TC CHAP 1: THINKING!Definition: “an active, purposeful, and organized process that we use to make sense of the world.”“The activity of the brain which can be potentially

communicated” (includes language, images, scientific formulas, and mathematics)—Kirby and

Goodpaster“A purposeful mental activity over which we

exercise some control”– Vincent Ruggiero

MASHUP• Thinking is mental—it takes place in our brains• Thinking is active—it is a type of activity• Thinking is purposeful—there is a reason, a

purpose, something to be accomplished.• Thinking can be communicated (language, math,

art, etc.)• Thinking is a process—ongoing and procedural,

multifaceted• Thinking is something that we exercise control

over• Has its own generic purpose—allows us to make

sense of the world.

ACTIVITY 1: METACOGNITION

• ACTIVITY 1.1—DESCRIBE TO YOUR PARTNER WHAT YOUR KITCHEN (FILL IN BEDROOM, BATHROOM, ETC.) LOOKED LIKE THIS MORNING.

• NOW, THINK ABOUT YOUR THINKING. (METACOGNITION) DESCRIBE, AS CLOSELY AS YOU CAN, WHAT WAS GOING ON IN YOUR HEAD AS YOU “THOUGH ABOUT” YOUR ROOM.

ACTIVITY 1.2

• As a group (your pair), develop a working description of why we have seasons.

• Together, describe how you were able to integrate your thinking with that of a partner.

ACTIVITY 1.3

• TELL YOUR PARTNER ABOUT YOUR POSITION ON THE ABORTION ISSUE (FILL IN ESTATE TAX, STIMULUS, TAX CUTS/RATES ON THE WEALTHY, STEM CELL USE, AFFIRMATIVE ACTION/RACIAL QUOTAS, ETC.)

• AGAIN, THINK ABOUT YOUR THINKING. DESCRIBE, AS CLOSELY AS YOU CAN, WHAT WAS GOING ON IN YOUR HEAD AS YOU “THOUGHT ABOUT” THIS ISSUE.

ACTIVITY 1.4

• CONSIDER THE FOLLOWING—WHICH DISCUSSION WAS MORE DIFFICULT? WHY?

• WHAT ARE THE APPARENT DIFFERENCES IN THESE TYPES OF THINKING?

Thinking critically

• This process involves carefully exploring the thinking process to clarify our understanding and make more intelligent decisions.

Thinking creatively

• Using our thinking process to develop ideas that are unique, innovative, useful, and worthy of further elaboration and examination.

• Hypothesize; speculate; inquire; innovate!

Socrates: the unexamined life is not worth living!

• Forks in the path (choices)• Habits and habitual approaches/reactions

(ruts)• “The accelerated pace at which many people

live often makes them feel as though they are rushing from deadline to deadline, skating on the surface of life instead of exploring its deeper meanings” pg 5

SOCRATES

• “You, my friend—a citizen of the great and mighty and wise of Athens—are you not ashamed of heaping up the greatest amount of money and honour and reputation, and caring so little about wisdom and truth and the greatest improvement of the soul, which you never regard or heed at all?”

• How is this related to goods/possessions?

GOAL ORIENTATION

“Ah, but a man’s reach should exceed his grasp, or what’s a heaven for?” Robert Browning

• Trial and error, success and failure• Re-evaluation and adaptation• extension of comfort zone, locus of control

Activity 2: Why? game

• Why are you here?• Why (answer above)?• Why (answer above)?• Why (answer above)?• Why (answer above)?• Begins to map a network of goals, relating

eventually to more profound questions regarding the basic questions of life.

Activity 3 Goals: short term• Identify 5 short term goals for the following week.• Rank these by order of importance.• Pick one of the important goals, list the steps to be

taken, estimate the time taken, schedule these tasks in your week.

• Most people neglect to explicitly identify important goals, and mismanage time and resources when engaging a list of multiple goals.

• Do you buy this?

Goals: Long Term

• More complex• Often require many levels of achievement, or

milestones (interstitial short term goals)• Are the result of self-reflection and

examination: KNOW THY SELF!

• Can change as we grow/react

Long Term Goals

• High Achievers are able to envision a three-dimensional picture of their future, including goals and aspirations that are clearly defined. Again, these may change upon due reflection.

