Hello all. The discussion for this weeks blog involves critical thinking. Specifically, how it relates to being Interdisciplinary. First, what is critical thinking? I prefer to define it as a purposeful and reflective judgement about what to do in response to various observations, readings, writings, discussions, or arguments. There are various other definitions though, but they are all similar.
So how does critical thinking relate to being interdisciplinary? In what ways do you use it in your areas of study?
For myself, the best example is using the construction of logical arguements as learned in mathematics and applying it to understanding psychological principles. In this case, I am essentially looking at problems and such in one discipline while applying techniques from another.
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Rob,
ReplyDeleteFunny, as you were writing this, I was posting a reply to Leeron on Blog Discussion #3, using the same Math/Logical argument reference. Your is a perfect extension of that discussion.
Gail Weinstein
Critical thinking for me is a process one uses to understand an object, phenomena, or situation, by analyzing, collecting information on the subject, then integrating previous and new found knowledge to solve a problem.
ReplyDeleteThis is the basis for interdisciplinary work, using experience from 2 disciplines thinking critically to create a proactive solution or outcome.
In studying Art/Drawing you experience this process every time you create a new work.
I would face challenges with perceiving the shape and form of something and constantly have to critically assess what I was looking at, how I was relaying that on paper and what I could do to get it composed properly.
With my new IDS coursework I am learning to think critically again but working it out with writing, asking questions and discovering avenues of learning. I am looking foward to sharpening my problem solving skills.
April Dilio
Critical thinking is something we all do in everyday life, it is something that is done in every discipline. Critical thinking is something that we have been doing since primary school, and as we advance in life we use all the knowledge we have acquired to strengthen those critical thinking skills. Shows like "C.S.I.", and "House" give really good examples. In "C.S.I: Las Vegas" Grissom is in an expert with insects, and in more than one episode he used his knowledge in that area of study to figure time, place, etc. of death, very fascinating to me. Even though my areas of studies are not complete opposites, there are not the same subjects and will contribute to the development of my critical thinking skills.
ReplyDeleteFelicia Banks
Felicia,
ReplyDeleteYour blog gives great examples of critical thinking and I never would have thought of something like that. You seem to have a good grasp on the whole concept of critical thinking and even though your areas of study are not complete opposites like you said, you can intertwine the areas. From that you can have many moments of critical thinking as a result. It is true that critical thinking is something done in our everyday life and sometimes we probably don't even realize that we are doing it, but it is beneficial for us and the inner workings of our brain. To be an IDS student I feel that you must have high critical thinking skills since you are not just focusing on one area of study. You need to be able to relate the areas and connect them through critical thinking.
Stephanie Hart
Rob,
ReplyDeleteI like that you specifically mention "purposeful thinking" in your definition of critical thinking. That's a very strong phrase and one that I see myself adopting.
To purposely consider a point of view means that you are choosing to respect a line of reasoning without regard to your feelings about the issue or the person putting forth the thought. Often we might say "you are causing me to think..." Well, yeah, sometimes we will have to put aside our own prejudices, preconceived notions and points of view to explore more deeply another line of thought.
In this way, critical thinking allows you to abandon your own deeply held beliefs and opt for points of views based on others' experiences.
Gail Weinstein
Critical thinking is about taking your personal experiences along with the knowledge you have gained over the years and apply them to different tasks assigned to you or situations you are dealt. To me all about stepping out of your box. When a person can think critically, the best choice is chosen because it means that person spent a lot of time thinking of every little detail that has to do with the topic being spoken about. When people step outside of their comfort zone, they are able to see things from other people's perspectives and that is a great quality to have. Being IDS students, we are able to incorporate our knowledge of different areas of study and deal with different situations in a much more open-minded way.
ReplyDeleteLeeron,
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with you that critical thinking is about stepping outside the box. Many times people are too afraid and fear the unknown but with critical thinking the unknown should not be feared. As you said, it is when someone steps out of their comfort zone that something great can arise from their thinking. Think about all the great inventions today, no one that has invented them was on the straight and narrow path. They went outside the box of their comfort zone and that is how they were thought up and developed. For us as IDS students’ critical thinking plays a key role in anything we do. I feel that since thing major is not focused solely on one thing, we have a very good understanding of what critical thinking is and we use it everyday.
Stephanie Hart
Felicia- I like that you used the analogy of CSI (One of my favorite shows), it is a good example of critical thinking. It never ceases to amaze me how they can figure out how long ago someone died by the amount of maggots on the body. In the same way we use our different focuses together to figure out new things. Employers I would think, look for critical thinking skills when they hire. This shows that you are able to multitask and solve problems.
