Critical thinking is a very broad term with multiple sub components that go into it. First, after taking this class I realized that critical thinking was more than just thinking; it’s understanding as well. You cannot fully analyze and think critical about something if you only have a slight grasp on the subject being considered. In my first blog I wrote that I was capable of weighing the pros and cons of subjects, I still feel this is true, but my process of weighing pros and cons has definitely matured form this class. Now I know I must pay attention to the sources of information I receive, note bias in information, and understand that there are different opinions and views on everything.
Regarding critical thinking, this class also helped me to understand flexibility on a subject. Through group projects I was able to witness and communicate many different positions on different topics which sometimes would affect my position on the same topic. This helped me to realize that critical thinking is not just scrutinizing and dissecting something, it’s talking about it with others and getting all the information and ideas possible before coming to a decision when a position can be assumed.
I never paid much attention to how often critical thinking is used in everyday life until I understood it. In conversations with my dad (who I sometimes am afraid to have conversations with because he is both bright and opinionated, making him a great and frustrating debater) I know find myself more comfortable with speaking on current events that I have an opinion on. I am able to find the relevant information and points of the subject and focus on those and ignore matters on the subject that are irrelevant. I believe being capable of sorting relevant information from irrelevancy is also a component of critical thinking. For example, a bullshitter could go on for hours about irrelevant topics and if we as an audience do not have the ability to sort through useless information we will accept everything a bullshitter says is true. To sum it up, critical thinking protects us from bullshit!
The first time I responded to this prompt I hoped that this class would “improve my critical thinking skills by showing me the necessary tools to apply when considering something objectively”, which is exactly what I got out of this class. I also hoped that improving my critical thinking skills would improve my ability to be open minded. I know for a fact I have become more available to alternative options and opinions to ideas I already may hold. I feel my thought process hit a maturity level that has not been required of me before. This was definitely my most challenging class to date, and I am sure I can expect to see that same sort of demands from University classes. I would like to think that this class has tested my thought process to the point where I can advance and succeed in similar classes I may encounter in my educational future.
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I totally agree. Critical thinking is way more than weighing the pro’s and con’s of something. It involves so much more than that, and I am so grateful to have learned that in this class. I also agree that you cannot fully analyze a subject unless you have a full grasp on it. This is so true. That is why I found the news bias project to be so intriguing. It shows that you can not form an opinion on something until you have the entire story. The group projects also help me think critically too. Collaborating helps me to rid my biases and look at other points of views, and along the way my opinion of a subject often changed. I agree that this class has been demanding and challenged me to actually think. But that is the beauty of it all. I hope that you and I, and the rest of the class take the skills that we learned in this class and apply them to all of our endeavors.
ReplyDeleteHey Shannon, great post, you were very thorough with your response! I'm very happy that you learned and refined your very valuable skill of critical thinking! I agree with you that this class did teach much along the lines of this topic. I'm glad that you realized how important critical thinking is in our lives, especially with so much information being poured into our heads, it's important to sift through what's true and false! Great point about your debating skills as well. When you're informed it makes your argumentative skills very powerful, people tend to listen when you have facts and real statistics behind your opinion! And obviously that has greatly helped in talking with your dad about, I assume, intellectual topics! All in all it sounds as if you got everything you wanted out of this class, which is awesome! I noticed you didn’t have any writing goals, since this is a writing class =) Maybe you just didn’t have the writing space to include them? I basically found the same thing you did by taking this class. My critical thinking skills defiantly improved. And I do have to say it has been one of my most challenging classes here at Antelope Valley College! I hope you take the skills you learned and transfer them along with your units from AVC!
ReplyDeleteI agree with your blog. Thanks to this class I, too, can analyze things and evaluate the sources. I can better evaluate bias in information and understand different views and opinions. Also, I have learned flexibility on subjects. You read my mind. Being able to share opinions with class mates through group projects and peer editing, you can be flexible with people’s opinions. I am more understanding and open minded to new ideas and opinions. I also never paid much attention to how much I use critical thinking, especially in school and my classes. It is something that remains unconscious until it is brought up. Once it is brought up and conscious, you never really know how bad or good you critical thinking skills are. Your skills show up in many different aspects of life and you look back and see how well, or not so well, critical thinking worked out for you. Well, I hope you have a good Thanksgiving Shannon! And….We are almost done with school!
ReplyDeleteThat is great Shannon, I am glad that you “got out of this class” what you had hoped for. I have to agree with your very accurate observation, that “critical thinking protects us from bullshit”. For as much work as this class has been, and I agree this has been the most challenging class to date for me as well, I think it would greatly improve academics if this class were required as a pre-requisite for all other core college classes. I would even go so far as to say that “critical thinking” classes should be taught at the high school level, even if it is only a diluted version, I mean why wait until your last year of college to take a class that would have been a huge help in other classes? But at least it will prepare us for what is to come. As you said “this class has tested my thought process to the point where I can advance and succeed in similar classes”. So, to your educational future – good luck!
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