Prompt due by May 29, 5pm

[Dr. C.]

After completing the required reading, please choose one of the following options:

1. How do the ways that the two web sites describe critical thinking resonate with what you believe are the skills and attributes necessary to have a successful life?  

2. Drawing on what you learned about critical thinking through reviewing the Web sites, please offer an observation or question about the Roethke and Lowell poems.  In other words, demonstrate your critical thinking skills.

[adamsjm6]

Jimmy Adams PROMPT 1

 

Critical Thinking is a vital and necessary skill for everyday life where complex and important decisions must be made on a regular basis. I believe the Glaser article brought up good points regarding asking vital and important questions. In order to even solve challenges one must first understand areas they have no to minimal knowledge about, and then ask questions.

These questions allow for an individual to not only better understand the overall environment but to also develop solutions for these challenges. I also believe that the article brought up a good point regarding thinking in an open minded fashion. By formulating alternatives, a solution can have flexible short and long term solutions.

I also felt the other article gave great points that were similar but focused in a slightly different fashion. Their idea was focused around an individual’s actions in understanding, identifying, and solving challenges and then making reflections to learn from the overall experience. When critically thinking it is vitally important to reflect in order to better understand what the various options are, and which one should be chosen. This allows for a constant process of learning and developing better critical thinking skills and problem solving tools for the future. 

[Jeremy Newport]

1. How do the ways that the two web sites describe critical thinking resonate with what you believe are the skills and attributes necessary to have a successful life?

 

The Foundation for Critical Thinking had a lot of interesting definitions and ideas regarding critical thinking. After spending four years at a liberal arts institution in Miami, it is clear how critical thinking is essential to a quality education. It could almost be argued that learning the skills for critical thinking are the most important aspect of a college education. With the financial meltdown of 2008, many companies have cut down on hiring and the greater your critical thinking skills, the great chance you will have to succeed in work tasks outside of your field of study.

 

For me, my "Aha!" moment with critical thinking occurred during an internship I had with Messer Construction the summer before my senior year at Miami. What became clear to mea few weeks into my internship was how critical thinking allows for greater ease in which you accomplish tasks in your field of study. In the YouTube video on critical thinking, it specifically talked about how it isn't good enough just to learn problems in a memorization type format. Part of what makes some a great critical thinker is not just to look at a problem in a narrow view. The same way you would fix a car, any problem involving critical thinking involves not just looking at one part but looking at the sum of the parts.

 

The most important quote I found in Defining Critical Thinking that resonated with me was, "In its exemplary form, it is based on universal intellectual values that transcend subject matter divisions". When I think of critical thinking, I think of how important it is for individuals to look at a problem through multiple subject matters. What can often times hinder a decision making process is the introduction of bias into situations involving critical decisions. Critical thinking allows us to view problems from multiple perspectives and this in turn shows us ways in which we can have multiple solutions. For example, the whole point of the uniform CPA exam for public accountants isn't to teach accountants how to be a good financial or tax auditor. The point of the uniform exam is to examine many problems in multiple perspectives because in general, you won't encounter the same two problems in fieldwork twice.

 

Defining Critical Thinking states, "People who think critically consistently attempt to live rationally, reasonably, empathically." I find these three terms to be highly important and I agree with this conclusion. In terms of rationality, every person needs to consider problems in a rational state of mind to ensure that ideas and solutions aren't being fueled by personal bias. Next, it is understandable as to why you want people to be reasonable. Especially from a business standpoint, reasonable decisions are those which may not be the most fiscally responsible but decisions which consider all stakeholders. For people to empathetically make decisions, it is important to look at problems and again see how they affect stakeholders as opposed to resolving a problem.

 

All in all, I think Miami's commitment to learning the skills for critical thinking is what sets us apart. The world of today requires professionals which can identify with a wide subject base in order to have a better worldview and assess problems from multiple perspectives. Ultimately, I found the two websites to be highly insightful and I feel they offer helpful reminders on how to utilize good critical thinking skills.

[Jeremy Newport]

I agree with a lot of what Jimmy is saying regarding critical thinking. Specifically, I agree with the way in which you identify the system of asking important questions. I feel a lot of problem solving can be rushed by the look for quick solutions through trial and error. Instead of looking at the big picture, people can get stuck on making tiny tweaks and changes hoping the problem will be resolved. Critical thinking calls for us not to simply solve problems quickly, but to look at the problem areas and truly analyze the data in order to make more long term and well rounded decisions.

 

I also agree with the idea that critical thinking truly calls for individuals to reflect on decisions. I feel a lot of people becoming so concerned in the last decade or so with critical thinking is with a lot of the financial scandals with companies like Enron or WorldCom. A lot of how these companies made decisions was based on how quickly decisions could be made and this allowed for everyone to have narrowed scopes of responsibility which aided in the rationalization of unethical actions. Critical thinking calls for individuals to look towards problems with a sense of each and every person and process the solution affects.

[Dr. C.]

Jimmy,

Good start here, but I'd love to see some more specific references to the articles in question and perhaps draw from your professional, personal, and academic experiences as well.  

[Dr. C.]

Jeremy, Good response here, and I am glad that you believe that critical thinking has been a vital component of your education at Miami.  

I like that you mention having an ah-ha moment at your internship, but was there something specific that occurred there to prompt this?

[noblejg]

   Critical thinking is the deepest form of thinking that one can use. From the use of critical thinking, it has come to my belief that a person can achieve success in all aspects of their life. As the article Defining Critical Thinking pointed out, implementing critical thinking into your life allows you to avoid thinking simplistically about complicated issues, and leads a person to begin improving the way they think, communicate, and see the world.

      As for the second article I read titled “What Is Critical Thinking” by using critical thinking a person can enhance their creativity. Critical thinking can even improve both the work and social environments.

      Now, we can see all of the many key qualities of critical thinking, but now I want to tie all of these qualities in and conclude with why all of these attributes will lead to a successful life. The world today is filled will ambiguity and the issues in the world are becoming more and more complex. I believe that by implementing and using critical processing in your own life then we can effectively communicate and solve these complex problems. Lastly, using critical thinking will allow for a person to begin not necessarily to work harder, but work smarter. Working smarter will lead a person to great success in any career or life path they choose, and it places them in a leadership role, which is always a welcomed commodity in any place you go.  

[noblejg]

   Jimmy, I agree with your post. In the second paragraph you mentioned, “in order to solve challenges one must first understand areas that they have no to minimal knowledge about.” I believe critical processing can also help people become more aware and knowledgeable about subjects that they have no prior knowledge of. This is by, as you pointed out, keeping an open mind, making reflections into one’s own life experiences, and identifying key points can help us become more aware of these issues we are weak in, and then allow for us to begin asking the important questions that you spoke about that helps us answer better understand our environment.

   I also agree with your conclusion. I too find that by using all of the qualities you listed, people can develop better critical thinking skills and even improve themselves in the process by thinking in a whole new way! 

[oligeejr]

1. How do the ways that the two web sites describe critical thinking resonate with what you believe are the skills and attributes necessary to have a successful life?  

After reading through the two websites it is clear that you need Critical thinking in every aspect of your life. Not only is it helpful in the work place, and in school settings but it can make a huge difference in the success that you have in life. It is very important that I am critically thinking everyday, it makes me a better, more educated person. I will be a teacher soon and it will also be my job to teach my students how to be critical thinkers.Critical thinking can be useful in anyone's life. Critical thinking is a tool that you should use everyday when making big and small decisions. People can go through the necessary steps of critical thinking to help them gain skills and be a proactive member of society. A lot of the skills that are used in critical thinking are also needed in everyday, real life situations such as understanding logical connections between ideas, solving problems, detect common mistakes and inconsistencies in reasoning, and figuring out the importance in ideas.  Critical thinking web said that even though a person has a lot of facts and a good memory, that does not necessarily make them a critical thinker. I think this is a common misconception that people and myself often make. I use to think that people who could memorize math equations and facts about science were brilliant. I have horrible memorization skills but that does not make me less intelligent. Just like there are different learning styles, I also think there are different think styles and not everyone is a good at critical thinking. depending on the individual critical thinking can take on many different roles. Before my education at Miami If someone would have told me I needed to critically think everyday I probably would have rolled my eyes. Now, I understand that Critical thinking can be the difference in success and failure. I liked when Criticalthinking.org said "Critical thinking is, in short, self-directed, self-disciplined, self-monitored, and self-corrective thinking. It presupposes assent to rigorous standards of excellence and mindful command of their use." I think Critical thinking is a tool that a person has develop for themselves. once you have the tool you also have to keep it sharp by practicing critical thinking everyday.  