• Low Achievers live in the present and past. Goals are ill-defined or insubstantial (I want to be happy; I want $$$)

• But . . . The future is no place to place your better days. (David Matthews)

Images, Decision-Making, and Thinking about Visual Information

• Visual artists realize that they are communicating and that choices they make in that communication may indicate bias.

• See pages 12 and 13 in TC• Refugee: one who leaves their home to seek

refuge elsewhere due to war, persecution, or famine.

FR. REFUGERE (BACK +TO FLEE= RETREAT) (SEE FUGITIVE)

Narrative in images

• Setting, point of view, characterization, relationship between characters, objective/subjective perspectives

• (objective) focuses on the object without bias. Verifiable by factual support.

• (subjective) focuses on the subject doing the observation. Bias can be seen in how the observer colors the observed, perhaps painting with prior experience, preconceptions, or prejudices

Autobiography of Malcolm X excerpt

Questions for analysis: see pgs 16 and 17

Activity 4: thinking activity 1.31.) Describe a successful decision that you have made in

the past.2.) Reconstruct your reasoning process. Did you• Define clearly the decision to be made?• Consider possible choices?• Anticipate consequences?• Gather information?• Evaluate pros and cons?• Use charts or diagrams?• Create a specific plan of implementation?• Review and adjust periodically?

Distills to 5 points

• Define decision clearly• Consider possible choices• Gather info and evaluate pros and cons• Select according to the best engagement of

the needs of the situation.• Implement plan of action; monitor results;

adjust where necessary.

ACTIVITY 5: Thinking Activity 1.4

• In groups of 2-4, discuss your findings. Start with the decision parameters.

• Illustrate how the 5-step process aided your decision-making.

• What were the problems with this approach?

Abilities and accomplishments

• What is the relationship?• TC indicates that by examining our most

proud accomplishments, we can begin to isolate our many abilities or talents.

• Inversely, one may assume that our most confident abilities may lead us to engage relevant and apparent accomplishments

Living Creatively

• Fatalism is the belief that things are already set in place, and that we simply act out the script as it befalls us.

• A free-will debate.• Denotes a passivity-forces are beyond our

control!• Creative thinking requires the belief that you

are an active agent in your own fate.

Creative/Artistic

• Artistic is product-oriented (painting, photo, narrative, sculpture, performance)

• Creativity can be applied to these products, or to our own lives.

• Creativity stems from the multitude of choices, the many different paths that we chose to take each moment

• The greatest barrier to creative thinking (and living) is the inability to see these many choices and characterize them as probable posibilities

ACTIVITY 6: Thinking Activity 1.8

• Describe an area in which you are living creatively or engaged in creativity.

• How is this creative?• How would you describe the experience?• What strategies do you use to increase

creativity? • What obstacles block your creative efforts?

How do you overcome these?

Creativity and Children

• Children (or neophytes) are creative because of their capacity for wonder

• Adults (or old hands) have the ability to predict, which can actually STIFLE CREATIVITY!

Heraclitus: “you must expect the unexpected, because it cannot be

found by search or trail.”

Creative Process

• Understand it, trust it.• Creativity is an engine, not a product.

3 Parts: • Absorb yourself in the task; • allow time for ideas to incubate; • seize on the ideas upon emergence and follow

through

Absorption in the task

Involves work, study, and practice.

Immerse yourself in the field, and constantly gauge your progress.

Incubation

• Allow the Subconscious to grind by taking time away.

• Seek passively, or rather, be on the look out for periods of illumination

Carpe Diem! (or noctem!)

• Be aware that illumination can occur at any time, most often when we are working at something else.

• Our productivity may tell us to forget it in lieu of another task, but we must eliminate this dissuasion as well as other aspects of the Voice of Critcism!

Eliminating the VOC• Become aware of the VOC (see VOC JOURNAL)• Restate/reinterpret judgments in a more

accurate and constructive way. (note that the VOC feeds on our own insecurities, which may have some basis, albeit unproportional and misapplied.)

• Create positive variants of the VOC using voice and visualization

• Use others for independent confirmation.