ReplyDeleteGail-
ReplyDeleteI agree, I like the term purposeful thinking. It almost makes it sound like 'critical thinking' is over stated at this point and is losing a bit of it's meaning. Thinking with a purpose on the other hand conjures up the idea that you are putting an effort forward to make something work. You know what needs to happen and you try to figure out a way to make it work.
Leeron-
ReplyDeletePurposeful thinking and critical thinking, are all ways of saying that you need to think outside the box. :) Like the Pink book has been talking about, it is the people who think outside of the box or the right brain thinkers who are going to be doing great things. I think being able to be creative and use the skills in critical thinking that we are learning in this course will definitely benefit us in our careers. In my future degrees and future profession it is imperative that I know how to see things from other peoples point of view as well as coming to my own conclusions and discuss them or write about them. I do like the idea of thinking outside of the box. :)
Amanda, I agree with you completely on the point that it is especially important for people to see things from other peoples point of view when it comes to making a conclusion. Being open minded to others, allows a person to let loose and just let things flow. Its hard to explain lol. And it is an important quality to have especially in the workforce.
ReplyDeleteStephanie, I like how you used the example for inventors. It is true. People who think without consulting other views and ideas get nowhere. It is important to integrate other sides and aspects of everything before coming up with a conclusion yourself. It just makes you a more well-rounded person as well as accepting, which are both very good qualities to have.
ReplyDeleteAt the risk of still getting this wrong, I think I understand that Ms. Spraker also wants us to post our response to the Virtual Philosopher exercise in this blog...and it makes sense because it is an exercise in critical thinking.
ReplyDeleteIn my response to the "Liver Problem", I selected the one liver to go to Chris, the very sick 8 year old over the candidates. I did so because I assumed the others may be able to survive in the hopes of another liver becoming available while the given information said that Chris would likely die within the week without the transplant. If the surgery were not successful, I further assumed that the liver (a pretty terrific little organ in which only a small portion of the liver could be enough to save a person)could be re-transplanted to one of the other candidates. Chris, at 8 years old, has great potential that could match or exceed any of the others. If a man's wealth, a woman's brillance,or a parent's love is the measure of who deserves to be saved, what then is the impact of a child who could achieve all of those things and more. My decision not to place the liver in the body of a man who has so abused his own was not a quick choice, but the one I felt the least conflict in making.
If you have NO idea what this post is about, see Ms. Spraker's announcement, posted on Oct. 7th, and complete the exercise. I think you will probably be surprised at what the results indicated about your personal ethics...I was!
Gail Weinstein
Gail,
ReplyDeleteIt is very true that sometimes people will catch you by surprise and cause you to think a bit more than you would have. This is a great example of critical thinking. They force you to think of something and come up with an idea that you would have never thought of otherwise. Sometimes people can even change your preconceived notions about something through critical thinking outside of the box. I feel it is a healthy exercise for the mind to engage in critical thinking, this opens your brain up to endless possibilities and ideas. Your post was very insightful and very thought through.
Stephanie Hart
Critical thinking, to me, is being able to be presented with a situation and formulate a plan of action by taking knowledge from different sources and combining it to create a unique and tailored solution. Like the cliche goes, "Think outside the box." Even though it's overused, that saying definitely applies to critical thinking.
ReplyDeleteLike the cliche, Interdisciplinary studies is a prime example of critical thinking. We have to take all of the knowledge that we gain from our different subject areas and combine it produce a unique solution. I feel like sometimes other majors are like boxes, just focused on their contents and closed off to the outside world. On the contrary, interdisciplinary studies opens the lid to the box and allows for exploration. Our major makes us combine ideas to formulate a solution to apply in situations that one knowledge in just one subject area cannot.
Being able to apply critical thinking to what we've learned can be difficult at times, but so necessary for success. For me, I've seen more connections between subjects. When I'm in my math class and wondering how I am going to pass it, I look around and apply the skills I've learned in communication and education classes. Overall, I believe our major helps us to be better critical thinkers in our everyday lives.
Joanna Goldonowicz
Well this is very strange, I have returned to follow up on my last posting and can't find it here. Great. This is frustrating. At any rate, I had said quite a bit about how critical thinking came natural to me as someone with a scientific mind and how I use that way of thinking not only in every aspect of education but in everyday life as well. For school I'd say it's how I use my psychology background in my education courses. There was more but I am not about to resurrect my whole last posting.
ReplyDeleteJaime Pazos
Gail-
ReplyDeleteI had taken the same test when I saw the announcement, I know it doesn't relate to our blog but it seemed fun nonetheless. I had come to the exact same conclusion as you about the liver problem. Anyway the test was a little limited and so not very revealing. It could have used more possible possible outcomes for the given scenarios. I, for one, would have reasoned with the fat guy on the boat to sacrifice himself for the good of the group, barring that the guy dies by my hand.