[noblejg]

     I agree that critical thinking is necessary and vital to use in every aspect of our lives if we wish to be successful. Critical processing will allow you personally to become a great teacher, because you through your advanced thinking skills you will be able to communicate and articulate in a profound way. A way in which your students will be able to engage in the subject and learn material that you teach to their fullest potential. I agree that critical thinking can be used in every sphere of life and not just in the academic setting, which you pointed out.

         It’s funny you mentioned that you were often mesmerized by people who could memorize math and science problems. I too found myself feeling the same way, and in fact caused me to begin memorizing terms when studying for a test, which has been proven to be an ineffective way to study. Lastly, I agree with your concluding sentence that critical thinking is something that must be learned and must be worked on over repeatedly, because without practicing it daily critical thinking can never become habitual.    

[jocketjw]

Prompt 1:

The two websites discuss the necessity of critical thinking in everyday life. They discuss how it is up to the individuals to process information and come to their own conclusions when doing so. I tend to agree with what the websites are getting at. We all view information and events in different ways and it is up to our own minds to determine what they mean. This is a crucial skill to have in order to be a functioning member of society. Miami University has made it very clear that they view critical thinking as an extremely valuable tool for us students to master. On the course evaluations there is an entire section dedicated to this skill alone. 

Before we can master this skill, however, we must be clear on what exactly it means to "think critically." The articles have some very interesting and complex definitions. After reading the material, I think that I agree most with the Edward Glaser's breakdown of critical thinking. Glaser has three parts to his definition: "( 1 ) an attitude of being disposed to consider in a thoughtful way the problems and subjects that come within the range of one's experiences, (2) knowledge of the methods of logical inquiry and reasoning, and (3) some skill in applying those methods". It is a simple way to define a complex concept and I think it makes the most sense. 

Joe Jocketty

[Sarah Libby]

After reading the two articles, Defining Critical Thinking and What is Critical Thinking, I believe that critical thinking is needed throughout our everyday lives.  The What is Critical Thinking article stated that a person with critical thinking skills is able to solve problems and think logically.  I believe that these are the two most important skills needed to have a successful life.  We are always faced with tough decisions and having to choose between one or the other; without the use of our critical thinking skills such tasks would be impossible to accomplish.  

I'm sure we have all had to make the choice on whether to go out and party the night before a big exam or stay in and study.  Although this is a very simple example of when we use critical thinking, the correct thing would be to stay in, but what if you know you can ace the exam even if you go out with your friends.  Critical thinking in the work place would entail identifying and evaluating arguments while being able to explain the importance of each detail.  Without those critical thinking skills an argument believed to better a company may not come off as the best decision and could get completely looked over.  If critical thinking did not exist in our everyday lives our world would be a jumbled mess.  People would not think logically about solutions, which could cause a business or company to tank; our self-guidance and -discipline would be at an all time low, decreasing motivation to achieve certain outcomes. 

The article Defining Critical Thinking constructed an extremely important argument, "No one is a critical thinker through-and-through...the development of critical thinking skills and dispositions is a life-long endeavor."  I believe that this means everyone deals with situations differently and learns how to solve problems in a manner that works best for them.  We all will not know the most effective way to handle a situation or detect inconsistances without experience; with experience our critical thinking skills will grow, leading us to have better communication and problem solving abilities.  

[David A. Riley]

 Success is a very subjective idea. One can define success in simple achievements, or very high-aiming, difficult goals. For example, someone who is in their late 90’s, who has seen all their siblings and friends die of old age and disease might define success in terms waking up each day. A young politician might not feel successful until they have been elected to a certain post. While those two examples are at opposite ends of the spectrum in terms of relative ease of achieving the desired goal, they serve to illustrate the point that success is what we make it. I think that a large number of people go through life using other peoples’ standards to define their own success. In conjunction with that, they also tie their happiness in life to their perceived level of success. These external measures can lead to many a disappointment over a lifetime. It is critical thinking that enables us to examine ourselves and our lives in a more objective manner, allowing us to define success on our own terms.

The skills required for critical thinking, as outlined in the reading (Defining Critical Thinking), are not something with which everyone is born. From an early age, humans are problem solvers, constantly testing their understanding of their surroundings. But as we know, understanding something is not the same as thinking critically about it, only a part of the process. Recalling facts is not thinking. The goal of critical thinking is to put together facts and synthesize new relationships between those facts in order to evaluate, and possibly solve, a problem. Humans are born problem solvers. From an early age we strive to remove or get around obstacles, even if it starts out as simple of a plan as “how do I get the cookies.” But you can see how critical thinking starts early in life, and is easily tied to problem solving.

Many of the problems in the world have evolved because of biased or uninformed thinking. That is the attribute that most resonates with me: the ability to think in a fair-minded way. Thinking about our own lives without bias is a difficult task. I believe that is why many of the definitions state that the development of critical thinking is a life-long endeavor. As long as we continue to look at our lives objectively, which is admittedly difficult, we can measure our success in our own terms. 

[Olivia Zuba]

1. How do the ways that the two web sites describe critical thinking resonate with what you believe are the skills and attributes necessary to have a successful life?

 

After reading both websites, it was very clear to me that critical thinking is an important aspect of our everyday lives. Critical thinking can be used each day, and the more we critical think the better. I think that critical thinking goes hand in hand with being optimistic. The more of an open mind you have, the more you are willing to learn and think about things in new ways. If you are a good critical thinker you will be very successful in life. Memorizing facts is not the best way to be successful in life. In a video on what is critical thinking? the speaker in the video uses the example of "You can give a person a fish, or you can teach them how to fish." If you give someone a fish you are not making them critically think about how to catch a fish. If you teach someone how to catch a fish they will be able to survive for the rest of their life and be able to catch fish on their own. Critical thinking is something we do each day and the more we practice, the more successful we will be in life. On criticalthinking.org the article at one point says critical thinking is in our nature. I agree with that statement, but everyone thinks in different ways. Of course we are taught about critical thinking in school, but it is a combination of self-discipline and self-motivation which leads to self-success.

 

 

 

 

 

On Tuesday, April 30, 2013 4:29:10 PM UTC-4, Dr. C. wrote:

[Olivia Zuba]

Response to Sarah Libby:

 

I agree with your response and really like how you wrote it. I also think that critical thinking is needed in our everyday lives. You are correct, if we were not critical thinkers the world would be very chaotic and people would make irrational decisions on a daily basis. I also liked the quote you picked out from Defining Critical Thinking. Critical thinking is something we will do for the rest of our lives and as we grow up we will become better at it. I do not think that anyone can master being a critical thinker, but it is definitely possible to have a better sense of judgment in situations when you are older. To go along with another example, a teenager might think it is okay to speed because there is no way that they will get caught.. until they get a ticket. As we grow older we are better at critical thinking and we know that it is better to go the speed limit then to spend $500 on a ticket. Critical thinking is definitely something we develop more as we are older.

[Briana Roesel]

1. How do the ways that the two web sites describe critical thinking resonate with what you believe are the skills and attributes to have a successful life?

I believe that to be successful in life you have to know how to make the right decisions for what path you are going to take. This is where critical thinking plays a big role in everyday life. Almost everyday you are stuck at a crossroad and you don't know which path to take, this is when you begin to think critically about each decision you may make. As stated in the "Defining Critical Thinking" article, "a critical thinker thinks open-mindedly within alternative systems of thought, recognizing and assessing, as need be, their assumptions, implications and practical consequences." Usually when you are faced with a decision this is mainly what you are doing. You may be thinking critically without even knowing it! I think a lot of us can relate to this specific quality. Let's say some of us were accepted in to more than one college and we were trying to decide which one to go to; you may have made a pros and cons list, this is a way of critical thinking. You are thinking open-mindedly about each decision while looking at consequences and offers each decision may hold. Taking some information from the "What is critical thinking?" article; you will begin to better "identify, construct and evaluate arguments." Have you ever tried to persuade you parents into getting you a puppy when you were younger? Critical thinking will come into good use when you are trying to provide arguments as to why they should let you. You may not notice it in the moment but you are thinking critically almost every day of your life.

Bringing it back to being successful I believe that knowing how to make the right decision, by using the skills critical thinking provides, it what will make us have the most successful life we can. I believe we should all learn a little more about critical thinking to better our decision-making skills which will then, in turn, makes us more successful people.

