1. Thinking Chapter 1 Businesses 301 Dr. Joseph Otto

2. Thinking can be developed and improved by Becoming aware of the thinking process Becoming aware of the thinking process Carefully examining the thinking process Carefully examining the thinking process Practicing the thinking process Practicing the thinking process College – unique opportunity to develop your mind – community – dedicated to learning College – unique opportunity to develop your mind – community – dedicated to learning

3. Critical Thinking Cornerstone of higher education Cornerstone of higher education Thinking process? Thinking process? Why? - important Why? - important Examine life, work toward goals, make decisions, decide career, analyze issues Examine life, work toward goals, make decisions, decide career, analyze issues Make sense of the world, our lives Make sense of the world, our lives Improve thinking abilities – carefully examining your thinking process – challenging activities Improve thinking abilities – carefully examining your thinking process – challenging activities

4. Achieving Achieving the goal of becoming an educated thinker involves two core processes that are the mainsprings of our thoughts and actions: Thinking critically Thinking critically Thinking creatively Thinking creatively

5. Thinking Critically The definition of thinking critically is carefully exploring the thinking process to clarify our understanding and make more intelligent decisions. We are able to think critically because of our natural human ability to reflect– to think back on what we were/are thinking, doing, or feeling. We are able to think critically because of our natural human ability to reflect– to think back on what we were/are thinking, doing, or feeling.

6. Thinking Creatively The definition of thinking creatively is - use our thinking process to develop ideas that are unique, useful, and worthy of further elaboration.

7. Critical thinking Question everything, reflect What is the purpose of your life? Who are you? What do you want to become? Examined life College or work? Why? Intelligent decisions – reevaluate – choices Foolish opinions, thoughtless decisions, confused communication, destructive behavior, self-absorbed, thoughtless people Understand how mind works, improve thinking ability

8. Critical thinking Goals Organize your thinking – giving your life order Something to aim for – sense of accomplishment Understand – mind works – think effectively Use to improve thinking ability

9. Thinking Creatively A Roadmap to Your Mind Working Toward Goals Living an “Examined” Life Thinking Creatively

10. Living an “Examined” Life This metaphor provides you with a way to think about your personal development and underscores your responsibility for making the most intelligent decisions possible. This metaphor provides you with a way to think about your personal development and underscores your responsibility for making the most intelligent decisions possible.

11. A Roadmap to Your Mind Establishing and achieving your goals. Establishing and achieving your goals. Becoming an intelligent and effective decision-maker. Becoming an intelligent and effective decision-maker. Becoming a confident and productive creative thinker Becoming a confident and productive creative thinker

12. Working Toward Goals Most of your behavior has a purpose or purposes, a goal or goals, that you are trying to reach. You can begin to discover the goals of your actions by asking the question, “Why?” about what you are doing or thinking.

13. To help clarify your world view, ask yourself the following questions: * How do you see people? Are they good? Selfish? Insecure? Fair? * How do you see life? Is it fair? Surprising? Interesting? Difficult? * How do you see society? Is it going in the "right" direction? Are there insurmountable problems? * Do you have strong spiritual beliefs? What are they? * Do the actions you see every day support how you see people, life, or society? * Do you feel the world is moving away from your spiritual beliefs?

14. Achieving Short/Long-Term Goals Identifying the appropriate goals. Identifying the appropriate goals. Devising effective plans and strategies to achieve your goals. Devising effective plans and strategies to achieve your goals.  Identify the Goals Identifying the short-, long-term goals. Rank the goals in order of importance. Select the most important goals to focus on. List all of the steps in the order in which they should be taken. Estimate how much time each step will take. Plan the steps in your daily/weekly schedule. Long – term - More complex, challenging Job – do for the rest of your life? Ever changing, evolving – as grow, mature

15. Examining Your Life Imagine you are lying in bed with your friends and family all around you. You are gravely ill and about to pass away. Who would be surrounding you? What kind of things are they saying about how you have lived your life? How would you like your epitaph to read? Here are some sample epitaphs. Are there any that fit your life? Are there any which might inspire a change in the direction of your life? Famous Epitaphs: - "Nothing's so sacred as honor and nothing's so loyal as love." -Wyatt & Josephine Earp - "The philosophers have only interpreted the world in various ways; the point is to change it" -Karl Marx - "A genius of comedy, his talent brought joy and laughter to all the world" -Oliver Hardy Other possible epitaphs: - Lived adventurously * Died fulfilled. - She embraced life and followed her dreams to the end. - "I told you I was sick"