Jaime Pazos
To me, critical thinking is relate to interdisciplinary studies in the way that we are always analyzing things and collaborating ideas with one another. Being able to apply what you’ve learned from every area and apply them to different aspects of learning. I think it’s important to be a critical thinker because it makes you capable of opening your mind up to different opinions and views. I believe my critical thinking skills are somewhat decent, in the sense that I can think of things in different views but I’m not always good at writing out what my thoughts may be on a particular area. Not everyone is good in all areas of critical thinking but those who are really have an advantage because it will really get them far in whatever it may be that they are doing.
ReplyDeleteLauren Larson
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteLauren,
ReplyDeleteI agree with your views on critical thinking. I liked how you brought up the fact that critical thinking is not just one thing. There are many facets to it, and we should not label it as a singular process. I believe it is something we can work on and develop through education. Hopefully, your critical thinking skills will further develop in those area that are more difficult for you. Like you said, people with these skill have a great advantage in our world today.
Joanna Goldonowicz
I wanted to share with you all one of my favorite examples of the dangers of supressing critical thinking in kids. Harry Chapin was a wonderful artist, very popular among those of us now in our 50's and 60's until his untimely death. He was most known for his "story songs"; I think Youtube has a video of him singing this one...in concert, the song was often introduced by this story:
ReplyDeleteThe idea for the song came to me when my secretary told me about her son who brought his report card home from school one day. The teacher had written a note in the card saying: "Your son is marching to the beat of a different drummer, but don't worry we will soon have him joining the parade by the end of the term."
Flowers are Red
by Harry Chapin
The little boy went first day of school
He got some crayons and started to draw
He put colors all over the paper
For colors was what he saw
And the teacher said.. What you doin' young man
I'm paintin' flowers he said
She said... It's not the time for art young man
And anyway flowers are green and red
There's a time for everything young man
And a way it should be done
You've got to show concern for everyone else
For you're not the only one
And she said...
Flowers are red young man
Green leaves are green
There's no need to see flowers any other way
Than they way they always have been seen
But the little boy said...
There are so many colors in the rainbow
So many colors in the morning sun
So many colors in the flower and I see every one
Well the teacher said.. You're sassy
There's ways that things should be
And you'll paint flowers the way they are
So repeat after me.....
And she said...
Flowers are red young man
Green leaves are green
There's no need to see flowers any other way
Than they way they always have been seen
But the little boy said...
There are so many colors in the rainbow
So many colors in the morning sun
So many colors in the flower and I see every one
The teacher put him in a corner
She said.. It's for your own good..
And you won't come out 'til you get it right
And are responding like you should
Well finally he got lonely
Frightened thoughts filled his head
And he went up to the teacher
And this is what he said.. and he said
Flowers are red, green leaves are green
There's no need to see flowers any other way
Than the way they always have been seen
Time went by like it always does
And they moved to another town
And the little boy went to another school
And this is what he found
The teacher there was smilin'
She said...Painting should be fun
And there are so many colors in a flower
So let's use every one
But that little boy painted flowers
In neat rows of green and red
And when the teacher asked him why
This is what he said.. and he said
Flowers are red, green leaves are green
There's no need to see flowers any other way
Than the way they always have been seen.
(copyright, 1979. Harry Chapin.)
Something to think about, eh?
Gail Weinstein
Amanda,
ReplyDeleteIt is true that employers are looking for someone with good critical thinking skills. I always get nervous when they ask those 'what if' questions because I'm always worried about giving the wrong answer. What is funny is that those of us who have good skills at thinking outside the box, sometimes do not know how to think simple sometimes. In my A.P. class in high school, my teacher would always make a joke about us kids always thinking that there's more to the question than what was asked. However, I rather have the skill than lack it.
Felicia Banks
Leeron,
ReplyDeleteI liked the way you attributed critical thinking to personal experiences. Often times I think we refer to that kind of thinking as book knowledge and completely formed by education, but you explained it well. It's being able to combine past experiences, whether in school or just in life, and apply them to a new situation. The older we get, the better we become at critical thinking. Thanks for sharing your insight, it was great!
Joanna Goldonowicz
Gail,
ReplyDeleteThe song that you posted was interesting. What I got from the song was that you cannot just take what someone tells you and have that as your answer. If someone says "this color is green", hopefully we can take what we have learned and use our critical thinking skills to say "green is not a primary color, so it must be two colors mixed....red and blue. Don't be a parrot, think deeper into what you have learned.
Felicia Banks