...Critical Thinking Essay Student Name PHL 251 – Critical Thinking University of Phoenix For Professor March 4, 2011 Critical Thinking Thinking impacts every moment of our lives and in performing the thinking challenge the realization that thinking could potentially be above everything else in our lives else was astounding. My first instinct was to place my family above thinking on the chart but then realized without thought, my wife and I may never have met. The actuality of the situation is that we think to breathe, walk, talk, and function; in chapter 13 we have found that we need accurate data provided by our senses and memory: clear, concise, contextually accurate language; controlled and effective feelings; clear structure; and solid logic. (Kirby, 2007) Each sense in our body feds the thought process, when we touch a hot stove senses tell our brain you are being burned and we pull back our hand away. From the point of a sensation we develop a memory, for good or for bad, to ensure that we either repeat or eliminate that action and we call these situations experiences. The burning on the stove is an experience we do not want to repeat; however, our first kiss with passion and warmth is something most people keep as a pleasant experience and try to replicate it. My wife and have been married for over 22 years and she never had a driver’s license until after we were married. In our relationship she is the emotional strength and I am the directional...
Words: 885 - Pages: 4
...Essay Using relevant SSK19 readings, in particular the four dimensions of reflective practice presented in Pavlovich (2007, 283), discuss the fundamental role that critical thinking plays in evaluating arguments at university. Most of us would believe that we make good decisions; but most of us find it uncommon practise to use the tool of critical thinking to enhance our thinking process which enables us to make better decisions. This essay with provide examples of critical thinking when evaluating arguments by using the different dimensional levels of reflective processes. Critical thinking in evaluating arguments is stated as an essential skill for student at university level, but can only be used to its best when it grouped with the tool of reflection. Most do believe, reflection and critical thinking go hand in hand as a process, just like a personal experience cannot be truly acknowledged within if you don’t ask the question, analyse, understand or action. The fundamental role that critical thinking plays in university arguments is that it allows the student to analyse, evaluate and draw conclusion by using their own mind and not be persuaded by other external or biased opinions. Pavlovich’s reading “The development of reflective practise through student journals” (Pavlovich 2007) refers to the four dimensional levels that she believes is the summary of reflective practise. The four dimensions of reflective method are, describing the experience, analysis of the experience...
Words: 1390 - Pages: 6
...Reflective Thinking Essay Number 1 Abraham Lincoln the sixteenth President of the United States once said "It often requires more courage to dare to do right than to fear to do wrong." This quote often inspires me to try and do what is right. And as a leader doing what’s right is one my top priorities. I believe this all stems from the way I was raised. My mother and father have both been contributor to who I am. They brought me up to be respectful of other, to look a situations from another point of view and no matter how far you fall you can always overcome the odds by not giving up. When I think of a leader my last Commander comes to mind. When a situation happened he would give a back brief on the events that had taken place. Then, if we had made a mistake it was identified so we could correct it the next time with a statement like “This is what we did wrong”, but he would always end on a positive note like “Now this is what we did right”. My leadership style is similar. I have had supervisors that were present just for the pay check and then those that would encouraged and inspire me. A few of my Airman have told me directly that I am the best supervisor that they have had. One of my Staff Sergeant had said “You’re the first supervisor in my eleven years to give me a real feedback, treat me like a person and not just a number, listen to me, ask what I think and encourage me to do my best.” His wife is in my squadron also and has often told me that she is extremely...
Words: 795 - Pages: 4
...Critical and Creative Thinking in Society Short Essays Week One Describe a situation of public interest in which critical and/or creative thought could have been used for a better outcome. Describe why it is important to think critically and creatively in similar situations. One situation that comes immediately to mind is the phenomenon of climate change we are currently dealing with and how we are woefully unprepared to cope with it. If critical and/or creative thought had been used by all concerned, instead of fear and denial, we would be in a better position to handle and curtail these climate changes. When the data that pointed to human-induced climate change first was made public, it seemed that fear and hysteria was the common theme in most discussions of the problem. It has gotten better in recent years but it may be a case of too little, too late. It is important to think critically and creatively because it helps you to see the whole picture. When you think critically, all sides of the problem such as history, a source, a context are considered making a realistic and effective solution to a problem more likely. Define free will, truth, knowledge, and opinion. Explain how we use them to form thoughts. What role does each play in critically assessing situations? We have free will when we have the freedom of self-determination, action and ability to make choices. If the choice is consistent with a person's desires and nature then it is representative of a person’s...
