Essay on Methods for Critical Thinking - 1970 Words

Critical thinking is not a new concept just emerging from the think-tanks and universities that bring us innovative educational concepts. Critical thinking has existed since the days of Plato, Socrates, and other great ancient philosophers. Ancient Greeks believed that critical thinking â€Å"not only involved an examination of eloquent words and actions of other people,† as Plato had believed, â€Å"but also an examination of one’s own thoughts and actions† (Sriraman Adrian, 2004, p. 97). Another outspoken advocate of critical thinking was Francis Bacon, a controversial scientist from the early seventeenth century. A non-conformist, Bacon proffered that critical thinking was the â€Å"desire to seek, patience to doubt, fondness to meditate,†¦show more content†¦Critical thinking requires students to go beyond rote memorization, requires teachers to step outside the lecturer’s box, and requires schools to help teachers implement critical thi nking across the curriculum. The importance of critical thinking has not been dismissed, actually it is one of the few things that educators can agree upon when it comes to critical thinking. Suzanne Mabrouk writes, â€Å"If we do not teach and use critical thinking skills regularly with our students, then they will not develop the ability to make informed and responsible decisions in their everyday life† (n.d., p. 3). Envision a high school English class with 25 students†¦half may go to college, a quarter might not even graduate, and the other quarter might seek employment immediately after high school. One thing each of these students will certainly need after high school is critical thinking skills. Critical thinking prepares students for life in a â€Å"democracy† where as workers they will need to implement critical thinking skills and become â€Å"lifelong† learners (Maiorana, 1992, p.2). Christine Pescatore expounds on what is expected of the à ¢â‚¬Å"prepared† citizen living in a democracy by describing the critical thinking citizen as â€Å"thoughtful and responsible† (2007, p. 320). Every student that American high schools educate, regardless of race, culture, gender, socioeconomicShow MoreRelatedCritical Thinking And Scientific Method847 Words   |  4 Pagesapproach to their experiments and research. The main two that they tend to use is critical thinking and scientific method. Critical thinking is defined as the process of thinking deeply and actively asking questions and evaluating evidence (Facione, 2011). Analytically thinking is something that many people use majority of the time without ever recognizing or realizing what it is that they are doing. Scientific method on the other hand, is when all the research and evidence is empirical, or based onRead MoreCritical Thinking And Teaching Methods1648 Words   |  7 Pages but rather accept it and move on. Critical thinking and efficient teaching metho ds have been suppressed in the current U.S. educational system, and the U.S. is suffering: once one of the front runners in education, the U.S. has fallen to twenty-seventh place according to the 2012 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA). Ironically, the definition of critical thinking, an often-used pedagogical term, requires the process of critical thinking, criticism, and debate, as the definitionRead MoreMethods of Evaluation and Critical Thinking653 Words   |  3 PagesThe overall activity was very interesting in regards to my personal methods of evaluation and critical thinking. Each image was unique as I often applied my own personal knowledge and experience the overall interpretation of the picture. To begin, as I viewed the first picture, I scanned it for familiar objects or activities. For instance, the first image showed a boat, a woman, and a horse. Through this observation, I determined that the women were working extremely hard in a particular professionRead MoreEssay on Critical Thinking847 Words   |  4 PagesAbstract Critical thinking includes the component skills of analyzing arguments, making inferences using inductive or deductive reasoning, judging or evaluating, and making decisions or solving problems when evaluating academic content. Background knowledge is a necessary but not a sufficient condition for enabling critical thought within a given subject. Critical thinking involves both cognitive skills and dispositions. These dispositions, which can be seen as attitudes or habits of mind, includeRead MoreShort Note On Critical Thinking Essay1369 Words   |  6 Pageswriting a paper on critical thinking that has to include inductive and deductive reasoning, thinking about what’s going on life like what foods you are going to eat today and when you feel like going to bed and more random thoughts such as who are they voting for the next president of the United States of America that can appear and pop up in life. Thinking about these thoughts can either be just a thought to understandi ng and remembering the complexities of the subject they are thinking about. HoweverRead MoreThe Louisiana Science Education Act Essay1728 Words   |  7 Pagesevolution and creationism remain a controversial issue as far as which method should stay in science classes across the globe. How was the earth created? How were humans created? These are questions that arise in most science classes. Many students require an explanation of why people exist. There are those who would oppose evolution, and there are those who oppose creationism. Is there a significant difference between these methods? Several states have passed regulations that allow schools to teachRead More Critical Thinking Is More than Common Sense Essays1321 Words   |  6 Pagesembraced the method of critical thought in the classroom. Kansans praise the system for the improving test scores, yet they fail to see through the blanket of such pseudo-success, and they do not realize the true mediocrity of the Kansas educatio nal curriculum. Secondary schools in Kansas should place a greater emphasis on critical thinking in the classroom. As indicated by studies from the National Assessment of Educational Progress, students fall short when it comes to critical thought and reasoningRead MoreReflective Thinking : A Component Of Critical Thinking1594 Words   |  7 PagesReflective thinking: a component of critical thinking Critical thinking is considered as a higher level of reflective thinking that involves us becoming more aware of why we perceive things, the way we feel, act and do† (Phan, 2009). As the demand increases for students to demonstrate course material through hands on application, it is imperative for students to acquire clinical competency and effective critical thinking and decision-making skills. Through the use of HPS, students are offeredRead MoreEssay on Critical Thinking1261 Words   |  6 Pages The concepts of critical thinking and creative thinking are both gaining increasing importance in the world today. Critical thinking allows people to understand difficult concepts in a manner that is clearer and more defined. They can more readily understand those concepts if they employ critical thinking. In all portions of everyday life, a person is expected to make independent judgments. Those judgments are based on experience and knowledge. Without the ability to think critically, everyRead MoreTok Essay: Critical and Creative Thinking1599 Words   |  7 Pagesof Knowledge 3 May 2012 TOK Essay Response: Critical and Creative Thinking Since the dawn of humanity, man has sought to gain further insight on life through attaining knowledge. Knowledge can be defined as any information gained through personal experience. The means of obtaining knowledge include four main branches: reason, perception, language, and emotion. Despite the means, all knowledge is formulated through the process of thinking. Thinking refers to the use of the mind to gain understanding