[Briana Roesel]

I completely agree with everything you are saying in your response. I like how you say critical thinking will lead us to work smarter. I  agree with statement because I believe that when we think critically we are thinking smarter. I also like how you said the problems in our world are becoming more complex and thinking critically helps us solve these problems. It leads me to think that more people need to develop better critical thinking skills to better their problem solving skills. I also agree with what you took from the Defining Critical Thinking article about how critical thinking can improve the way we think, communicate and see the world. When I read this article I thought that was a very interesting fact. Who would have known changing the way you think could change the way you see the world.  

[Caitlin Lamb]

1. How do the ways that the two web sites describe critical thinking resonate with what you believe are the skills and attributes necessary to have a successful life?

   
   

I thought that it was very interesting how different the three definitions of the same concept were in their wording, while all conveying much the same message. The first definition by the National Council of Excellence in Critical Thinking offers a longer definition that offers many different words to describe critical thinking, while the second definition by Edward Glaser offers three distinct parts to critical thinking. The definition in the second article is much shorter and simpler. While each definition has it's advantages, in terms of how to use critical thinking lead a successful life I  like the first definition by the National Council the best.  In it’s essence, I feel that critical thinking is a very simple concept.  While in some situations I am sure someone could argue that it is more complicated, critical thinking to me means the connection between ideas, thoughts, actions, etc. This definition highlights several words that I think really describe it well.  My favorite word that is mentioned in this definition is refection.  Every moment of every day, we are having thoughts and performing actions that we often never think twice about, just as every living creature on earth does.  However, humans and perhaps some other animals, are capable of taking some of these thoughts and actions one step further through reflection.  Reflection is what allows us to analyze a situation that has already passed.  Being able to analyze it means possibly being able to learn from it, and it is with that ability that we may better our lives. I think that people who are able to learn from their every action, whether they deem it a success or failure, are those who are able to live life to it's fullest, and to be the most successful. If we never learn from our actions, how can we ever change our actions?

I did not like Edward Glaser's definition of critical thinking, and could find little to connect it to the skills necessary for leading a successful life. He states that critical thinking "involves..knowledge of the methods of logical inquiry." To me, a child who touches a hot stove and quickly learns to never do that again is using critical thinking in its simplest form. I do not feel that that child, in realizing that touching that stove causes pain, is applying any knowledge of logical inquiry. They are, however, "applying" knowledge gained from "experience," as stated in the first definition. 

I believe that the final definition, in the second article, is just as accurate as the first, but is just more simple. In terms of how it describes critical thinking in terms of using it to have a successful life, it can apply to the example of the child, as they are able to rationally decide to not touch the stove again. Being able to think rationally is being able to learn, and it is my belief that learning is the key to happiness in life.

[Christopher Griffin]

Thinking back over my life, even over the past few years, I have not been thinking as critically as these videos would ask of a critical thinker. Despite my belief that I was well grounded and kept my eyes open to differing perspectives and ideas, these articles have illustrated to me that despite all my skepticism, without reexamining how or why I believed what have believed, there is no room for mental growth. The philosophy video pointed out to think critically is to separate one from their upbringing's biased foundation and to perpetually question one's beliefs and their logical connections. While I feel I have done so to some degree, and even have shifted dramatically over the past decade, I realize that despite my questioning of ideas, I still fall into the trap of finding a comfortable idea set and remaining there. The greatest challenge I face for this problem is that it's unexpected events that force me out of these safe zones which make me refocus my perspective and identify the fallacies of aforementioned safe zones. The critical thinking.org article calls upon the critical thinker to continuously raise questions about their belief set and the origins of these ideas. Because we as individuals will only ever see the world through one pair of eyes, it is our responsibility to identify other perspectives and mindsets for us to refocus our lenses of understanding to have a three dimensional view and understanding of the world, not just out own interpretation. I believe that my fault at this point is not that I hesitate to question and examine why beliefs are there, but I am too heavily intoxicated of the veto power of skepticism without following through. Although I can find doubt and disbelief in almost anything, I need to finish the process by "gather[s] and assess[es] relevant information, using abstract ideas to interpret it effectively comes to well-reasoned conclusions and solutions, testing them against relevant criteria and standards" (criticalthinking.org). I need to synthesize what I have deconstructed to create new foundations of interpretation that can change dynamically as I learn more throughout life. 

Following up on this idea of taking impressions and changing them as think critically, I believe the Roethke poem is an excellent example of reevaluating understanding through asking questions that challenge biased one-sided interpretations. After my first read-through, I felt that this short poem handles the trauma of a child whose youth was remembered through the encounters with their drunken father. It seemed as though each piece was a fragmented memory of what kind of behavior the father engaged in whilst intoxicated, like "battered one one knuckle" or "You beat time on my head" (Roethke 2277). Considering the opening line mentioned whiskey on the fathers breath, it lingers throughout the poem, tainting the memories with alcohol. However, after rereading and asking questions for thinking critically, I believe I have a new understanding of the poem. Yes, the father was intoxicated, and yes the child was scraped and the mother was angry, but that isn't the point. Instead of the child's perspective I examined the drunk father. You see, harming the child or being abusive never seemed to be the issue, that is never the father's intent. The poem is about father and child dancing wildly and care-free, removing them from the humdrum of daily life and being wild for fun. The father sincerely loves his child, who want s to have fun with them until the child falls asleep from dancing. The mother is mad at the fact that the father doesn't care about conventional values, he wants his child to be and feel loved. Whiskey winds up blinding the reader to the message of the poem, not the narrator or the father.  

1. How do the ways that the two web sites describe critical thinking resonate with what you believe are the skills and attributes necessary to have a successful life?  

2. Drawing on what you learned about critical thinking through reviewing the Web sites, please offer an observation or question about the Roethke and Lowell poems.  In other words, demonstrate your critical thinking skills.

On Tuesday, April 30, 2013 4:29:10 PM UTC-4, Dr. C. wrote:

[rogers26]

1. How do the ways that the two web sites describe critical thinking resonate with what you believe are the skills and attributes necessary to have a successful life?  

 

Being an Anthropology minor I tend to look at things from an anthropological view. One thing I've learned that has stuck with me and that I've pushed myself to achieve is being able to think outside the structures of your culture. Growing up, individual culture taught you values and provided you with an established logic. It's automatically assumed that the structured logic is the only possible version of critical thinking available, unless you're to move outside what individual culture taught you. It's easy to become stuck in thinking every individual culture is the same ,and that ever individual will achieve the same thought process as you.

 

The most important factor of critical thinking is being able to accept alternative views or ways of thinking. If we are unable to see past our own possibly flawed logic then we hinder our problem solving capabilities and essentially communication, which I believe to be a foundation for a successful life. The video from the "What is Critical Thinking?" site presented an idea that resonated with me. The idea of a false dichotomy. That we assume there are only two possible outcomes or solutions, when in reality there could thousands. This relates to being able to evaluate multiple solutions and choosing the best one. If assume only two solutions exist and refuse to acknowledge the alternatives then we could miss the most successful solution to the problem.

 

If we don't employ the use of alternative views in our critical thinking there would be no forward movement; unable to reach solutions and forever attempting to solve the same problem. A successful life is reliant upon the use of these tools because they nurture successful communication, which is essential for a successful work and personal life.

 

 

[Amanda Sellers]

2) After browsing through the 2 websites, my look on the Roethke and Lowell poems have differed a bit. I still feel the emotion behind their words, but I find they were extremely disciplined and thorough in their work. Although they had mental illnesses, they were able to provide complex conclusions and solutions to the issues they faced in their lives.

   I feel success is based on an individual basis, dependent on one's own goals and aspirations and accomplishments. Roethke and Lowell were both very troubled by their "failures" in relationships. They could feel control over their work and put much of their lives into it. I admire their creativity and "out-of-the-box" abilities. One of the websites stated creativity may require breaking the rules and is compatible with out-of-the-box thinking, challenging consensus and purusing less popular approaches. Roethke was known for less popular approaches in both his poetry and teaching methods. One time, while teaching, he crawled out of a window and carefully made his way across the ledge making faces in each of the windows. He was encouraging his students to think about the faces he made and write about them based on their experience and observation of his facial expressions.

   Critical thinking also requires control of the mind and is essential for self reflection. Both Theodore Roethke and Robert Lowell have produced exceptional poetry based on self reflection and control. Part of their self reflection seems to be of their inability to control their minds during their episodes.

   Critical thinking is also free from biases and flaws, in personal and societal ideals. I feel Lowell was not only extending Roethke's work, but freeing himself from the argument he had made against Roethke. I noticed too, that Lowell wrote For Theodore Roethke in 1963, the year Roethke died. Lowell was also very much into history and the political scene. He was active in many protests, including the march against the Pentagon in 1967. This particular march seemed to be a "failure" in my eyes, as the Vietnam War did not end until a few years later. Lowell however felt success in expressing his observations and ideas through his poetry. He very much believed in a liberal democratic society, which rids of biases and prejudice I also find it interesting that Lowell began his political activism in 1965, 2 years after For Theodore Roethke. His earlier work focused more on his life experiences and issues then on societal issues.