Activity 7: Thinking Activity 1.10

• List elements of the VOC throughout one day.• Classify by categories.• Analyze these categories, attempting to

isolate the source of these criticisms.• How can they be fought? What does TC have

to offer to combat these voices?

Creative and Critical Thinking

• Together, creative and critical thinking form an engine of intent. We create possibilities, we critique these various constructs, and we implement those that seem to be the best fit depending on our goals and corresponding obstacles.

• It is a highly reflective process.

John Briggs, fire in the crucible

• “The way we talk about creativity tends to reinforce the notion that it is some kind of arbitrary gift. It’s amazing the way ‘not having it’ becomes wedded to people’s self-image. They invariably work up a whole series of rationalizations about why they ‘aren’t creative,’ as if they are damaged goods of some kind.”

• Creativity is a basic human endowment.• It is “our ability to adapt to change. It is the

very essence of human survival.”—Ruth Richards

• Change is the only constant.

David Henry Feldman, Nature’s Gambit

• Not everybody can be Beethoven, but it is true that all humans, by virtue of being dreamers and fantasizers, have a tendency to take liberties with the world as it exists. Humans are always transforming their inner and outer worlds. It’s what I call the ‘transformational imperative.’”

Creativity is part of an evolutionary process

• Mutation• Natural selection• Reproduction• Result: evolution!

Avoiding Myths

• Creativity isn’t “stuff”—it is intangible and known only by its product. It is a process, not an element to be had or omitted.

• Genius is not required.• Does require work• Howard Gruber’s ten years of immersion• 10, 000 hours to be an expert

Ellen Langer, Mindfullness

• “Those who can free themselves of mindsets, open themselves to new information and surprise, play with perspective and context, and focus on process rather than outcome are likely to be creative, whether scientists, artists, or cooks.”

• “emancipate yourselves from mental slavery; none but ourselves can free our minds” Marley, Redemption Song

TC Chapter II: Thinking Critically

• In Ancient Greece, Philosophers sought “wisdom”

• Philos: love (philanthropy, philander, biblio/audio/video/anglo-phile)

• Sophos: knowing, or wisdom (sophisticated; sophomore)

• Wisdom and Knowledge . . .• . . . What’s the diff?

KRITIKOS

• CRITICAL—FROM THE GREEK WORD KRITIKOS• Means to question, to make sense of, to be

able to analyze.• Krites—Grk for Judge• Critic; critique; criticism; criticise; criterion;

criteria• Criticism can be destructive, or • constructive

Critical thinking

• Thinking is making sense of the world• Critical thinking is thinking about your thinking

so as to clarify and improve your world• Enables you to:• Become an expert learner• View the world clearly• Make productive choices to shape your life

•Ignorance is bliss.•Is ignorance bliss?

Socrates

• Teacher of Plato, who recorded his teacher’s ideas in Dialogues

• Taught students to examine issues by dialectical questioning—the Socratic Method

• His students became dangerous in the eyes of Athenian rulers, who realized that the Socratic Method questions everything, including authority

Exile or Expiration?

• Given the choice to leave Athens or commit suicide.

• Drank hemlock• Died saying “now it is time for use to part, I to

die and you to live. Whether life or death is better is known to God, and to God only.”

• Hamlet’s “undiscovered country”

Qualities of critical thinkers, says TC

• Open-minded• Knowledgeable• Mentally active• Curious• Independent thinkers• Skilled discussants• Insightful• Self-aware (Know thyself//eliminates a huge source of

bias)• Creative• passionate

Qualities cont., Vincent Ruggerio, Becoming a Critical Thinker

• Honest with themselves• Resists manipulation• Overcomes confusion• Asks questions• Takes the time to produce alternate ideas (many)• Bases judgment on evidence• Acknowledges complexity• Looks for connections between subjects• Is intellectually independent (see Milgram, TC

417-420)

• Examples of great critical thinkers?

• Examples of poor critical thinkers?

Active thinking // Passive thinking

• What’s the diff? • all about engagement. • Kinda the opposite of the Tao.

Active/passive thinking

• Reading• Writing• TV• Dancing• Drawing/painting• Videogames• Sports• Listening to music

• Family members• Friends• Employers• Advertisers• Teachers• Police• Clergy• politicians

Thinking activity 2.2

Commercials• How do images, language,

music, etc. affect an audience?