Words: 813 - Pages: 4
...Critical Thinking and Ethics Yoletta L. Cunningham GEN/201 (BSCS1J0YC6) November 16, 2015 Pamela Boronkay Abstract Critical Thinking and Ethics Personal ethics influence critical thinking because significant impact in effective problem solving is directly based on personal beliefs. A person’s ethical beliefs must coincide with the standards of their profession and one’s personal principles are reflected in the way that problems are solved. The objective analysis of an issue to form a judgement is the exposition of critical thinking. The process of critical thinking includes knowledge, comprehension, application, analysis, synthesis, and evaluation. Acquiring knowledge to potentially resolve the issue would be the first step in critical thinking followed by comprehension. Comprehension is simply understanding what the issue is and obtaining facts to support the position. At this point all the information attained by the individual should be gathered and applied for analysis where the definite approach will be decided. Next, synthesize the ideas and conclude which outcomes would be favorable. Finally, execute the final decision and evaluate the results. Government Officials, Politicians, and Influential Leaders should only serve with ethics in favor of the people that they impact but they are unable because they’re human. The way that we affect others is a product of Nature vs. Nurture. One’s upbringings, experiences, and surroundings effect...
Words: 534 - Pages: 3
...Critical Thinking and Ethics by Chris Baker Instructor: George Carroll Class: Gen 201 Date: July 13, 2015 There are many ways to define critical thinking. One of them being making reasoned judgments that are logical and well thought out based on information gathered. There are six steps that need to be taken when involved in critical thinking. The first of critical thinking is knowledge, you want to make sure that you know what your topic is and be able to identify with all the different components. After you have knowledge of the topic your second step is comprehension. With comprehension, it is very imperative that you have complete understanding of what your topic is about. Application is your third step, in which you must know how to be able to apply the new material that you have been researching. After you have learned how to apply the new material you must be able to analyze your material. That means breaking down everything, prioritizing, and justifying everything in your material. The fifth step is synthesis. You have to have the right combination of analyzed parts to form a theory. The last step is to evaluate and by evaluating you are allowing to your work to be judged by your peers and yourself. My ethical lens blind spot is unrealistic role expectations. It means that I rely strongly on virtues associated with all the various roles, all while running the risk of unrealistic role expectations. I also rely to much on the virtues associated with...
Words: 554 - Pages: 3
...Critical Thinking and Ethics What is Critical thinking you ask? Critical thinking entails researching something, or evaluating an issue for example, in order to be able to form a judgment. Let’s face it; we can’t make any sort of judgment about anything before looking into that specific subject or situation first, and doing our research before beforehand. Critical thinking ties into a lot of things, especially decision making. We cannot make an educated decision without first using the critical thinking process. I think brainstorming is a great way to think critically, because it allows you to break things down and understand them better. It also makes researching easier. There are six levels that tie into critical thinking. The first level is remembering, test yourself and see if you can remember the events, facts, or key terms from the things you read, from lectures, or from life events. The second step is understanding. If you understand something then you are able to explain it in your own words. The third level is applying. Ask yourself, am I able to use what I’ve learned to get the results I want? The fourth level is analyzing, which in other words is breaking something down into small parts in order to get a better understanding. The fifth level is evaluating, form a judgment and have facts to back up your judgment. And the sixth and last level is creating, which is what you can create or come up with based on a specific idea. I learned a lot from my results...
Words: 565 - Pages: 3
...Through the activity, I realized how silly it was to work against my usual steps based methodology in order to create a creative collage. My initial intention of going without a plan was to not limit myself within the boundaries of an outline so that I can freely decide on materials that I think would fit in my collage. This resulted in me just blindly looking for images that would represent MediaCorp but do not portray the lack of creativity in the industry. Reflecting on it, I could have used the systematic approach in a way that would not limit my material gathering. Creativity is an abstract topic and to represent it in a collage would be difficult. By brain storming and coming up with a plan on how to represent the topic, I could have saved time on the search for new cut outs half way through the collage making. Having a plan beforehand will not limit the materials that I can gather as long as I do not rigidly follow the plan down to every single detail but instead use it as a guideline. The efficiency enhancing methodologies do not limit creativity, most of the time it is the wrong usage of such methods that is the culprit. This point is supported by an interview with Dr. Larry Wending, vice president of the 3M’s research department, made in a Business Week article by Brian Hindo (2007). "In some cases in the lab it made sense, but in other cases, people were going around dreaming up green-belt programs to fill their quota of green-belt programs for that time...