   I do wonder though, if Roethke and Lowell truly felt successful in their lifetime?

  

[Amanda Sellers]

Jeremy,

 

I definitely agree with you about Miami offering many chances to engage and enhance a student's critical thinking skills  to better prepare them for the workforce.

I also agree that in business, while making decisions, one needs to take an unbiased approach and consider all the stakeholders. Especially after the economic collapse of 2008. I believe critical thinking has become of major importance particularly in the business field because of the shareholder model. One of the websites stated, "People who think critically consistently attempt to live rationally, reasonably, empathetically. They are keenly aware of the inherently flawed nature of human thinking when left unchecked. They strive to diminish power of their egocentric and sociocentric tendencies."

The primary goal of a business is to make money. However, on a grander scale, a business needs to pay attention to the consumers, shareholders, employees, suppliers, and communities.In a sensible economy, businesses would understand the importance of each stakeholder. In a "perfect" economy, there would not be much of a gap in wealth between classes. Freidman's economic theory states that businesses should be socially responsible. That in and of itself requires much critical thinking. To succeed, a business will need to primarily put a side it's primary objective to better the society as a whole and maintain the longevity of the business. If the people cannot afford to buy what they want and need, how will that business survive? Look how many businesses have closed down post-economic collapse due to the irresponsible and irrational decisions of businessmen and women who seemed to not be able to handle the deregulation of Wall Street which began in the early 1980's and understand the responsibilities their business has to all the stakeholders.

[sawtelmt]

1. How do the ways that the two web sites describe critical thinking resonate with what you believe are the skills and attributes necessary to have a successful life?
   

Critical thinking is a necessity in day to day life.  Like both articles said, without it we would not be able to construct logical arguments, solve problems systematically, or reflect on your own values and beliefs.  We use critical thinking when it comes to small things like our social interactions and we use it when it comes to bigger more important things like our careers.  To be a critical thinker you have to gather information then use your judgement and critical thinking skills to decide what's useful information and what information doesn't pertain to the topic on hand.  Then you have to decide how to use that information to reach the conclusion that you want.

When it comes to having a successful career, to me critical thinking is the difference in just getting by and being OK at something and excelling and being great at something.  When it comes to my career choice critical thinking is a must.  I am in my third year of nursing school and the importance of critical thinking is something that is reinforced daily.  You can memorize every book and retain a ton of information but if you can't use critical thinking to determine what the best route of action is, then all of that knowledge is wasted.  I think critical thinking is most important when trying to make an important decision.  You need to be able to think ahead to what the consequences might be to your actions and if the pros outweigh the cons. 

In the second article, What is Critical Thinking?, I agree with the last paragraph completely.  A lot of people assume critical thinking means there's no room for creativity or individuality but critical thinking actually promotes both of those things.  Critical thinking allows you to think outside of the box and form conclusions that other people may not be able to get to. 

[Mandy]

To have a successful life, is “to live rationally, reasonably and empathetically”, and as article one affirms, having well developed critical thinking skills is the path to live in this way.  People who live rationally, reasonably and empathetically are more desired by employers and are more likely to have better relationships with their family/friends, which has a direct effect on their level of happiness. To me, at the core of success is happiness, and ultimately, happiness is fueled directly by the individual himself – his thought processes and thinking patterns. 

 

Although, some may disagree, we are the makers or breakers of our own happiness via our critically thinking skills.  We have the choice to be happy.  We can chose to dwell on the bad and let it cloud our view of the world or we can chose to put things into perspective and realize the good with the bad. To be a good critical thinker is to look at the big picture and not narrow in on the small things, which can lead to distorted and biased thinking.  When we see the whole picture, we are better able to think “clearly and rationally” and thereby, are capable of the single most important thing from article two, which I feel is essential for continued happiness – “detecting inconsistencies and common mistakes in reasoning.”  By recognizing our flawed thinking, we are better suited to manage it so that it doesn’t interfere with our ability to see things as they are.

 

If we can continually keep the big picture in mind, we are able to maintain our ability to be rational, reasonable and empathetic, thus insuring happiness and, in turn, success! More precisely, as stated in the first article, “Yet the quality of our life and that of what we produce, make, or build depends precisely on the quality of our thought.” 

On Tuesday, April 30, 2013 4:29:10 PM UTC-4, Dr. C. wrote:

[Amanda Sellers]

I am not sure I can agree with you on Edward Glaser's definition regarding your example of the child touching a hot stove. I agree that when a child touches a hot stove, they will use knowledge of the methods of logical inquiry, although they may not yet understand that they had knowledge of those methods. Logical inquiry is the examination/observation of an event or thing as using thought to gather information. I do believe that when the child touches the hot stove they will resist doing it again as they realize it is painful. How does the child get to that logic though? With minimal language at a young age, they cannot speak what an adult would assume would be a logical response. However, my children never cease to amaze me at what comes from their mouth with their minimal vocabulary or the actions they take or don't take. Sometimes the greatest language is the silence in actions.

As said in a few other posts, critical thinking and problem solving is in human nature and begins at an early age. Even babies cry when they are hungry, tired, in pain, etc. This is in its simplest form, critical thinking beginning. By the time a child attempts to touch a stove, say 18 months old, they are testing the boundaries their parents have set for them. Even at the age of 15 months, studies have shown babies will do things(act out) to get their parents attention. They are thinking about the outcomes of what they do and gaining experience by observing the nature of events surrounding them. Although most of us don't remember much of our experiences when we were say 1 or 2, our brain retains the information we have gathered.

I also think parents play a crucial role in the development of early problem solving and critical thinking, as well as how the children will be able to critically think themselves. When I told my oldest son not to touch the hot stove for the first time (he had just turned 2), he looked at me with his "why not" face, as I had seen on several other occasions. Some logical inquiry(thought) had to go into his decision to touch the stove. As soon as I said it, he attempted to touch the hot stove.

[kasibhm]

1. How do the ways that the two web sites describe critical thinking resonate with what you believe are the skills and attributes necessary to have a successful life?  

Success can be defined as many different things. I might define it as the achievement of my goals, while someone else may think success is having a lot of material items and being very wealthy. In my opinion, the key to a successful life is happiness. Happiness can be found in the smallest of things, but I do trust that critical thinking is definitely one component of happiness and success. If one cannot think critically to overcome obstacles in their lives, how are they ever going to find that happiness that most of us long for?

According to the article “Defining Critical Thinking,” critical thinking can be described as “the intellectually disciplined process of actively and skillfully conceptualizing, applying, analyzing, synthesizing, and/or evaluating information gathered from, or generated by, observation.” I believe that critical thinking is something that people use in our everyday lives. Not only are we asked to “think critically” about literature we’re assigned at school, but even outside of a classroom context our minds are always working to think critically. For example, if a problem arises at work or school, how do we go about solving it? First, we would define the problem. Next, we would start to think about it in every possible way to determine the best solution. Finally, we would come up with what we think to be the best solution and from there, put thoughts into action. The outcome? Success. By thinking critically, we’ve managed to overcome trials and come out on top.

On Tuesday, April 30, 2013 4:29:10 PM UTC-4, Dr. C. wrote:

[kasibhm]

I definitely agree with you that success is subjective. As I wrote in my own post, success can be defined as many different things. But in general, I believe it to be overcoming obstacles and being happy in end. Success shouldn't be defined as one broad topic. Like you said, I really do think that to be successful is to achieve something for yourself, not aiming for others' standards. I really liked that idea and actually used it in my own writing...so thank you! As far as what you wrote about critical thinking, I think that maybe people are born with the ability to think critically, but it's something that definitely needs to be taught as we get older. I know my high school emphasized it a bunch. In almost every class, and especially in English classes that was always a major topic. But I do believe that as we grow older and learn how to think critically, we become better problem solvers and we can become successful in that way. 

[fran...@miamioh.edu]

1. How do the ways that the two web sites describe critical thinking resonate with what you believe are the skills and attributes necessary to have a successful life?  