• Symbolism of objects and words?

• Elicited emotions?• Why are they effective?• How do they influence

culture?

Commercial website• Design• Content• Multimedia• Links• How do these influence our

thinking?

Exploring situations with questioningby Benjamin Bloom

• Questions of fact: who, what, when, where, how. Entirely Objective.

• Questions of interpretation (organize by chronology, process relationships, juxtaposition=comp/contr, causality)

• Questions of analysis (deconstruction)• Questions of synthesis (reconstruction)• Questions of evaluation (judge on value, truth,

reliability)• Questions of application (how can this be applied

elsewhere?)

Becoming an active learner

• Using your mind to integrate new information into your existing knowledge framework, thereby expanding the framework to include this new information

• Sorta like a filing system, but with useful hyperlinks that tie new info to old (or supplant it altogether.)

Active learning

• Analogous to eating:• Ingestion• Digestion/processing• Integrate the result into the ongoing function

of the body• TC forgets one thing:• POOP!

Thinking independently/looking for sources of belief

• Authorities—parents, teachers, clergy, heroes, peers

• References—written and citable expert opinion/belief

• Factual evidence—undeniable truth, second hand, often observable

• Personal experience—undeniable truth, first hand, observed by one’s self

Application

• Authorities• References• Factual evidence• Personal experience

• Is there a God?• Have Aliens visited?• Elmo or Grover? (show

your work)

Different perspectives

• Intelligence is often described as the ability to hold 2 or more conflicting or contrary ideas in your head at the same time.

• Being able to entertain and understand the reasons behind these multiple and conflicting perspectives is the essence of critical thinking.

Issue debates: diverse perspectives

• Issue affirmative• Supporting reasons• 1• 2• 3• 4• etc

• Issue negative• Supporting reasons• 1• 2• 3• 4• etc

See page 56 illustration

• Why would someone take the position “immigrants go home!”?

• How would Native Americans take this person’s opinion?

• What is your perspective on illegal immigrants? How has/does it change? Is it tied to personal experience?

• What is the ultimate end of the idea that immigrants should be sent home?

diverse perspectives: Zoos

Zoos are great!Supporting reasons• 1• 2• 3• 4• Etc.

Zoos should be abolished!Supporting reasons• 1• 2• 3• 4• Etc.

Stuff You Should Know Podcast (sysk podcast)

• How Things Work Website• A department of Discovery Channel.com• hosted by writers/editors Josh Clark and Chuck

Bryant• This episode is on Zoos; there are many, including

How the Mafia Works, How the Sun Works, Is Prostitution the Oldest Profession?, How Cities Work, How the Hell’s Angels Work, and dozens of others.

diverse perspectives: Zoos

Zoos are great!Supporting reasons• 1• 2• 3• 4• Etc.

Zoos should be abolished!Supporting reasons• 1• 2• 3• 4• Etc.

Thinkact 2.8

• Identify main idea• List reasons supporting

the main idea• dEvelop an opposing

viewpoint• List reasons supporting

this alternative

• Gender choice

• Profiling

Discussing ideas in an organized way

• Read back through the discussion between a and b beginning on 58 and finishing at the top of 59.

• Take a survey of how many words were reactionary, insulting, inaccurate, and hyperbolic.

• To what degree do you see the discussants using each other’s language? (active listening?)

• Now peruse the 2nd exchange between a and b (59)

• what evidence is there that a and b were listening to each other? (follow the ball)

• How did the illustrations used to support opinions in this discussion differ from the previous conversation?

• Note the use of questions in this dialogue. What does this indicate?

• To what degree is there an attempt to empathize?

Discussing ideas in an organized way

Discussion process modeled

• Listening carefully • Supporting views with

reason and evidence• Responding to the

points being made (point/counterpoint)

• Asking questions (give and take)

• Increasing understanding (through mutual analysis)

Thinking critically about visuals II

• How do either pic suggest narrative?

• What are your gut reactions?

• Describe the photojournalists’ composition.

• What ideas about immigration do these images elicit?

• How are these images contradictory?

• Complimentary?

