Rochelle
2/25/2014 01:48:29 am
Critical thinking to me in a way means to further criticize and analyze something. Although some may say that critical thinking is the opposite of criticizing and criticism I still think they go along. After the process of my project I think I'm taking away the fact that I should be more aware the actions taken upon my own learning. I think I can also take away the fact that it is okay to question the educational system although many of us have been told there are no flaws within the system.
Reply
Sophia
2/25/2014 01:50:07 am
Critical thinking means questioning the world around you, analyzing things by thinking about why they exist, who installed them, and why they matter. I think being critical is difficult, but possible and very necessary. Too often we follow through on things that are not fair and equal for everyone because it is "the system" or because someone says so. I believe I am critical about my surroundings, but I think that, in some ways, I don't like to see everything I thought was true disintegrate in front of me, and make it seem like the world is not as good as I want to believe it is. Yet, even if sometimes critical thinking may be hard and requires a lot of time and dedication, I believe it is important to engage in it and learn from it.
Reply
Themis
2/25/2014 02:12:21 am
i also think that being critical of the world around you is necessary as well. Because following what everybody else accepts may cause people to be taken advantage of. I wonder if people are naturally critical (but silent about it) or if people have to be influenced to be critical thinkers.
Reply
Sophia
2/25/2014 02:29:20 am
I think it has to do with the way we are raised. Naturally, we all seem to be curious, but our society diminishes this curiosity, and makes everything seem like it is set in stone, discouraging criticism and critical thinking.
Leyva
2/25/2014 01:50:22 am
What does critical thinking mean? I think that it is having the ability to "critique" (I know I used the word in the definition) or question something that seems to be created by man. I don't know, usually when we are asked to critique something, that something is usually thought up by man, and we have to determine whether or not it is considered a fact or a truth in our lives. Having to critically think about certain topics makes my head hurt because it involves a lot of self and societal reflection, and it becomes overwhelming to start thinking about how much 'wrong' has been embedded into our society.
Reply
Sophia
2/25/2014 02:15:36 am
Hey Leyva!
Reply
Leyva
2/25/2014 02:36:12 am
When I said "created by man", I meant concepts that individuals have placed in society and, as a result, have become the norm. And, I think that we critique things that either affect us directly or challenge what we believe to be a reality.
Rochelle
2/25/2014 02:20:06 am
I agree that it is very hard to "critically think" about certain topics because it leads to thinking about all the "wrong" embedded in our society. As I was doing this project I constantly thought to myself how can I "criticize" a system that I've been a part of for so long. Not only have I been a part of this system for so long but I've also given into it for this long.
Reply
Natalie
2/25/2014 01:50:29 am
Critical thinking means questioning everything you see in the world and not accepting anything as "common sense" or "common knowledge." It is always wondering how the world would be if things were different and why the world is the way it is today. It means that you are always asking questions, even if people have already found answers. It means that you are rejecting everyone else's opinions to form your own. It means you do not let anyone tell you what you should think, feel, or do. It means you resist things that nobody ever thought to resist. When I critically thought about my education to write my critical educational autobiography, I learned a lot about myself and how I changed. I learned about times that I did not think critically and about times that shaped who I have become. These are the things I will take away and keep in mind as I continue my education, and hopefully I will be able to think critically about the world and about my education at all times now that I have become more aware about how these experiences have shaped me and how not thinking critically was a disadvantage to me.
Reply
Themis
2/25/2014 02:16:18 am
in your opinion, what part of your views or personality do you think were shaped by youe experiences with formal education? in other words, what were you not thinking critically about? why?
Reply
Natalie
2/25/2014 02:26:47 am
I think many of my experiences in education of when I didn't question what I was learning or how it was being taught or how it was being assessed (i.e., through testing) were not critical. I also think many people can relate to experiences throughout their lives where they just accepted things as fact, simply because the people that made the system were smarter, older, or just never questioned before. I think, to an extent, all my experiences in education have shaped me somehow, but I just don't understand what about those experiences has shaped me and how it has shaped me.
Pandora
2/25/2014 01:50:43 am
I define critical thinking as a person who deeply thinks, in a micro level, the things they are trying to assemble and slowly piece together as new ideas and thoughts or memories spark up when thinking about the purpose in which led them to critical think in the first place. I would sometimes have these frenzy moments when i captured a memory but then it would dissipate into nothing, which i found myself getting frustrated about to no end. Conducting my critical educational autobiography helped me back up the reasons why i don't like the schools educational system in America and how it affected my life and the ones around me.
Reply
Natalie
2/25/2014 02:12:45 am
Do you think critical thinking is limited to the micro level? What about things that are embedded in our society, our cultures, our life? I realize that critical thinking starts with your own experiences in the educational system, but isn't it important to bring your experiences and connect them to everyone else's?