   
   

1. The ability to be a critical thinker plays a very important role in the way we handle everyday situations. Being a critical thinker allows one to evaluate situations at hand using the information surrounding it, and make a sound decision. I believe it especially plays an active role in the education process. I can remember especially in high school that critical thinking was one thing that teachers always tried to instill in the students to make them better learners. One of the websites says "critical thinking is quite compatible with thinking "out-of-the-box", challenging consensus and pursuing less popular approaches." I think this is one of the key aspects to critical thinking. A good critical thinker is able to look for what may not be the normal solution, and make an informed decision. This to me is incredibly important in critical thinking, and I think it helps in having a successful life. Being a good critical thinker is important to having a successful life because it allows you to benefit from situations that everyday life puts you in. In contrast, you do not necessarily have to be a good critical thinker to have a successful life. It sometimes is not a skill that everyone possesses, and good decisions and opportunities can still happen. I have always believed that I have been a good critical thinker, or at least I try to be, and I personally feel I have benefitted in life from working on this skill. Everyone can always be a better critical thinker, and striving to improve in that area can surely benefit an individuals life.

   
   

[Chris Little]

Prompt 2

"My Papa's Waltz" gave the distinct impression of a drunken farmer physically abusing his son. I believe the father is a farmer from the lines "the hand that held my wrist was battered on one knucked" and "with a palm still caked hard by dirt". Both of these imply these hands are involved in manual labor and work in the dirt. While the father could also be a construction worker, or gardener, the mental image i got was that of farmer. The physical abuse part is evident throughout the language of the text, "hung on like death", "pans slid from the shelf", "beat time on my head". Also, this abuse seems to be habitual. Then the poem describes the pans falling in the kitchen and the mother standing by and watching, its likely she would try to intervene unless she was used to this behavior.

"For Theodore Roethke" seems to be a eulogy taking the form of a dream premonition. The lines " all night you wandered in my sleep, then in the morning you were lose" imply a dream like state, as dreams often fade like smoke or clouds.  Also, give that Roethke died of a heart attack while in a swimming pool, the literal imagery of "squawking under the water" makes complete sense. The extensive use of nature references is a homage to Roethke's poetic focus on natural imagery, which this poem is trying to reproduce.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theodore_Roethke

[adamsjm6]

I completely agree that critical thinking is vitally important in order to evaluate situations. Without thinking critically one would be unable to fully comprehend the situation at hand and be able to make a non judgmental and non emotional decision. Rational decision making is important for all people to exercise but  a combination of education and the continual use of critical thinking makes a person a more reasonable and rational decision maker and thinker. 

[adamsjm6]

Your point regarding critical thinking and happiness is very insightful and in my opinion, true. By making reasonable and rational decisions and not dwelling on the negative or making poor decisions one can be very successful and happy. Relationships are a point of contention and importance in each and everyone's lives. If people fail to be critical thinkers their relationships could crumble or they may associate with the wrong individuals because they made a poor or irrational judgement. 

[Betty Gabbard]

I feel critical thinking is responsible for dividing students into two groups: those who go through the motions to pass and those who really want to learn the material. I think this carries over into everyday life, and hugely determines your success. Critical thinkers are those who take in information, then use it to formulate ideas, questions and answers. They don't just know XYZ has to be done, they know why it has to be done and the consequences of it not being done. I feel like students are especially prone to exhibiting a lack of critical thinking when it comes to cramming for exams and memorizing key information to pass, but then forget said information when the course is over. On the other hand, critical thinking can be encouraged in a classroom setting as new ideas and opinions are welcomed to be explored. Critical thinking is important in everyday life because it separates those who are proactive about situations- those who formulate ideas and options- apart from those who do not. Critical thinking is necessary for success because you can "see the gears turning" with a critical thinker,

[gibertpm]

I believe that both websites present very interesting information on critical thinking, despite how different their ideologies are. The Tutorial website describes critical thinking as “the ability to think clearly and rationally”. The other website defines critical thinking as more of a scholarly way than a realistic way. The website reads “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”. The Tutorial mode of thinking is more along the lines of what I believe personally is needed to have a successful life. The Tutorial website describes critical thinking as a skill that provides many advantages such as needing for new knowledge, promoting creativity, self-reflection and the foundation of liberal democratic society. I agree that critical thinking helps you think in a progressive way in today’s society, especially a college student. You can’t through school without having critical thinking skills in all subjects. I mean, how could you even advance to higher levels without having to think above the rest? How can you compete with your competition after graduating if you were entering a company? This thinking could get you ahead over people in the real world. The other website really has a more scholarly way of thinking that applies towards the transcendence of higher class. It points out the processes and given results from critical thinking without applying a real world concept. I believe that the Tutorial website had the best way of critical thinking.

[Joseph Dowd]

In order to outline the skills and attributes necessary to have a successful life, the idea of a "successful life" must first be described. In my opinion, a successful life is one where goals and ambitions are laid out and subsequently completed. One that is filled with satisfaction and gratification, not from being given what you have, but from earning it. One where adversity is met head-on and overcome. A successful life is one that will have accepted and overcome challenging tasks, made difficult decisions in the face of opposition, and one that benefitted the greater good rather than the individual.

There are a plethora of skills and attributes necessary to enjoy my idea of a successful life and many of these align very well with the descriptions of critical thinking. For one, a successful life requires someone who is hard working and disciplined. These attributes are also required in critical thinking. The National Council for Excellence in Critical Thinking mentions, “the habit, based on intellectual commitment, of using those skills to guide behavior,” is one component of critical thinking. This implies that just hoping or wanting to think critically is not enough because the process of critical thinking is not a passive one. Instead, one must be disciplined and persistent in order to actively think critically.

In addition to being hard working and disciplined, one must be principled and conscientious to live a successful life, as well as think critically. As I stated in my idea of a successful life, one must make tough decisions in the face of opposition, and this requires well-thought out and just principles. Linda Elder invoked Socrates to prove this point, “that many unexamined lives together result in an uncritical, unjust, dangerous world.” 

Finally, perhaps the most important skill required to live a successful life and essential to the ability to think critically is the capacity to learn from experience and adapt one’s own ideologies based on experiences and acquired knowledge. For example, last week I finished my module one response and posted it only to receive an error message from Google. As a result, I learned from my mistake this week and saved my writing every couple of sentences. Perhaps next week I’ll even submit my post with more than five minutes to spare! Learning and critical thinking are life-long tasks.

[Jacqueline Oligee]

Oliva, 

I really liked and agreed with two things that you said. the first thing you said was that being optimistic and critical thinking go hand in hand. I had never though of it like this before but yes, they really do. As an education major I have tried and tried to get students to do something but point blank if they don't want to do it they are not going to. If they have an open mind they are going to be more willing to critically think about an issue. I think that they do go hand in hand but I also think that it kind of acts like a cause and effect. If a student is optimistic then tit will cause them to critically think about things. another think that you said was that if someone has self discipline and self determination that they will have self success. I also think that this is very true. I think that critical thinking takes some work and practice, just like anything worthwhile in life. I think that people can get easily frustrated while critical thinking but the people who stick with it and had discipline and determination will be much more successful than the people who do not use critical thinking in there everyday life. 

[Dr. C.]

Joe, Why do you think that critical thinking can improve creativity? Or how do you see it working?  

I agree that the world is filled with ambiguity, but can you give a specific example where you see this operating, and how critical thinking might help?

On Tuesday, May 28, 2013 8:55:03 AM UTC-4, noblejg wrote:

   Critical thinking is the deepest form of thinking that one can use. From the use of critical thinking, it has come to my belief that a person can achieve success in all aspects of their life. As the article Defining Critical Thinking pointed out, implementing critical thinking into your life allows you to avoid thinking simplistically about complicated issues, and leads a person to begin improving the way they think, communicate, and see the world.

      As for the second article I read titled “What Is Critical Thinking” by using critical thinking a person can enhance their creativity. Critical thinking can even improve both the work and social environments.

      Now, we can see all of the many key qualities of critical thinking, but now I want to tie all of these qualities in and conclude with why all of these attributes will lead to a successful life. The world today is filled will ambiguity and the issues in the world are becoming more and more complex. I believe that by implementing and using critical processing in your own life then we can effectively communicate and solve these complex problems. Lastly, using critical thinking will allow for a person to begin not necessarily to work harder, but work smarter. Working smarter will lead a person to great success in any career or life path they choose, and it places them in a leadership role, which is always a welcomed commodity in any place you go.  

[Dr. C.]

Jacqueline,

Good response here - I like how you connect critical thinking to your chosen career.  

One suggestion I have, and I may have mentioned this in response to an earlier post, is that you use paragraph breaks to organize your response.  It's difficult to read a block of text.

Dr. C.

On Tuesday, May 28, 2013 1:24:23 PM UTC-4, Jacqueline Oligee wrote:

1. How do the ways that the two web sites describe critical thinking resonate with what you believe are the skills and attributes necessary to have a successful life?  

