The Importance Of Critical Thinking

After I read all the assigned readings, I have learned that critical thinking is a tool that I use every day. I had to take some time to understand the concepts and meanings to critical thinking. I am trying to think of how I used critical thinking in my courses or through experiences. The best example that I think of is when I was trying to teach one of my friends how to make a pony beaded creation. I took baby steps and visually showed her the process to make that particular pattern. In the “7 Ways to Improve Your Critical Thinking Skills” article, Ransom Patterson (2017) states, “Critical thinking is a tool that you should deploy when you need to make important decisions or solve difficult problems, but you don’t need to think critically …show more content…
I heard of “critical thinking” many of times, but I thought it was a technique that was used for problem-solving; however, I believe I was partially wrong or right. I think the meanings and concepts of critical thinking are difficult to comprehend for myself. The definition of critical thinking is a “…mode of thinking - about any subject, content, or problem - in which the thinker improves the quality of his or her thinking by skillfully taking charge of the structures inherent in thinking and imposing intellectual standards upon them” (Defining Critical Thinking). I believe that critical thinking is mostly like a self-oriented tool but differs between each individual. However, according to the “Our Concept and Definition of Critical Thinking” article, it mentions, “Critical thinking is self-directed, self-disciplined, self-monitored, and self-corrective thinking. It presupposes assent to rigorous standards of excellence and mindful command of their use” (Our Concept and Definition of Critical Thinking). According to the “Defining Critical Thinking” article, it states, “Critical thinking is the intellectually disciplined process of actively and skillfully conceptualizing, applying, analyzing, synthesizing, and/or evaluating information gathered from, or generated by, observation, experience, reflection, reasoning, or communication, as a guide to belief and action” (Defining Critical Thinking). We use those ideas even in learning from other …show more content…
The wording of the article was catchy for my perspective. Each of the seven ways seems like steps to think more critically. The first idea is to ask basic questions. You are tying “seek the simple solution” for each of the questions about the problematic situation (Patterson, 2017). The second idea is to question basic assumptions. You should not assume everything is true, but I would recommend asking questions about the particular topic. The third idea is to be aware of your mental processes. There are some consuming objective decisions like “cognitive biases and personal prejudices” (Patterson, 2017). The fourth idea is to try reversing things. Ransom Patterson, who wrote the “7 Ways to Improve Your Critical Thinking Skills” article in 2017, stated, “Even if it turns out that the reverse isn’t true, considering it can set you on the path to finding a solution”; however, this quote tells me that finding the solution is not always easy. The fifth idea is to evaluate the existing evidence. You should try to learn more by questioning the evidence that is involved in that situation. The sixth idea is to remember to think for you. Ransom Patterson mentions, “Don’t be overconfident, but recognize that thinking for yourself is essential to answering tough questions” (Patterson, 2017). I think you not forget that you are part of the process of thinking. The seventh idea is to