Reply
MB
2/25/2014 02:21:04 am
I think this is an important point to make and in relation to your educational autobiographies, many of you told stories about your time in school and what you were thinking at the time these things happened to you. But to me, the critical part is about asking yourself why you thought what you did at the time and how what you thought is influenced by what you have been taught in schools. It almost seems like a dialectic or a cycle, the way you think about your experiences in school is a product of your schooling experiences, and your schooling experiences are a product of the ways schools have socialized you to think. Does this make any sense???
Themis
2/25/2014 02:22:07 am
As Freire said, everything is ultimately connected. And critically thinking about anything usually brings up larger questions such as : why is this the way it is? were did this all begin? How are we affected by this? why do people continue doing this or thinking this way? How are we being influenced and by whom? these questions in turn are also related to our society, human culture, and our personal experiences.
Themis
2/25/2014 02:28:43 am
I think that producing people who will perpetuate the modern system of education is the ultimate goal of the education system. Schools want students who are disciplined, obtain high test scores and don't question the rules because the designers of this system want these kind of people in charge of schools. I also think that this type of socialization is not only a reflection of what is valued in school, but what is valued in the work environment and in turn what kind of job positions are valued in our society. Based on this, I also wonder about why the behaviors taught in school are so highly valued and whether individuals or more powerful groups of people are benefitting from what students are being taught.
west
2/25/2014 01:50:52 am
Critical thinking means to analyze a norm or an answer and challenge it for what it really is. To dissect the answer and find its true meaning and find out how the answer came to be, why isn't it another, can we change the answer, is it affecting us negatively or positively at all. From my educational autobiography what i can take away is that everything affects you in some way shape or form. both good and bad. The question is whether you can be able to filter and learn from the bad and become a better person.
Reply
Natalie
2/25/2014 02:17:07 am
If we are thinking critically about the world around us and questioning what is currently true, how do we know there is ever a "true answer"? Can we ever be satisfied with the choices that we make, that other people make, that society makes, or should we always think critically even if we find an "answer"? I think it's interesting that you say we should learn from the bad and become a better person. Why not change the bad and create a better society?
Reply
Glen
2/25/2014 02:35:36 am
Natalie,
Taylor
2/25/2014 01:51:15 am
Critical thinking is the ability to know that there are many truths and many people have various perspectives. When you think critically, you are aware of these various perspective and you are able to search for your own without taking anything for its face value. It's not that you "don't believe" anything, it's just that you are able to consider other possibilities as well. It's a matter of never falling too hard into something without looking at it in every angle and every light possible. A critical lens can drive someone crazy though because you can never be sure about anything if you constantly question. Eventually, you stop looking for the right answers and start looking for the right questions. And when that happens, that's when you have reached the true level of critical thinking. You don't want to look for answers from anyone, you want to learn them through your own experience and through asking your own questions. From my critical autobiography, I was able to look at my academic career in a light that I would have never considered before. I was skeptical, but at the same time I am grateful that I was the way I was because it means that I have progressed. One of my favorite sayings is "Changing your mind is the best way to know you still have one", and so the fact that I changed my mind lets me know that I am becoming more aware of the socialization I have been placed in.
Reply
MB
2/25/2014 02:00:36 am
"Eventually, you stop looking for the right answers and start looking for the right questions."
Reply
Taylor
2/25/2014 02:13:05 am
I agree, the answers are scary. I think, though, that the answers are scary because they might be something we don't want to believe or accept, or sometimes, because every person has their own answer.
Savannah
2/25/2014 01:51:27 am
Critical thinking means looking at something, thinking about it deeply, and seeing it in a new light. When I think critically, I look at every detail a subject has to offer, noticing small things that I wouldn't read into if I was briefly reviewing the subject. As I wrote my educational autobiography, I went back to my younger years, analyzing every reaction I had to certain school environments and taking note of how the experience changed my thinking and influenced my educational interests later on in school.
Reply
Sarah
2/25/2014 01:52:39 am
Critical thinking means to criticize something based on our own experiences and not what the society thinks. Based on what everyone went through they look at things from different perspectives. Critical thinking questions the ideas that were established long ago. Because something has been created very long time ago, people from generation to generation learn and accept these ways without giving a deeper thought into them. One major idea that I will take out from this assignment is the way that I look at myself. I realized that my educational memories shaped who I am and how I act today. I think that this assignment will help me learn a lot of new things about myself.
Reply
Rochelle
2/25/2014 02:23:08 am
I really like how you defined critical thinking. Rather than following the "norms" within our society we should question why those things are considered the "norm."