Words: 1112 - Pages: 5
...At my current workplace there is at least one system error that was apparent in this week’s reading regarding “Systems Thinking”. Seddon (2007) in part one of his six steps series stated that most organizations have managers who believe that their roles as managers is to manage people and budget. He also says that although most managers believe that people are their most important asset, they judge their people based on how they perform their work. Seddon (2007) in part one of his six steps series also states that managers should concentrate on the system or systems that people are made to work with. If the system is effective and constantly being worked on for further improvement, then the productivity of the people is bound to improve. In the Acquisition Management division of my organization, there are multiple systems the Contracting professionals have to work with. In order to initiate a procurement action, program offices need to put in a Procurement Request (PR) through the PRISM system describing the requirement and providing approved funding information. The contracting person needs to verify that funds are indeed available and have been set up for obligation by going into the TraMS system. Funds are to be obligated here upon execution of the contract. Once this is done the Financial Management folks have to then enter these obligations further into the DELPHI accounting system. This seems to be an inefficient system because one of the ways the contracting personnel...
Words: 787 - Pages: 4
...Intelligence of Leaders”, Goleman (1998), believes that emotional intelligence is leadership of the heart, which is essential to the success of a team or organization. Most leaders who show emotions and connect with others emotionally tend to lead high performance groups and are more to be ahead of their competitors. Goleman also talked about the anatomy of emotions and believe they are the very structure on which our brain is built. Emotions are what give us the ability to think and react rationally. In other words, without emotions, leaders could make decisions that could be detrimental to their teams’ performance. A decision that leads to a positive outcome, is one made when we control our feelings and not let them get in the way of our thinking process. Goleman’s believes were based on several researches. One study done by Stanford University, showed that kids who exhibited patience and were less impulsive, were betting at controlling their emotions as they got older. These kids had a greater advantage to succeed than those who were impatient and could not handle stress well. Goleman pointed out that this was also evident in the study done by The Center for Creative Leadership. Leaders who failed at their jobs did so, because they failed to effectively manage stress. They were unable to help their teams navigate changes. According to Goleman, emotional intelligence is measured through five main leadership characteristics. First there is self-awareness. This allows leaders...
Words: 1546 - Pages: 7
...Critical Thinking RaNetta Ashley GT05BSB15 June 10, 2015 Diane Hurley Critical Thinking Dictionary.com defines critical thinking as “disciplined thinking that is clear, rational, open-minded, and informed by evidence” (2015). The idea of critical thinking is mostly about the ability to objectively analyze a situation or issue so that one is able to make a clear, rational judgement. It is a process everyone uses, or should be able to use, for anything from which toilet paper to buy to how they select a life-mate or spouse. Steps in the Critical Thinking Process According to Becoming a Master Thinker, the basis for the critical thinking process for students is “They distinguish between opinion and fact. They ask probing questions and make detailed observations. They uncover assumptions and define their terms. They make assertions carefully, basing them on sound logic and solid evidence. Almost everything that we call knowledge is a result of these activities. This means that critical thinking and learning are intimately linked.” (2014, p. 204) Making a proper judgement through critical thinking is mostly just asking the right questions (who, what, when, where, why, and how?) and finding evidence to either support or argue against whatever information or situation is under consideration. Ethical Lens Inventory In having completed the Ethical Lens Inventory, I received the analysis of “Autonomy and Rationality/Sensibility” with the description of “you balance your personal skills...
