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coberst
Skeptic Friend
182 Posts |
 Posted - 06/22/2004 : 02:50:25
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Understand
Critical thinking involves both a craft and a state of mind—an attitude. The craft can be easily taught and easily learned. It is no more difficult than learning arithmetic or geography.
The attitude component of critical thinking is the nub of the issue.
We normally understand the word critical to mean a negative attack. When our mother berated us for slouching we considered her constant verbal abuse to be a criticism—a negative attack. Now that we are older and are berating our children for slouching we recognize another meaning for the word ‘criticism'. Criticism also is a word meaning to analyze carefully for a constructive purpose.
I suspect that the big problem our public schools have in teaching critical thinking is that children are often too immature to grasp the attitude component of critical thinking.
Attitude is the heart of critical thinking. Attitude control is often determined by understanding. Young people are not adept at understanding. None of us, adult and child are adept at understanding.
One can be taught many things but one cannot be taught to understand. Understanding is dependent on knowledge but understanding is a different kind of animal. Understanding is something created by the individual, it is subjective and must be worked at and must be desired. It does not drop like gentle dew from heaven.
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Tim
SFN Regular
USA
775 Posts |
Posted - 06/22/2004 : 03:09:06 [Permalink]
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| Personally, I've found the most difficult part of critical thinking is to apply it's principals to my everyday life and not let my preconceptions get in the way. There are some subjects where critical thinking comes easy--naturally. For other subjects my emotions cloud my judgement, and this is not easy to move beyond. Perhaps, if children are taught how to think before they are taught what to think, then they will find critical thinking to be easy and natural. |
"We got an issue in America. Too many good docs are gettin' out of business. Too many OB/GYNs aren't able to practice their -- their love with women all across this country." Dubya in Poplar Bluff, Missouri, 9/6/2004
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Dude
SFN Die Hard
USA
6891 Posts |
Posted - 06/22/2004 : 13:12:03 [Permalink]
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quote:
Personally, I've found the most difficult part of critical thinking is to apply it's principals to my everyday life and not let my preconceptions get in the way. There are some subjects where critical thinking comes easy--naturally. For other subjects my emotions cloud my judgement, and this is not easy to move beyond. Perhaps, if children are taught how to think before they are taught what to think, then they will find critical thinking to be easy and natural.
Absolutely.
Critical thinking is a difficult skill to learn as an adult. It's even more difficult to actually apply it. All the more reason to teach children HOW to think critically.
There is alot of resistance to this type of skill being taught in public schools. The religious right view it as a threat, and actively seek to prevent it from being taught. (no evidence to back this other than the word of a lawyer who works for the local school board whom I know here... we have discussed the topic before)
I suggested that advocates of critical thinking just spin it differently... call the class "Creative Problem Solving", and try to sell it that way....
Looking back I can count numerous times in my own life that I would have benefited from even a basic knowledge of critical thinking skills.... and unfortunately, many people never seek the knowledge themselves. |
Ignorance is preferable to error; and he is less remote from the truth who believes nothing, than he who believes what is wrong.
-- Thomas Jefferson
"god :: the last refuge of a man with no answers and no argument." - G. Carlin
Hope, n.
The handmaiden of desperation; the opiate of despair; the illegible signpost on the road to perdition. ~~ da filth |
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coberst
Skeptic Friend
182 Posts |
Posted - 06/22/2004 : 15:54:47 [Permalink]
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| I am afraid that education is encountering great difficulties in teaching critical thinking in our schools. I think that the fact that few adults have any understanding of the concept does great harm to the effort. I would like to see those few of us who understand the importance of critical thinking find some way to significantly increase the awareness of this matter within the adult population. There are so many reasons for adults to be made aware of this concept. Can we band together for this effort? |
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Ricky
SFN Die Hard
USA
4907 Posts |
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Dude
SFN Die Hard
USA
6891 Posts |
Posted - 06/22/2004 : 22:59:19 [Permalink]
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It's important for young children to respect and listen to the appeal to authority Ricky.... but we do a disservice to people by failing to teach them to think critically when they are able to understand the concepts. Probably most kids could learn the basics by 14 or 15.
You seem to have a solid grasp on the concept, something that no doubt sets you apart from 99%+ of 18 y/o's in the US. |
Ignorance is preferable to error; and he is less remote from the truth who believes nothing, than he who believes what is wrong.
-- Thomas Jefferson
"god :: the last refuge of a man with no answers and no argument." - G. Carlin
Hope, n.
The handmaiden of desperation; the opiate of despair; the illegible signpost on the road to perdition. ~~ da filth |
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coberst
Skeptic Friend
182 Posts |
Posted - 06/23/2004 : 02:58:14 [Permalink]
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Ricky,
I wish that all 18 year olds were as enlightened as you. I marvel at your intellectual maturity. I wish all 50 year olds were as enlightened as you. |
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tomk80
SFN Regular
Netherlands
1278 Posts |
Posted - 06/23/2004 : 08:15:05 [Permalink]
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quote:
Originally posted by Ricky
I guess as a 18 year old, what I find hardest about critical thinking is to get over Appeal to Authority. Pretty much just now, I realized that I take whatever my teachers says as fact. I mean of course they are not teaching absurd things such as ghosts exist, but it never really crossed my mind that they could be wrong.
Anyways, as a "kid", just wanted to put my 2 cents in.
"If its a penny for your thoughts and you have to put your 2 cents in, what happens to the other one? Somebody is making a penny." - Steve Wright
I think one of the important things with critical thinking, is that you first have to learn WHAT the authority thinks, and understand that. After that, you can always do your own research and decide whether you think the authority is right.
To name the example of creationism. They often get the concept of evolution as taught by authority (biological scientists) wrong. The result we can see on the creationist websites. |
Tom
`Contrariwise,' continued Tweedledee, `if it was so, it might be; and if it were so, it would be; but as it isn't, it ain't. That's logic.'
-Through the Looking Glass by Lewis Caroll- |
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Dave W.
Info Junkie
USA
26022 Posts |
Posted - 06/23/2004 : 10:03:41 [Permalink]
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Tom hit the nail on the head, Ricky. To put it another way, as someone I can't remember right now said, "to think outside the box, first you have to know what's inside the box." Creationists, as just one example, largely don't know what's inside the evolutionary box.
Just remember, Ricky, that until you're a couple/few years into college, your schooling consists mostly of a very broad - but not very deep - recitation of the facts as they are understood on their face. This is a necessary compromise with the fact that students can't be in a classroom for 14 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year, for 12 or more years.
And you won't - as I understand things - get a true understanding of any particular subject until grad school. Unless, of course, you take it upon yourself to accelerate your education outside of your classes.
Just out of curiosity: got an idea of what you want to do? When do (or did) you get out of high school? |
- Dave W. (Private Msg, EMail)
Evidently, I rock!
Why not question something for a change?
Visit Dave's Psoriasis Info, too. |
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Ricky
SFN Die Hard
USA
4907 Posts |
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Dave W.
Info Junkie
USA
26022 Posts |
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Dave W.
Info Junkie
USA
26022 Posts |
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Ricky
SFN Die Hard
USA
4907 Posts |
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