After reading through the two websites it is clear that you need Critical thinking in every aspect of your life. Not only is it helpful in the work place, and in school settings but it can make a huge difference in the success that you have in life. It is very important that I am critically thinking everyday, it makes me a better, more educated person. I will be a teacher soon and it will also be my job to teach my students how to be critical thinkers.Critical thinking can be useful in anyone's life. Critical thinking is a tool that you should use everyday when making big and small decisions. People can go through the necessary steps of critical thinking to help them gain skills and be a proactive member of society. A lot of the skills that are used in critical thinking are also needed in everyday, real life situations such as understanding logical connections between ideas, solving problems, detect common mistakes and inconsistencies in reasoning, and figuring out the importance in ideas.  Critical thinking web said that even though a person has a lot of facts and a good memory, that does not necessarily make them a critical thinker. I think this is a common misconception that people and myself often make. I use to think that people who could memorize math equations and facts about science were brilliant. I have horrible memorization skills but that does not make me less intelligent. Just like there are different learning styles, I also think there are different think styles and not everyone is a good at critical thinking. depending on the individual critical thinking can take on many different roles. Before my education at Miami If someone would have told me I needed to critically think everyday I probably would have rolled my eyes. Now, I understand that Critical thinking can be the difference in success and failure. I liked when Criticalthinking.org said "Critical thinking is, in short, self-directed, self-disciplined, self-monitored, and self-corrective thinking. It presupposes assent to rigorous standards of excellence and mindful command of their use." I think Critical thinking is a tool that a person has develop for themselves. once you have the tool you also have to keep it sharp by practicing critical thinking everyday.  

[Dr. C.]

Joe,

I like how you point out that critical thinking can be defined in different ways.  You mention how much emphasis Miami places on critical thinking.  How do you see Miami defining critical thinking, and how does it compare with what you read in the articles?

Dr. C.

On Tuesday, May 28, 2013 4:13:06 PM UTC-4, jocketjw wrote:

Prompt 1:

The two websites discuss the necessity of critical thinking in everyday life. They discuss how it is up to the individuals to process information and come to their own conclusions when doing so. I tend to agree with what the websites are getting at. We all view information and events in different ways and it is up to our own minds to determine what they mean. This is a crucial skill to have in order to be a functioning member of society. Miami University has made it very clear that they view critical thinking as an extremely valuable tool for us students to master. On the course evaluations there is an entire section dedicated to this skill alone. 

Before we can master this skill, however, we must be clear on what exactly it means to "think critically." The articles have some very interesting and complex definitions. After reading the material, I think that I agree most with the Edward Glaser's breakdown of critical thinking. Glaser has three parts to his definition: "( 1 ) an attitude of being disposed to consider in a thoughtful way the problems and subjects that come within the range of one's experiences, (2) knowledge of the methods of logical inquiry and reasoning, and (3) some skill in applying those methods". It is a simple way to define a complex concept and I think it makes the most sense. 

Joe Jocketty

[Dr. C.]

Sarah,

I like your response, especially because you use an example, but I wonder how critical thinking works through the example of whether to stay home to study or to go out?

Dr. C.

[Dr. C.]

David,

I love your first sentence, because it's true.  I also appreciate that you recognize that critical thinking isn't something that we have inherently at our disposal - those skills are something we can learn and develop.

Good response!

Dr. C.

[Dr. C.]

Briana,

Good response, but do you think that people necessarily recognize when they are taking the steps that you suggest are part of critical thinking?

Dr. C.

[Dr. C.]

Caitlin,

Good post here, and I am glad you see similarities between the definitions of critical thinking even though the wording differs.  I think there are core traits to definitions of critical thinking, but as someone else pointed out, there are different definitions for "critical thinking."  There's actually a vast body of literature that debates what critical thinking is, how to teach it, whether it can be taught, etc. :) 

Dr. C.

[Dr. C.]

Chris,

Great response here and use of critical thinking to reconsider the Roethke poem.

Nice work!

[Dr. C.]

Kobey,

I really like how you draw from your academic interests in this response.  I agree with you that we must look beyond the values taught to us by our culture.   I also think that it can be very difficult to do that.

Great response here!

Dr. C.

[Dr. C.]

Joe,

Good post here - amusing even - yes, getting work done prior to having five minutes to spare is probably a good idea. :)

[Dr. C.]

I like this post, but I would love to hear more about what you see as a "realistic" vs. "scholarly" definition of critical thinking. 

[Dr. C.]

Betty,

This is an interesting response, but it would be stronger if you could reference the readings in some way.

Dr. C.

[Dr. C.]

Chris, I like your comments here, but how do you see them as connected to critical thinking?  

[Dr. C.]

Brandon,

Good response, but I'd like to see references to the material on the Web sites.

Dr. C.

On Wednesday, May 29, 2013 2:58:53 PM UTC-4, fran...@miamioh.edu wrote:

[Dr. C.]

Amanda,
Good response, and I'm not sure how to answer your last question - it would be interesting to know how they felt about their lives.  If you're interested in the two authors, you might look into their correspondence (not between the two, but with others), especially Lowell's.  He had many friendships with lots of other writers, including Elizabeth Bishop, one of my favorites.

On Wednesday, May 29, 2013 12:18:48 PM UTC-4, Amanda Sellers wrote:

2) After browsing through the 2 websites, my look on the Roethke and Lowell poems have differed a bit. I still feel the emotion behind their words, but I find they were extremely disciplined and thorough in their work. Although they had mental illnesses, they were able to provide complex conclusions and solutions to the issues they faced in their lives.

   I feel success is based on an individual basis, dependent on one's own goals and aspirations and accomplishments. Roethke and Lowell were both very troubled by their "failures" in relationships. They could feel control over their work and put much of their lives into it. I admire their creativity and "out-of-the-box" abilities. One of the websites stated creativity may require breaking the rules and is compatible with out-of-the-box thinking, challenging consensus and purusing less popular approaches. Roethke was known for less popular approaches in both his poetry and teaching methods. One time, while teaching, he crawled out of a window and carefully made his way across the ledge making faces in each of the windows. He was encouraging his students to think about the faces he made and write about them based on their experience and observation of his facial expressions.

   Critical thinking also requires control of the mind and is essential for self reflection. Both Theodore Roethke and Robert Lowell have produced exceptional poetry based on self reflection and control. Part of their self reflection seems to be of their inability to control their minds during their episodes.

   Critical thinking is also free from biases and flaws, in personal and societal ideals. I feel Lowell was not only extending Roethke's work, but freeing himself from the argument he had made against Roethke. I noticed too, that Lowell wrote For Theodore Roethke in 1963, the year Roethke died. Lowell was also very much into history and the political scene. He was active in many protests, including the march against the Pentagon in 1967. This particular march seemed to be a "failure" in my eyes, as the Vietnam War did not end until a few years later. Lowell however felt success in expressing his observations and ideas through his poetry. He very much believed in a liberal democratic society, which rids of biases and prejudice I also find it interesting that Lowell began his political activism in 1965, 2 years after For Theodore Roethke. His earlier work focused more on his life experiences and issues then on societal issues.

   I do wonder though, if Roethke and Lowell truly felt successful in their lifetime?

  

[Dr. C.]

Megan,

I like how you link critical thinking to being a nurse.  Is there a specific example you have in mind there?

Dr. C.

On Wednesday, May 29, 2013 1:15:02 PM UTC-4, sawtelmt wrote:

1. How do the ways that the two web sites describe critical thinking resonate with what you believe are the skills and attributes necessary to have a successful life?
   

Critical thinking is a necessity in day to day life.  Like both articles said, without it we would not be able to construct logical arguments, solve problems systematically, or reflect on your own values and beliefs.  We use critical thinking when it comes to small things like our social interactions and we use it when it comes to bigger more important things like our careers.  To be a critical thinker you have to gather information then use your judgement and critical thinking skills to decide what's useful information and what information doesn't pertain to the topic on hand.  Then you have to decide how to use that information to reach the conclusion that you want.

When it comes to having a successful career, to me critical thinking is the difference in just getting by and being OK at something and excelling and being great at something.  When it comes to my career choice critical thinking is a must.  I am in my third year of nursing school and the importance of critical thinking is something that is reinforced daily.  You can memorize every book and retain a ton of information but if you can't use critical thinking to determine what the best route of action is, then all of that knowledge is wasted.  I think critical thinking is most important when trying to make an important decision.  You need to be able to think ahead to what the consequences might be to your actions and if the pros outweigh the cons. 

