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- Problems are what you make them.
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- You have only 4 ways to analyze a problem:
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---------------------- Either things are what they appear to be;
---------------------- or, they neither are nor appear to be;
---------------------- or, they are and do not appear to be;
---------------------- or, they are not and yet appear to be.
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- The rules for “ Critical Thinking”:
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- Reporter's method of classifying questions:
----------------- who ?
-----------------what ?
----------------- where ?
-----------------when ?
----------------- why ?
----------------- how ?
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- Critical Thinking's method of classifying seven basic questions:
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----------------- Is it important?
---------------- Does the question need clarification?
---------------- What are the assumptions?
---------------- Is this true? What is the evidence?
---------------- Why?
---------------- What are the consequences?
---------------- What action should I take?
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1) Go/No Go Is this important?
--------------- Is this interesting?
--------------- Why think about this?
--------------- Why consume time or neurons on this?
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2) Questions of CLARIFICATION
--------------- What do you mean?
--------------- Do I understand fully the question or the problem?
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3) Questions of ASSUMPTION
--------------- What is being assumed?
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4) BASIC CRITICAL QUESTIONS
--------------- Is this true?
--------------- What's the EVIDENCE?
--------------- What's your source?
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5) BASIC SCIENTIFIC QUESTION
--------------- Why?
--------------- What caused this?
--------------- What's the EXPLANATION?
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6) IMPLICATIONS
--------------- What will be the effect?
--------------- What consequences?
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7) ACTIONS
--------------- What should be done?
--------------- What should I DO?
---------------------- Remember, doing nothing is a decision of no action.
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Learning starts when driven by the student's thoughts:
Follow the student's agenda, not yours.
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Questions are the tools for learning.
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Think critically about BOTH sides of an argument.
Begin with the hypothesis, the thesis.
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DEBATE is when the purpose is to persuade the other party.
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DIALOGUE is when the purpose is to help one another think more clearly,
more personally, more critically.
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The more education you have, the more you are able to overcome your fear
of asking embarrassing questions. Ask a stupid question and you may feel stupid, don’t ask it and you remain stupid.
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Questions of clarification:
Definitions, do we need to define any terms or hypotheses
Classifications, do we need to categorize things
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“Meaning building” questions: examples:
word etymology, what do the words mean?
Comparisons, what are similarities, or analogies?
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Academic motivation vs. intellectual motivation
(Do you really want to learn , if so a teacher will come?).
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Ambiguous vs. vague.
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Euphemisms and evasive words.
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Questions about ASSUMPTIONS: If the assumption is false would it make
the entire sentence be inaccurate?
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The basic critical question: Is this true?
Belief
Action
Value
Use of Language
Everything is Relative
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ARGUMENT = an idea that in support of another idea gives a direct
answer to the Basic Critical Question.
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The logical STRUCTURE of statements.
Separation of independent ideas.
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UNDERSTAND FIRST, THEN EVALUATE
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Sources - is it clean?
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does it have credibility?
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is it a rationalization?
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Being objective - if you're working hard to understand both sides
We use "stereotypes" all the time.
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Learn to live with questions. You don't always have to have answers.
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"I don't know",
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"I'm of two minds,"
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"I can see both sides of the issue, and haven't made up my mind", is
fine.
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RATIONALIZATION - does not express a true or a real reason.
Test: apply double negatives and see if the argument is still true.
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Real thinking, true dialogue is inarticulate honest, hesitation way of thinking.
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You must feel safe to open up.
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However, people find credibility in people who talk with confidence,
convincing, well dressed, good looking, good personality, earthy, the
most credible person in the US is...........Johnny Carson. Or, is it Barack Obama?
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People are sheep.
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People who are really trying to learn find credibility with knowledge,
experience, honesty, true dialogue, asking critical questions.
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Being objective - means weighing everything by the same standard.
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Humans have a problem using a tool and studying a tool at the same time.
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Doing a task and thinking how to do the task. Using a computer and
learning how a computer works.
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Collaborative learning = is dialogue, teamwork, working together to learn
together.
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These ideas about learning are in the cutting-edge of today's academic
and "the cutting-edge is the booting-edge."
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College graduates today will have four to ten "careers" not the one they
are thinking about. Critical thinking is a skill that will transcend all
ten of those careers. Other attributes for success will be flexibility,
ability to learn new things, teamwork with cultural diversity (global),
communications skills, enthusiasm for "change."
This Stanford course by Professor Matthies was the best college course
I've taken - wish I had it 30 years ago.
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(1) "The Question Book"
Tools for Critical Thinking
Efficient Thinking
Collaborative Thinking
By Dennis Matthies (6-26-91)
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RSVP, with comments, suggestions, corrections. Index of reviews is available. -
-- Some reviews are at: -------------------- http://jdetrick.blogspot.com -------
---- email request for copies to: ------- jamesdetrick@comcast.net ---------
---- https://plus.google.com/u/0/ , “Jim Detrick” ----- www.facebook.com
------ www.twitter.com , --- 707-536-3272 ---- Thursday, December 25, 2014
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