and support them in a manner that promotes reasoned discussion. that promotes reasoned discussion. – East Tennessee State University (East Tennessee State University (

www.etsu.edu/criticalthinking/what_is_ct.aspwww.etsu.edu/criticalthinking/what_is_ct.asp

Critical Thinking vs. Critical Thinking vs. Critical ReadingCritical Reading

CriticalCritical reading reading is a technique foris a technique for discovering discovering information and ideas information and ideas within a text.within a text.

CriticalCritical thinking thinking is a technique foris a technique for evaluating evaluating information and ideas, information and ideas, for deciding what to accept and for deciding what to accept and believe. believe. http://www.criticalreading.com/http://www.criticalreading.com/

Why is teaching critical Why is teaching critical thinking important?thinking important?

What skills are most important for job success when hiring a High School graduate?

Work EthicWork Ethic 80%80%

CollaborationCollaboration 75%75%

Good CommunicationGood Communication 70%70%

Social ResponsibilitySocial Responsibility 63%63%

Critical Thinking & Problem SolvingCritical Thinking & Problem Solving 58%58%

Are They Really Ready To Work? 2006

Of the High School students that you recently hired, what were their deficiencies?

Written CommunicationWritten Communication 81%81%

LeadershipLeadership 73%73%

Work EthicWork Ethic 70%70%

Critical Thinking & Problem SolvingCritical Thinking & Problem Solving 70%70%

Self-DirectionSelf-Direction 58%58%

2121stst Century Skills Century Skills

Are They Really Ready To Work? 2006

What applied skills and basic knowledge are most important for those you will hire with a four-year college diploma?

Oral CommunicationOral Communication 95.4%95.4%

CollaborationCollaboration 94.4%94.4%

Professional/Work EthicProfessional/Work Ethic 93.8%93.8%

Written CommunicationWritten Communication 93.1%93.1%

Critical Thinking/Problem SolvingCritical Thinking/Problem Solving 93.1%93.1%

2121stst Century Skills Century Skills

Are They Really Ready To Work? 2006

What skills and content areas will be growing in importance in the next five years?

Critical ThinkingCritical Thinking 78%78%

Information Technology Information Technology 77%77%

Health & WellnessHealth & Wellness 76%76%

CollaborationCollaboration 74%74%

InnovationInnovation 74%74%

Personal Financial ResponsibilityPersonal Financial Responsibility 72%72%

2121stst Century Skills Century Skills

Are They Really Ready To Work? 2006

Caution!Caution!

http://teachertube.com/http://teachertube.com/viewVideo.php?viewVideo.php?video_id=67350&title=When_You_video_id=67350&title=When_You_Are_Plugged_In___Are_Plugged_In___

Characteristics of a Characteristics of a Critical ThinkerCritical Thinker

Do you have the COURAGE and PASSION to takeinitiative and confront problems and meet challenges?

Are you AWARE of your own biases and preconceptions?

Do you have INDEPENDENT opinions and arenot afraid to disagree?

Are you HONEST with yourself (or others)when you are wrong?

Are you able to get to the HEART OF AN ISSUE or problem,without being distracted by details?

Do you love the TRUTH and are CURIOUS about a wide range of issues?

Do you listen OPEN-MINDEDLY to opposing points of view?

Do you WELCOME CRITICISM? – Adapted from (p.21) :

http://highered.mcgraw-hill.com/sites/0767417399/

Free Thinking ToolsFree Thinking Toolshttp://www.mycoted.com/Category:Creativity_Technique

s

Socratic QuestioningSocratic Questioning

Activity: Universe of Activity: Universe of ObligationObligation

““To put the world right in order, we To put the world right in order, we must first put the nation in order; must first put the nation in order; to put the nation in order, we must to put the nation in order, we must first put the family in order; to put first put the family in order; to put the family in order, we must first the family in order, we must first cultivate our personal life; we must cultivate our personal life; we must first set our hearts right. “first set our hearts right. “

– ConfuciusConfucius

What? So What? Now What? So What? Now What?What?

““From every important idea, From every important idea, some action should follow”some action should follow” ~ ~ Paolo FreirePaolo FreireWhat?What? So What?So What? Now What?Now What?

Students Students summarize the summarize the most important most important ideas from the ideas from the lecture or lecture or assigned assigned reading.reading.

Then students are Then students are asked to asked to determine what is determine what is important about important about the ideas they just the ideas they just listed. Why do listed. Why do they matter? What they matter? What difference do they difference do they make?make?

Finally, students Finally, students brainstorm brainstorm actions … what actions … what can they do can they do about the about the problem or problem or issue? issue?

What?What?Why does the world continue to Why does the world continue to

pledge, “Never Again?”pledge, “Never Again?” http://www.youtube.com/watch?vhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v

=dchqJ7bhCBA=dchqJ7bhCBA

http://www.ushmm.org/genocide/take_action/genocide

So What?So What?The Believing GameThe Believing Game

““Everyone agrees in theory that we can't Everyone agrees in theory that we can't judge a new idea or point of view unless we judge a new idea or point of view unless we enter into it and try it out, but the practice enter into it and try it out, but the practice itself is rare." itself is rare." -Peter Elbow-Peter Elbow

The Doubting GameThe Doubting Game

““Knowing and questioning, of course, require Knowing and questioning, of course, require one another. We understand nothing except one another. We understand nothing except in so far as we understand the questions in so far as we understand the questions

behind it." behind it." -I. A. Richards-I. A. Richards

Now What?Now What?

“What is your universe of obligation?”

http://www.facinghistory.org/video/teaching-universe-obligation

Visit Visit http://www.ushmm.org/genocide/tahttp://www.ushmm.org/genocide/take_action/genocide and create an ke_action/genocide and create an action plan on how YOU can stop action plan on how YOU can stop genocide.genocide.

Evaluating Internet Evaluating Internet SourcesSources

Let the reader beware!Let the reader beware!

http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/TeachingLib/Guides/Internet/TeachingLib/Guides/Internet/Evaluate.html Evaluate.html

Free e-learning toolshttp://zaidlearn.blogspot.com/2008/04/free-learning-tool-

for-every-learning.html

Some closing Some closing thoughts…thoughts… ““I do not paint the things I see, I I do not paint the things I see, I

paint what I think.”paint what I think.”– Pablo PicassoPablo Picasso