In the second article, What is Critical Thinking?, I agree with the last paragraph completely.  A lot of people assume critical thinking means there's no room for creativity or individuality but critical thinking actually promotes both of those things.  Critical thinking allows you to think outside of the box and form conclusions that other people may not be able to get to. 

[Dr. C.]

Olivia,

It's interesting that you link critical thinking with being optimistic; I'm not sure I would have made that connection although I love you point about it!

Dr. C.

On Tuesday, May 28, 2013 7:50:41 PM UTC-4, Olivia Zuba wrote:

1. How do the ways that the two web sites describe critical thinking resonate with what you believe are the skills and attributes necessary to have a successful life?

 

After reading both websites, it was very clear to me that critical thinking is an important aspect of our everyday lives. Critical thinking can be used each day, and the more we critical think the better. I think that critical thinking goes hand in hand with being optimistic. The more of an open mind you have, the more you are willing to learn and think about things in new ways. If you are a good critical thinker you will be very successful in life. Memorizing facts is not the best way to be successful in life. In a video on what is critical thinking? the speaker in the video uses the example of "You can give a person a fish, or you can teach them how to fish." If you give someone a fish you are not making them critically think about how to catch a fish. If you teach someone how to catch a fish they will be able to survive for the rest of their life and be able to catch fish on their own. Critical thinking is something we do each day and the more we practice, the more successful we will be in life. On criticalthinking.org the article at one point says critical thinking is in our nature. I agree with that statement, but everyone thinks in different ways. Of course we are taught about critical thinking in school, but it is a combination of self-discipline and self-motivation which leads to self-success.

 

 

 

 

 

On Tuesday, April 30, 2013 4:29:10 PM UTC-4, Dr. C. wrote:

After completing the required reading, please choose one of the following options:

1. How do the ways that the two web sites describe critical thinking resonate with what you believe are the skills and attributes necessary to have a successful life?  

1. Drawing on what you learned about critical thinking through reviewing the Web sites, please offer an observation or question about the Roethke and Lowell poems.  In other words, demonstrate your critical thinking skills.

[Dr. C.]

Manu,

Good response here, but do you think that people really do take the approach to think critically in their daily lives?  Maybe I'm just being cynical. :) 

Dr. C.

On Wednesday, May 29, 2013 2:27:51 PM UTC-4, kasibhm wrote:

1. How do the ways that the two web sites describe critical thinking resonate with what you believe are the skills and attributes necessary to have a successful life?  

Success can be defined as many different things. I might define it as the achievement of my goals, while someone else may think success is having a lot of material items and being very wealthy. In my opinion, the key to a successful life is happiness. Happiness can be found in the smallest of things, but I do trust that critical thinking is definitely one component of happiness and success. If one cannot think critically to overcome obstacles in their lives, how are they ever going to find that happiness that most of us long for?

According to the article “Defining Critical Thinking,” critical thinking can be described as “the intellectually disciplined process of actively and skillfully conceptualizing, applying, analyzing, synthesizing, and/or evaluating information gathered from, or generated by, observation.” I believe that critical thinking is something that people use in our everyday lives. Not only are we asked to “think critically” about literature we’re assigned at school, but even outside of a classroom context our minds are always working to think critically. For example, if a problem arises at work or school, how do we go about solving it? First, we would define the problem. Next, we would start to think about it in every possible way to determine the best solution. Finally, we would come up with what we think to be the best solution and from there, put thoughts into action. The outcome? Success. By thinking critically, we’ve managed to overcome trials and come out on top.

[David A. Riley]

Response to Amanda -

You raise a very interesting point at the end of your post. Since defining success on one's own terms is a key part of feeling successful, I would be willing to argue that Roethke did not feel successful. It is clear from his biography that Roethke had some serious issues with his parents. That is often a contributing factor to low-self esteem and depression. It is then reasonable to assume that Roethke was using his parent's approval or behavior as his measure for success. From the depression and relationship problems, it is clear that was searching for approval, for that feeling of accomplishment... in other words, success. I know the book says he was "searching for oblivion," but that is just a male coping mechanism. I believe he was suffering from depression because he felt he never measured up to his parents benchmarks of success.

[Amanda Sellers]

David,

 

   I still have not done enough research on either author to have answered my own question. I did however look up manic-depression and found that it is a genetic illness. He probably felt real failure at not being able to live reasonably and rationally at moments during his "success" as observed by others. I feel he may have felt very successful in his poetry however, since it was self-reflective and he was able to face himself, sometimes that is one's biggest fear. I particularly liked Sumner's definition of critical thinking. It is a mental habit and power. It is our only guarantee against delusion, deception, superstition and misapprehension of ourselves and our earthly circumstances.

   Roethke seemed to be a man obsessed with control over himself, as well as crazy and socially out of control. I'm not even sure I will ever be able to answer my question regarding Lowell and Roethke's success as it is deteminate on their aspirations. We may perceive that they have failed by our standards, but they may have felt success. I think every human has a vast array of their own personal successes and failures. I feel Roethke succeeded in his creativity, his work and his teaching.

  I would also like to ask: at what point can we not use our parents as a scapegoat for the problems we ourselves have created? As we age, we can learn right from wrong and how to critically think about the issues at hand. If Roethke was writing My Papa's Waltz as a means for self-reflection and was capable of critical thinking as he had taught others, at what age should he have learned to control himself or to understand he didn't need to control himself and his problems? Do we ever overcome problems felt or initiated by our parents? In that era of mental illness, was he really ill or just figuring himself out as a male?

[Mandy]

I definitely agree with you that reflection is an essential part of critical thinking and therefore necessary for success.  If we never take time to reflect on our actions, we will surely make the same mistakes over and over throughout life, hindering our success, instead of learning from them and helping us grow into successful individuals.  You are right, learning plays an important role in a successful life.

 
On Wednesday, May 29, 2013 3:21:50 AM UTC-4, Caitlin Lamb wrote:

1. How do the ways that the two web sites describe critical thinking resonate with what you believe are the skills and attributes necessary to have a successful life?

   
   

[Mandy]

I agree with you, Betty.  You can definitely tell the difference in the knowledge base that you leave with after a class ends, when the teacher fosters critical thinking in his class.  I am taking a class right now where the professor is always asking questions to make us think about the topics from different angles.  So far, I love it because it really helps me make lots of connections to the material, which helps me really fully understand it and not have to "cram" as much for the exams! :)

On Wednesday, May 29, 2013 4:39:37 PM UTC-4, Betty Gabbard wrote:

[Christopher Griffin]

This is an interesting point that you will soon become a teacher. Not only did the articles impart on you the importance of critical thinking, but you can now take this revelation into your early teaching career. Children initially are very one-dimensional with their perspectives and ideas of the world. In some way this is almost charming for its innocence and purity. However, if one were able to impart the importance of critical thinking on a young person, their subsequent education and life experiences would be so much richer and vibrant due to the ability to think critically and examine various perspectives when approaching an idea.

On Tuesday, May 28, 2013 1:24:23 PM UTC-4, Jacqueline Oligee wrote:

1. How do the ways that the two web sites describe critical thinking resonate with what you believe are the skills and attributes necessary to have a successful life?  

[Christopher Griffin]

I completely agree that critical thinking was not an active presence in my mind before these articles. Although I have employed elements of critical thinking in my life, these two articles help me firm up the idea of critical thinking as a step by step process. What I also found interesting was your point that you are soon to become a teacher. With technology progressing at the lightning pace that it has been, children have more knowledge and resources at their finger tips than ever before. However, I feel that media has now been diluted to entertainment and simplicity instead of complex and deep. What children need more now than ever is critical thinking skills to better understand a more complex meaning to life and their experiences. Instead of surfing through social media, youth could be the smartest generation yet if they learn and apply these skills early on.

[Caitlin Lamb]

I strongly agree with the last line of your post, about critical thinking being a tool that everyone must develop for themselves.  While exploring the Critical Thinking Community's website, I read an article titled "Critical Thinking in Everyday Life: 9 strategies."  The article talked about developing steps for developing critical thinking, and two steps that I found interesting were "reshape your character" and "deal with your ego." While I agree with your thought that everyone must develop their own critical thinking, the article also made me consider that perhaps we cannot simply "be ourselves" when developing critical thinking skills.  Our own minds could inhibit our ability to think clearly, so in order to develop our minds we also must alter them, and see past prior beliefs in order to accept new ones.

