critical thinking

Reading Reflection #10: Overcoming Obstacles to Critical Thinking (4/20)

Melissa PrescottLeave a comment

To complete this reading reflection assignment, (1) Go to your personal blog, (2) Click on New -> Post, (3) Title the post Reading Reflection #10: Overcoming Obstacles to Critical Thinking, (4) Select the Category box for Reading Reflection Assignments, and (5) Add a few descriptive tags. Remember to respond to all prompts below.

Based on your reading of ARQ chapter 12: “What Reasonable Conclusions Are Possible?”, respond to the following prompts:

  1. Summarize your understanding of dichotomous (also called black and white) thinking. Provide an example of a well-known social issue in which this type of thinking is often used.
  2. According to ARQ, what are some dangers of dichotomous thinking? How does “grey thinking” and using “if-clauses” enable you to find the best possible solution to an issue or problem?

Self Reflection

  1. Based on the readings, discussions, and assignments you’ve completed for HONS 250, describe how your thinking has changed since the beginning of the semester.
  2. What have you learned about yourself as a result of taking HONS 250?
  3. What are some ways you will continue practicing your critical thinking skills beyond this semester?

Reading Reflection #1: Critical Thinking (due 1/21)

Melissa PrescottLeave a comment

To complete this reading reflection assignment, (1) Go to your personal blog, (2) Click on New -> Post, (3) Title the post Reading Reflection #1: Critical Thinking, (4) Select the Category box for Reading Reflections  and (5) Add a few descriptive tags. Remember to respond to all prompts below.

Based on your reading of Asking the Right Questions (ARQ) Chapter 1: “The Benefit and Manner of Asking the Right Questions,” think about and respond to the following questions:

  1. What are some characteristics or values of a person who is a critical thinker? Which, if any, of these themes did we suggest for our Classroom Agreement on Tuesday?
  2. How do strong sense and weak sense critical thinking differ? Why is strong sense critical thinking usually so much more difficult than weak sense critical thinking?
  3. When we talk about an “argument” in this class, what do we mean? How is the book’s definition different from an argument we might have with our parents or friends?
  4. Why, do you think, is it so difficult to find the “right answer” to many questions about human behavior and society?

Based on your reading of “Why Questioning?,” think about and respond to the following questions:

  1. How does this chapter relate to your experiences? What role has asking questions had in your life?
  2. Why do you think children stop asking questions? Why do some people (like Bezos or Jobs) keep questioning?
  3. As a college student, what role does asking questions have in your education? What role does questioning have in your future profession and work environment?