Thinking Activity 2.9

• Select an important social issue

• with a few partners, discuss possible positions on the issue (at least 2)

• Discuss points that either side might make to support their claim

• Match and/or create counterpoints that each side might use to combat these points (point/counterpoint)

• Arrange these into a short (100 words OR LESS!) dialogue between two debaters.

How did your dialogues reflect these criteria for effective

discussion?

• Listening carefully • Supporting views with

reason and evidence• Responding to the

points being made (point/counterpoint)

• Asking questions (give and take)

• Increasing understanding (through mutual analysis)

Thinking critically: and integrated set of abilities and attitudes

• Thinking actively (intellect, knowledge, skills used to explore and navigate life)

• Carefully exploring situations by questioning and resolving

• Thinking independently (don’t be a Nazi)

• Viewing situations from different perspectives

• Supporting viewpoints with reason and evidence

• Discuss ideas in an organized way, fostering a free exchange

TC Chapter 3: Problem Solving

• Simple problems require simple solutions, therefore they require the most simple approach (fewer steps.)

• Define the problem• Identify alternatives• Reach a solution

Lucretius

• So it is more useful to watch a man in times of peril, and in adversity to discern what kind of man he is; for then, at last, words of truth are drawn from the depths of his heart, and the mask is torn off—reality remains!• Only under direst torture do we finally meet

the true man– Sun Yu

Problems as opportunities for personal growth

• “Problems are the crucibles that forge the strength of our characters”

• If you live a sheltered life, you are more likely to flee from problems

• This causes you to become weak• Forms a passive attitude when dealing with

the cosmos

frustration

• Often we give up before fully understanding the problem. This can cause us to

• Act impulsively without thought or consideration (self destructive)

• Do what someone else suggests • Do nothing (taking a passive role in our

existence

Best practices

• The best problem solvers are those who have an integrated and flexible approach

• Like any multifaceted activity, problem solving may seem awkward at first, but practice gives way to a more organic and integrated approach (like driving a car, sailing, riding a bicycle, flying a plane, playing a game or sport)

Accepting the problem

• Accept that the problem exists, • identify the problem clearly, • Commit yourself to trying to solve it

An approach to acceptance

• List benefits• Formalize your approach• Accept responsibility for your life• Create a worst-case scenario• Identify what’s holding you back

Step 1: What is the problem?

• What do I know about the situation? Include all the details, everything, every fact, feeling, incident that has a bearing on your problem. This is similar to the doctor getting your medical history, asking you how long you have been sick, when did the symptoms begin.

• What results am I aiming for in this situation? What is your vision, your ultimate goal? Overall, what do you want to happen?

• How can I define the problem? Here, state the problem concisely, in a sentence or two. (view from different perspectives; identify component problems (break it down!)) BE SURE TO INSERT YOURSELF AS A PLAYER!!

• What additional information do you need at this point?

Step 2 What are the alternatives?

• What are the boundaries of the situation? In other words, what is your problem limited by? Money, time, talent, space, knowledge? Also, don’t just consider the problem’s limitations; also consider the resources impacting your problem. Maybe time is a resource or money or knowledge.

• What alternatives are possible within these boundaries and considering these resources?

STEP 2 CONTINUED

• You may want to discuss with other people (but be sure these persons are either experts or won’t BS you—avoid sycophants)

• Brainstorm—be sure to defer evaluation• Think about changing location (perspective

shift)

Step 3: What are the advantages and/or disadvantages of each alternative?

• What are the advantages of each alternative? Do all of the advantages of each solution at once. Don’t switch back and forth within each alternative from advantage to disadvantage to advantage to disadvantage.

• What are the disadvantages of each alternative?

• What additional information do I need to evaluate each alternative?

3 continued

• Go back to values to precipitate our actions (make a value judgment)

• Evaluate and compare alternatives• Combine alternatives (more than one way to

skin a cat)• Imagine these alternatives in fruition

Step 4 What is the solution?• Which alternative(s) will I pursue? Sometimes it’s

prudent to choose one alternative, one solution. Sometimes you might want to choose several alternatives and put them in order.