16. Thinking Critically About Visuals Whether they are recording events as they happen or reflecting imaginatively on their personal experiences, visual artists in all media (painters, cartoonists, graphic artists, photographers, and others) are fundamentally aware that they are communicating– about a process, or providing information about some thing. Whether they are recording events as they happen or reflecting imaginatively on their personal experiences, visual artists in all media (painters, cartoonists, graphic artists, photographers, and others) are fundamentally aware that they are communicating– about a process, or providing information about some thing. Images, Perceiving, and Thinking

17. Images and Learning  As you read your textbooks, study PowerPoint slides, and conduct your own research, be sure that you understand the point of visual information and how it complements written information. Images, Creative Thinking, and Problem-Solving  Creative thinking teaches us that there are many different ways of experiencing and communicating information. When you use other creative or critical approaches to problem solving discussed in this book, try to incorporate visual as well as verbal descriptions and information.

18. Images and “Reading”  As you come across visual images to use in your essays, reports, and arguments - content of an image.  These elements: setting, point of view, the relationship between characters, an objective or subjective perspective, how color is used, how images are cropped and how images are arranged on a page or screen. Images and Evaluation  When you have gathered images that relate to your topic, you can use questions of fact, interpretation, analysis, synthesis, evaluation, and application to help you sort through the visuals and select those that best support your purpose in writing.

19. Method for Making Decisions 1. Define the decision clearly. 2. Consider all the possible choices. 3. Gather all relevant information and evaluate the pros and cons of each possible choice. 4. Select the choice that seems to best meet the needs of the situation. 5. Implement a plan of action and then monitor the results, making necessary adjustments.

20. Discovering “Who” You Are What Are Your Interests? What Are Your Interests? What Are Your Abilities? What Are Your Abilities? Can I Be Creative? Can I Be Creative? Becoming More Creative. Becoming More Creative.

21. Four productive strategies of Creative Understand and trust the creative process. Understand and trust the creative process. Eliminate the “Voice of Criticism.” Eliminate the “Voice of Criticism.” Establish a creative environment. Establish a creative environment. Make creativity a priority. Make creativity a priority.

22. Understand and Trust the Creative Process  Absorb yourself in the task  Allow time for ideas of incubate  Seize on the ideas when they emerge and follow them through Eliminate the “Voice of Criticism”  Become aware of the VOC  Restate the judgment in a more accurate or constructive way  Get tough with the VOC  Create positive voices and visualizations  Use other people for independent confirmation

23. Establish a Creative Environment  An important part of eliminating the negative voices in our minds is to establish environments in which our creative resources can flourish. Make Creativity a Priority  Having diminished the voice of negative judgment in your mind, establish a creative environment, and commit yourself to trusting your creative gifts, you are now in a position to live more creatively.

24. Nurturing Creativity Defining Yourself as Creative Person Defining Yourself as Creative Person Avoiding the Myths Avoiding the Myths Mindlessness Versus Mindfulness Mindlessness Versus Mindfulness Creating the Right Atmosphere Creating the Right Atmosphere The Payoff The Payoff

25. Assign #1: ½ page – why bachelors? - what is the purpose?, ½ page – pg. 7, top of page - reaction to paragraph, ½ page – pg. 21, thinking activity 1.4; ½ page – pg. 22, thinking activity 1.5 (due 4/6, 4/8); Assign #1: ½ page – why bachelors? - what is the purpose?, ½ page – pg. 7, top of page - reaction to paragraph, ½ page – pg. 21, thinking activity 1.4; ½ page – pg. 22, thinking activity 1.5 (due 4/6, 4/8); Assign #E1: On campus event – ½ page, include documentation, (due 6/3); Assign #E1: On campus event – ½ page, include documentation, (due 6/3); Assign #N1: 2-4 minute talk – narrative about you – who you are – where from, grow up, family, friends, high school, significant other, how did you get here, culture, etc. (due throughout quarter); Assign #N1: 2-4 minute talk – narrative about you – who you are – where from, grow up, family, friends, high school, significant other, how did you get here, culture, etc. (due throughout quarter); Bring schedule of classes; get NIS account, golden eagle card. Bring schedule of classes; get NIS account, golden eagle card. Name Badge: (due 4/6, 4/8) Name Badge: (due 4/6, 4/8)