Words: 792 - Pages: 4
...Critical Thinking and Ethics Critical thinking has a unique and complementary relationship with ethics. Critical thinking is what makes ethics come to life. In fact, it is imperative to “…develop critical-thinking skills, to recognize behavior and to understand different philosophical approaches to moral reasoning” (Manias, Monroe, & Till, 2013, Para.2). The principles and rules of critical thinking are applicable to ethical reasoning because they enable a mental process of evaluation that helps guide us to decisions based on truths and information that is verified. Ultimately, “Ethical principles mean something only when manifested in behavior. They have force only when embodied in action” (Paul & Elder, 2011, Para.5). It is only through true critical thinking analysis that our ethical reasoning will translate into exemplary forms of actions. If everyone followed the rules and guidelines of logic, there would still be a need for ethical decision making. The reason is because, “the forces that shape us and the institutions that nurture us are complex and sometimes contradictory” (Manias, Monroe, & Till, 2013, Para. 1). Much like ethics (morals, values, individual beliefs and sense of right and wrong), our logic is largely influenced by our background and experiences. Therefore it is too overwhelmed with emotion, making it unreliable for ethical decision making. If a woman finds out that the powerplant she works for is guilty of...
Words: 317 - Pages: 2
...Critical Thinking and Language Essay University of Phoenix PHL 251: Critical Thinking February 6, 2006 Course Facilitator: William Salmon The purpose of this essay is multifaceted. I will describe an aspect of my life using metaphors; discuss the role that language and language diversity play in the critical thinking process; discuss how language can limit or empower the expression of our thoughts; and discuss the role of critical thinking in persuasion. Life has its ups and downs and in the past several months I have faced more downs than ups. As nurses we are trained to care for other and be aware for the signs and symptoms of multiple disease processes. When it comes to ourselves we tend to ignore all the warning signs of our body when it comes to any impending illnesses. In September a seemingly harmless virus turned into a painful auto immune disease that will affect me for the rest of my life. I usually avoid doctors and hospitals like the plaque when I’m not at work, so by the time I was forced to go to the emergency room I was as weak as a kitten. My gut was twisted in knots while I waited for the doctor imagining every possible cause of my problem. After hearing the diagnosis and being told that I had to be admitted to the hospital I was at the end of my rope. I was in denial, I don’t get sick often and it’s never serious. I’m a nurse I get exposed to countless germs and am never sick more than a few days; I was too young to be...
Words: 1009 - Pages: 5
...Critical and Creative Thinking in Society Short Essays Week One Describe a situation of public interest in which critical and/or creative thought could have been used for a better outcome. Describe why it is important to think critically and creatively in similar situations. One situation that comes immediately to mind is the phenomenon of climate change we are currently dealing with and how we are woefully unprepared to cope with it. If critical and/or creative thought had been used by all concerned, instead of fear and denial, we would be in a better position to handle and curtail these climate changes. When the data that pointed to human-induced climate change first was made public, it seemed that fear and hysteria was the common theme in most discussions of the problem. It has gotten better in recent years but it may be a case of too little, too late. It is important to think critically and creatively because it helps you to see the whole picture. When you think critically, all sides of the problem such as history, a source, a context are considered making a realistic and effective solution to a problem more likely. Define free will, truth, knowledge, and opinion. Explain how we use them to form thoughts. What role does each play in critically assessing situations? We have free will when we have the freedom of self-determination, action and ability to make choices. If the choice is consistent with a person's desires and nature then it is representative of a person’s...
Words: 813 - Pages: 4
...The Relationship between Critical Thinking and Ethics GEN/201 July 27, 2014 The Relationship between Critical Thinking and EthicsCritical thinking is when exercising or involving careful judgment or judicious evaluation. (Version 3.0.3) This means you take all the facts to narrow down the decisions of a situation or problem. In critical thinking there are six types of thinking, as described by psychologist Benjamin Bloom. They are remembering, understanding, applying, analyzing, evaluating and creating. (Ellis, 2015, p. 205) The process in which to use the six types of thinking is a three-step process of checking your attitude, checking for logic and checking the evidence. (Ellis, 2015, p. 205) This process will help you move through the six levels with more ease. Checking your attitude helps you in keeping an open mind and also being open to others point of views. While checking for logic, it can help you see assertions and assumptions in most situations. Checking for evidence requires you to find proof. To find the proof you must ask more in-depth questions, look in books and check other sources to find the evidence. According to my Ethical Lens Inventory Report my preferred lens are rights-responsibility and results lens. This means I balance reasoning and intuition to determine how to full fill my duties while achieving the greatest good for each individual. My blind spot is that I believe that my motive justifies method or that my own good is good enough. This...
Words: 620 - Pages: 3