[David A. Riley]

OOOO good points. There come's a point in every man's life where he really has to sit down and think about who he is and who he wants to be. I had not equated Roethke's writing in this poem to that particular moment. For some, it happens in a relatively short window, and is often called a mid-life crisis. This is somewhat of a misnomer, as age really doesn't have much to do with when it happens. I have been doing a lot of reading on this topic in the last few months. I think your question about what age Roethke should have learned to control himself would be better stated more along the lines of "why doesn't Roethke like himself enough to get his life together?" That might seem like a big leap, but I can really relate to his behavior. I was depressed for a long time, and it wasn't until recently that I really understood why. As you said, there does seem to be a genetic component. I have a sister who is bi-polar, and I would say my father is clinically depressed but undiagnosed. For me, it was very much about the measures I was using to gauge my success. So, for many years I self-medicated. Sometimes with alcohol, others with obsessive reading or gaming.

So, I really think your assessment here that Roethke may just be trying to figure himself out, in a time where he didn't have blogs and forums to read for information, and mental health was something taken care of in institutions with barred windows. That being said, I wonder if his poetry would have been as emotionally compelling if he had been more at peace with himself. Obviously, it is impossible to know, and probably ridiculous to speculate. But for me, that seems to be the lasting question.

[rogers26]

Megan,

 

I chose to respond to your post because I agree whole heartedly that critical thinking is used everyday in our various situations from social to career. Critical thinking is not just reserved for our moments of profound thinking. I appreciate how you showed this by using you career of nursing as an example, and that it's used for every career no matter the interest. I agree that critical thinking creates individualism and prevents us from monotonous thinking. In some aspect, critical thinking requires creativity because if someone's not able to use their creativity to see beyond what's in front of them then they would be unable to produce alternative routes and solutions, which is a main crux of applying critical thinking. All in all, this post made points to disparage the idea that critical thinking is only for those moments of great intelligence but is used for everyday life.

[jocketjw]

Re: Mandy's Post: 

I agree with your assessment that we make and break our own day to day lives by how we think critically. It is important to realize that we control our own destiny, as you point out. I also agree with you in terms of the importance of the big picture when talking about critical thinking. Like you say, we cannot get caught up on the small things. I strongly agree with your post. I would be curious to know which definition you most closely agree with?  

[fran...@miamioh.edu]

Chris,

I think it is interesting that you made the comparison  of his father to a farmer based on that line. I think that line could be interpreted many different ways but I liked the path that you chose with it. It is something that I don't think many people made the comparison to. I also liked how you mentioned the abuse being habitual and the mothers attempt to intervene. If this is a habitual thing that would be happening it would be hard for the mother to intervene. You sometimes see in these situations that if the mother intervenes that the abuse could turn to her, and her being used to the abuse could definitely be seen from her standing by.

On Wednesday, May 29, 2013 3:10:01 PM UTC-4, Chris Little wrote:

Prompt 2

"My Papa's Waltz" gave the distinct impression of a drunken farmer physically abusing his son. I believe the father is a farmer from the lines "the hand that held my wrist was battered on one knucked" and "with a palm still caked hard by dirt". Both of these imply these hands are involved in manual labor and work in the dirt. While the father could also be a construction worker, or gardener, the mental image i got was that of farmer. The physical abuse part is evident throughout the language of the text, "hung on like death", "pans slid from the shelf", "beat time on my head". Also, this abuse seems to be habitual. Then the poem describes the pans falling in the kitchen and the mother standing by and watching, its likely she would try to intervene unless she was used to this behavior.

"For Theodore Roethke" seems to be a eulogy taking the form of a dream premonition. The lines " all night you wandered in my sleep, then in the morning you were lose" imply a dream like state, as dreams often fade like smoke or clouds.  Also, give that Roethke died of a heart attack while in a swimming pool, the literal imagery of "squawking under the water" makes complete sense. The extensive use of nature references is a homage to Roethke's poetic focus on natural imagery, which this poem is trying to reproduce.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theodore_Roethke

On Tuesday, April 30, 2013 4:29:10 PM UTC-4, Dr. C. wrote:

After completing the required reading, please choose one of the following options:

1. How do the ways that the two web sites describe critical thinking resonate with what you believe are the skills and attributes necessary to have a successful life?  

1. Drawing on what you learned about critical thinking through reviewing the Web sites, please offer an observation or question about the Roethke and Lowell poems.  In other words, demonstrate your critical thinking skills.

[Megan Sawtelle]

Sarah,

I completely agree with the examples you gave about critical thinking when it comes to your day to day life, especially when it comes to engaging in an argument in the workplace and trying to get your point across.  Without critical thinking your argument may come across wrong and without any details to back it up it may get overlooked by your peers.  Also if you are passionate about what you are arguing about you may come across as argumentative but if you use critical thinking you will be able to lay out the facts that support your side of the argument, gain respect, and you may be able to make a positive difference in the outcome of your company.

Megan

[Megan Sawtelle]

 Dr.C,

The past semester was split into two halves, one half we were in the classroom learning different skills like how to clean wounds, put an IV in, and administer medication, then the second half of the semester we started our clinicals and went to a nursing home.  I thought I was completely prepared because I had memorized how to do all of the skills we had been learning all year but what I didn't realize is that I hadn't been using critical thinking in the classroom and now I was going to be forced to.  In the classroom you are told to learn a skill then preform it, but once you're working with real human beings you have to use all of the information you've learned and decide on the best choice that suites that individual.
A specific example is when I had to change a man's wound dressing.  There are about five different wound dressings that you can apply depending on the type of wound.  I knew how to apply each dressing but I had to think of the pros and cons of each dressing and how those corresponded with his specific wound.  I took into account all these factors and made a decision that I thought would benefit the patient the most.  Without critical thinking I wouldn't have been able to think ahead and see the consequences, the pros and cons, and I wouldn't have been able to make an educated decision that best suited the patient.

Megan

[Sarah Libby]

I definitely agree Megan, critical thinking is a necessity in our day to day life. I like how you say that critical thinking is used when gathering information and then deciding what information pertains to a certain topic and what can be left out.  In my discussion post I also talked about how critical thinking allows a person to have a successful career.  Decisions are being made constantly, and without the use of critical thinking skills we would probably make the wrong decisions.  I stated that during a persons career critical thinking skills are a crucial part of accomplishing tasks and making a company successful.  Without those skills the whole company could fall apart or a decision that would better the company could be over looked.  I like how you mentioned the last paragraph of the second article.  I believe critical thinking is a mixture of creativity and individuality; there needs to be some form of creativity to help a company, for instance, prosper, but for this to happen employees need to act like individuals. 

[Sarah Libby]

I completely agree with you here.  Critical thinking can be an individual thing, but there also has to be a certain acceptance of others views and ways of thinking.  Going back to an example I gave about using critical thinking in the work place, while groups/teams are deciding on certain decisions critical thinking HAS to be present.  Without critical thinking skills from every employee there would be no forward movement, like you said.  Employees would be stuck on one point, which distracts them from the real problem at hand.  In turn, this could cause a company a lot of unnecessary turmoil and some very upset employees.  That being said, you raised a good point when saying that we have to assume there are a thousand alternatives to a solution rather than just two.  Critical thinking allows people to look at many solutions rather than just one that will calm an issue for the moment. 

[gibertpm]

I wholeheartedly agree with you Megan. Critical thinking for myself exists in the realm mostly of my professional field and school as well. How could you perform in the work field, if your not quick on your feet or able to think outside of basic logic. But one point that i beg to differ on, is the stifling on creativity or ability to think outside of the box. I would say as an English major, basic concepts and theories applied to your learning and writing abilities, but there are some classes that make you use your logic to repeat what your professor believes or even the book believes. This is not all professors, but only some that I have encountered. Even in learning, as you have the ability to create logic and enhance critical thinking skills, children must be conditioned outside of their own imagination to learn a concept or ability. I wouldn't say that critical thinking destroys people's imagination, but to some degree it can be hindered.

[Joseph Dowd]

Betty,

While I agree that critical thinking is necessary for success, I disagree with the assertion that you can divide people into two groups: "those who go through the motions and those who really want to learn the material", based on critical thinking. Instead, I believe the attribute dividing these two groups is intrinsic motivation, or in other words, how bad do they want it. I believe that belonging to either group does not necessarily make you a critical thinker or not automatically. I believe there are many students who "go through the motions" and may put forth minimal effort but still think critically. For example, a student that wants to "pass" and put forth little or no effort to do so, must think critically at some point on how to do this. A better example can be made from students "who really want to learn the material". Just because you really want to and succeed in your effort to learn the material does not necessarily mean you thought critically on it. There's a difference between memorizing/knowing everything presented to you and actually reflecting on that material, wondering the author's motivations for writing it and applying the material in your everyday life based on your own judgement of the material.