Reply
Themis
2/25/2014 01:53:15 am
Critical thinking means asking questions about what is generally accepted as true and reflecting on one's own experiences as well as that of others in order to uncover a deeper "truth". Criticality is the state of requiring a necessary attention. In other words, something that needs to be analyzed for concern of how it may affect others. My critical lens was a reflection of how my attitude on education and social class was shaped by my edeucational experience. what i am going to take away from the critical education autobiography assignment is that accepting assumptions that are imposed on yourself and imposed on others only keeps you from properly understanding the situation. I accepted the competative atmosphere of school so in turn, I didnt question the idea of meritocracy. from this assignment i learned that investigating the truth for yourself is the best way of understanding the world around you. i also learned that just because someone is seen as being "higher" than you, that doesn't mean that they are unquestionable, or that they are always right in what they say.
Reply
Hema
2/25/2014 02:13:49 am
How do we know what is accepted as true if we're constantly questioning the reason behind our thinking?
Reply
Glen
2/25/2014 01:53:54 am
Critical thinking means making different connections and new questions regarding common belief. In other words, critiquing as in questioning why things are the way they are now.
Reply
Alena
2/25/2014 01:54:50 am
Critical Thinking means analyzing the content in depth beyond what is shown on the surface and beyond the literal meaning displayed or the general view or opinion.
Reply
Jay
2/25/2014 01:57:11 am
Critical thinking and thinking critically in my perspective is saying the untold truth behind an action. When I think critically its like telling someone something you don't want anyone to know. Its the reasons and thinking behind an idea and the unseen knowledge we withhold from ourselves and others.
Reply
Anastasia
2/25/2014 01:58:24 am
The act of writing a educational autobiography will help me analyze education from experience and also incorporate the knowledge I have now to better understand the system and learn more about myself. Although it is a little difficult, you can learn more about yourself and why you think or though a certain way. Most importantly you are able to think critical, to go beyond what words say to you but being able to think and ask question on what is being said. It can make you be open minded and see from various perspective which is the purpose. Having the mentality to accept opinions and understand others,especially yourself.
Reply
Julio
2/25/2014 02:02:02 am
Critical Thinking is the liberation of the mind and a dam is removed from your stream of consciousness. When you are thinking critically your mind is disembodied from anything that is common. In critical thinking is your own thought process working to create something original. You are in critical thinking when you know that you have dismissed social expectations, cliches, influences and thought processes.
Reply
Phillip
2/25/2014 02:02:34 am
Critical thinking means being skeptical. Asking questions and trying to understand the answers. To chase your curiosity no matter society's views. Through critical thinking we ask the questions that people turn the cheek to. Through critical thinking we open our mind to other ideas and possibilities. Through conducting my critical educational autobiography, I will reflect on how schooling has affected my way of thinking. By completing the critical education autobiography I feel inclined to ask more questions and try to understand more.
Reply
Hema
2/25/2014 02:02:51 am
Critical thinking means to take information in and making it into your own words/idea.. Finding the deeper meaning and message behind it by applying your mind to it; being detailed to the point where you're analysis is specific. In order to be at this process you have to question why you were thinking that way and the reason where your ideologies came from. You're somewhat pushing yourself to narrow things down in a way, to me.
Reply
Sophia
2/25/2014 02:24:50 am
Hi Hema!
Reply
Maria
2/25/2014 02:06:02 am
Critical thinking means question yourself. It means try to think of every possibility from every angle and consider different opinions. This project will help me to think more critically about my education and not just follow what is presented to me. It will make me stop about what I am doing and how it could possibly effect me the future. When you are able to think critically you are able to expand your opportunities you can start to realize things you didn't before and maybe even open others eyes to realizing these things to. Everyone should be a critical thinker it doesn't hurt to be one.
Reply
Audrey
2/25/2014 02:14:30 am
I think thinking critically means taking things apart and trying to fully understand them. Taking in every side and all factors to approach things differently or to get a better understanding. Critical thinking is taking your thinking beyond and having an open mind to the knowledge you are learning. Conducting my critical educational autobiography was an example of taking in my personal educational history and seeing how they have shaped me and my perspective on my education, my classes, my grades and my teachers.
Reply
Bethany
2/25/2014 02:19:44 am
Critical thinking means to me you taking a certain topic and extending branches from that certain idea. You have to think of things in more depth and if the idea is very good, the branches can grow stems and you can bring in outside information to relate to that big idea which makes conversations so much more intimate and interesting. Criticality is when you judge things from your own perspective. Sometimes it can be good and bad, depending the way you out your own opinions. For me personally, my own critical lens is based off of my opinions and judgment. I like to write with the mentality of staying true to my beliefs. What I’m going to get out of my educational biography is that I will see the stages I have grown as a person whether it can analyzing my behavior or showing my strengths and weakness throughout the years.
Reply
Kathy
2/25/2014 03:59:16 am
I think Noam Chomsky's quotation can relate a lot to the "Pedagogy Of The Oppressed" by Paulo Freire (chapter 2) is various ways. PS :this was on our first reading for this marking period
Reply
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorYou are all authors of this shared space. Please use it to comment, discuss, question, challenge, identify ideas. Archives
April 2014
Categories
All
|