Encouraging Critical Thinking Christine Gray Tinnesz, Ph.D. University at Buffalo

Time and Critical Thinking Can’t think critically if life and/or work is disorganized First step in improving your thinking is to manage your time and tasks What is the biggest reason people don’t accomplish their goals?

A Look at Time 24 hours/day x 7 = 168 hours/week How many hours do you spend? - sleep 8 hours x 7 days = 56 hours - eat 3 hours x 7 days = 21 hours - class = 17 hours - work = 20 hours 114 hours

Time, continued 168 (hours/week) -114 (hours of commitment) 54 (hours to do what you need to do) ** Not TIME management, but TASK management!

Task Orientation Identify everything you have to do for one week Put deadlines in calendar Break down work into short units of minutes. E.g., break down “read 50 page document” to “read pp. 1-13,” “read pp ,” etc.

Task Orientation, continued Allot day for each task (e.g., Tuesday) and time if you’d like (e.g., 11-11:15 a.m.). Always schedule breaks Check off when finished. Shows what you still have to do Be flexible

Task Orientation, cont. Tuesday Science -- read pp (20 min.) -- problems 5-8 (15 min.) English-- choose paper topic * review notes (6:50-7:10) * internet search (7:15-7:35)

Submit Proposal for Conference Example 9:00 Find the dates of submission 9:05 Is your topic relevant to the theme 9:15 For what kind of session you are applying 9:20 Who will the participants be 9:30 Read guidelines for proposals 9:45 Prepare your proposal

Lester Thurow, World Economist “Nowhere are the necessary changes going to be harder to make in the United States because it has been the most successful economy in the world. The U.S. continues the strategies that brought them success in the past, even though those strategies no longer fit a global world.”

National Council for Excellence in Critical Thinking, In a global community, people need to possess critical and reflective thinking skills, the ability to gather and evaluate evidence and the ability to make one’s own informed judgments.

What is Critical Thinking? Thinking that is purposeful, reasoned, and goal directed Asking Q’s rather than memorizing info. Evaluative, NOT negative Learned skill which takes practice Gathering info., analyzing and critiquing it, drawing your own opinions, and applying what you have found in different contexts.

Mindfulness vs. Mindlessness Designed thinking, purposeful versus Random thinking with no design/thinking by default

Why is critical thinking important? Its transferable Produce knowledge rather than reproduce it Thinking that goes beyond basic recall of info. Questioning established ideas and creating new ones Increases creativity

Point of View Influences how you see the world Life story establishes point of view (race, gender, class, life experiences…) NOT stand—it’s the standpoint Ex. NO-Abortion should be illegal Yes-From what point of view am I looking at this issue?

Intellectual Humility Do not claim to know more than one knows Aware that everyone has prejudices which limit his or her thinking and decision making Realize that no person is all-knowing, therefore, every person can learn something

Assumption An idea or principle one accepts as true and makes no effort to prove Part of one’s belief system and driven by pov Generalizations/stereotype

Find the assumptions POV-employer “Companies should be able to mandate that their employees be non-smokers.” Assumption-

Find the assumption POV-taxpayer not receiving counseling “Psychological counseling should not be covered by health insurance.” Assumption

Using Critical Thinking to Make Decisions 1-From what point of view are you looking at the issue 2-What are the facts you need to know 3-Your point of view drives the assumptions you make 4-What are possible solutions 5-Evaluate solutions 6-Make your decision