• What steps can I take to act on the alternatives chosen? This is an important step that too many people overlook. In this step, layout exactly what you will have to do to implement the solution. For example, if the solution is to find a job, what exactly will you have to do to implement the solution (resume, reading classified ads, going to Employment Security, practicing interviewing skills, purchasing a suit, etc.)?

• If you fail to plan, • you plan to suck

Step 5 How well is the solution working? (REFLECTIVE EVALUATION)

• What is my evaluation? Compare the results to the goals—are we in the right ballpark? The right sport? City?

• What adjustments are necessary? Most problems are not solved adequately the first time and need adjustments. The initial solving may put you on the right track, but sometimes that track needs straightening. Don’t hesitate to make adjustments, or if you find that your solution is not working, start the problem-solving process over again!

• Again, consider outside input

Thinking critically about visuals

• Just say no?• How have anti-drug campaigns evolved in

your time?

TC Chapter 4: perceiving and believing

• Definition 1: the process of becoming aware of your world through your senses

• Definition 2: each of us views the world through a pair of individual “eyeglasses” or “contact lenses” that reflect our past experiences and unique personalities.

• Percieving: actively selecting, organizing, and interpreting what is experienced by your senses.

Perception and critical thinking

• As a CT-er, you want to be aware of your own “lenses”

• You also what to be able to characterize these “lenses” in others.

• This will aid the CT-er in reducing bias, but also affords one an ability to empathize with others, to “see their point of view” even if we disagree.

Actively selecting, organizing, and interpreting sensations

• You are not a passive bin into which sensa are stored

• (unless you’re a phographic memory kinda superfreak—most of these persons have total recall, but can’t take care of themselves or have maladapted social skills)

• Note that “sensa” is the think being sensed—”sensation” in TC

• You have filters running all the time—selecting; organizing; interpreting

• See pg 117

Facial recognition; silhouette recognition; pattern recognition

• Clouds• Mountain faces• Trees; bushes; tangles• Popcorn ceilings• Wallpaper

Active perception engages three activities:

• Selecting sensa that we deem relevant• Organizing sensa into designs or patterns• Interpreting what this design or pattern means

to you

• English iv with grad proj, one semester—10242c

• English 10242cnp grad project 10292co1

During the next few slides, note how you are . . .

• Selecting certain lines, shapes, and shadings on which to focus your attention

• Organizing these lines, shapes, and shadings into different patterns

• Interpreting these patterns as representing things that you are able to recognize (note how much “drawing” you have to do yourself to connect these disparate dots)

Differing perceptions

• Note that active participation in making sense of sensa is the result of years of practice (or lack thereof) and depends on prior experience (personal history)

• SOME BIAS SINKS IN!• See THINKING ACTIVITY 4.1 (link to 4.2)• See visual thinking on 121—what are the

biases on these perceptions? How are sensa relative?

TC thinking activity 4.3

• What are the selected details focused upon?• How has the info been organized? (note that

journalists are taught “don’t bury the lead”)• How does each writer interpret the players

and its significance• How is language used to express perspective?

Which style is the most influential?

Perceiving and believing• Beliefs:

interpretations, evaluations, conclusions, or predictions about the world that we endorse as true

• Interpretation: explanation or analysis of the meaning or significance of something

• Evaluation: a judgment of the value or quality of something, based on certain standards

• Conclusion: a decision made or an opinion formed after consideration of the relevant facts or evidence

• Prediction: a statement about what will happen in the future

Types of beliefs• Reports: factual

information—describing the world in ways verifiable through investigation

• Judgments: descriptions expressing an evaluation based on certain criteria

• Inferences (not implications): descriptions of the world in ways that are based on factual information yet going beyond this information to make statements about what is not currently known

• Extrapolations• Extra + poll/polate

Reports; inferences; judgments

• Note that all can be passed on through language, but that not all should be thought of as fact.

Thinking activity 4.8

• What source did you pick?

• How are factual resources used to support the article?

• Did you find any possible inferences?

• Judgements?• (go back to Malcolm X)

Wrong-headed authority

• See pg 144

Thinking Activity 4.10

• Analyzing an incorrect inference:

• Pee-zilla• Second Chance• Best Gig Ever!!...????

• What were the mistaken inferences?

• What was the factual evidence on which these were based?

• Looking back, what could have been done to avoid erroneous inferences?