CRITICAL THINKING, A

KEYSTONE OF LEARNING.

AGENDA:o Introductiono Warm upo Key concepts

analisis.o Is the any connection

between studying and thinking?

o Practice

A LOOK AT ONE APPROACH TO CRITICAL THINKING

The following quiz consists of four questions to determine if you are a critical thinker.

The quiz claims that questions are NOT that difficult.

How do you put a giraffe into a refrigerator?

Open the refrigerator, put in the giraffe, and close the door.

This question tests whether you tend to do simple things in an overly complicated

way.

HOW DO YOU PUT AN ELEPHANT INTO A REFRIGERATOR?

Open the refrigerator, take OUT the giraffe, put in the elephant and close the door. This tests your ability to think through the repercussions of your previous actions.

The Lion King is hosting an animal conference. All the animals attend.... except one. Which animal does not attend?

The Elephant. The elephant is in the refrigerator. You just put him in there. This tests your memory.

THERE IS A RIVER YOU MUST CROSS BUT IT IS CROCODILE INFESTED, AND YOU DO NOT HAVE A BOAT. HOW DO YOU MANAGE IT?

You jump into the river and swim across. Have you not been listening? All the crocodiles are attending the Lion King’s Meeting. This tests whether you learn quickly from your mistakes.

These Questions are Not Critical Thinking. They are tricks. What does real world knowledge tell

you about giraffes and refrigerators? do you know about the difference

between “a” refrigerator and “the” refrigerator?

What Shouldn’t the Lion King’s Meeting question, being a fiction, rely on our knowledge fables and allegory?

LET US NOT BE FOOLED BY FALSE CRITICAL THINKING.

CRITICAL THINKING MEANS….

Thinking about thinking Searching Making associations (former knowledge) Explaining Analyzing - Looking for options Problem solving Thinking “outside the box” & thinking

about something from many angles

EXAMPLES OF NON-CRITICAL THINKING:

“I never heard of that before so it must not be true.”

“I don’t believe it, therefore it isn’t true.”

“That’s not my opinion, so it can’t be right.”

WE ALL ENGAGE IN CRITICAL THINKING

BUYING A BICYCLE Do I like how it looks? Can I afford it? How well made is it? Should I buy one new or used? Should I buy one, three, ten, or 15

speeds? How does it make me feel when I ride it? How does this one compare to another

model? Should I trust the person selling it ?

WHAT DOES STUDYING HAVE TO DO WITH THINKING?

IN THE CLASSROOM, CRITICAL THINKING INVOLVES: Restraining emotion (allows objectivity) Looking at things differently (thinking

beyond the obvious) Analyzing information (break it down!) Asking questions (promotes knowledge,

helps solve problems) Problem solving (identify it, narrow it,

look for and develop alternatives) Fact vs. opinion (can it be proven?) Seeking truth (where is it?)

WHAT DOES STUDYING HAVE TO DO WITH THINKING?

STUDYING involves THINKING (lots of it!)!

***Allow yourself to ENJOY the process of thinking and learning

TO STUDY WELL, YOU MUST CONSIDER: ENVIRONMENT INFORMATION EXPECTATIONS (OF SELF,

TEACHER, CLASS) MEMORY – your brain is like a

funnel of information….you must learn how to organize and filter it!

SHORT TERM MEMORY VS. LONG TERM MEMORY Short term memory, a.k.a. working

memory: holds a limited amount of info Long term memory: holds lots of info,

like a flash drive; takes effort to store info into long term memory; consists of info you’ve been hearing over and over.

Must review info within 36 to 48 hours of hearing/learning it in order to store it into long term memories, review class notes/materials within this amount of time.

HOW DO YOU REMEMBER INFORMATION? VCR3 Visualize Concentrate Relate (make associations/critically think) Repeat Review

MEMORY HELPERS AND HINDRANCESHelpers: Proper sleep Proper diet Physical Exercise Mental Exercise Positivity Environment Study breaksRepetition/visualization

Hindrances: Distractions Alcohol Drugs Stress Close-mindedness Inability to distinguish important facts from unimportant facts

TRUE OR FALSE? “TO KNOW IT IS TO MEMORIZE IT!”

“TO LEARN IT IS TO KNOW IT!”

(When you know it, you can study it and remember it!)

THREE USEFUL STUDY STRATEGIES:1. SQ3R SQ3R: Scan, Question, Read (&

annotate), Recite, Review. Works best with scanning and

reading textbooks.

2. MNEMONICS ( A WORD, SENTENCE, POEM, ETC. THAT HELPS YOU TO REMEMBER STH)

Works best to study lecture notes and textbook notes:

Examples of mnemonics: Jingles/rhymes Sentences Words Storylines Acronyms

SENTENCES/RHYMES/WORDS/ACRONYMS Sentences: create a

sentence with the first letter of each word of list of things you need to remember…e.g.think about the planets…

My Very Elderly Mother Just Sat Up Nights. Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune

Jingles/Rhymes: think of commercials, songs…use information you need to study and apply to the beat of your song – ABCs

Words – think of remembering the great Lakes: HOMES = Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie, Superior

Acronyms: First letter of each word and form a word:

FANBOYS – For, And, Nor, But, Or Yet, So

3. COOPERATIVE LEARNING Cooperative Learning is collaborative

and group learning… A study group has the following: 5-7 people People who take notes People who ask questions People who will work diligently People who are doing well in the class

IN A GROUP, YOU MUST…

Develop “rules” for the group & pick a leader

Ask questions Compare & share

notes/ideas/understandings Drill and test each other Make predictions together Brainstorm If someone in the group is NOT following the rules of the group, they must go!

WHEN YOU DON’T HAVE TIME…. Don’t blame your teacher Read quickly (remember SQ3R): Headings, highlighted info, introduction, conclusion, first & last sentence of each paragraph Make connections (think critically) Use study guides, old tests & quizzes VISUALIZE IT REPEAT, REPEAT, REPEAT!!! Choose info wisely – cramming means choosing what you think is most important – YOU CANNOT REMEMBER EVERYTHING WHEN YOU PROCRASTINATE!

SUMMARYLearn it, don’t try to memorize –

it’s impossible!Focus on the prizeThink about what YOU want out

of your classDon’t wait….review every day &

when it is time for the test, you will not have to study, you will simply re-review!

THINK as you study…it will help you better understand & remember

CRITICAL THINKING SKILLS ENABLE

PEOPLE TO

EVALUATE, COMPARE, ANALYZE,

CRITIQUE, AND

SYNTHESIZE INFORMATION.

Knowledge is not a collection of facts,

but rather an ongoing process of

examining information, evaluating that

information, and adding it to your

understanding.

Critical thinkers know to keep an open mind and may re-think their views based

on new knowledge

LET´S PRATICE A LITTLE BIT

Fact or Opinion? FACT OR OPINION?A fact is something true or supported by reasons based on truths. An opinion is what we

believe and based on what we feel or impressions. Opinions are often not based on facts.

Circle F for fact or O for Opinion for these statements:

1. Brazil is bigger than Paraguay F 0

2. French is more beautiful than Arabic F 0

3. Washing your hands regularly will help you get sick less. F 0

4. Indonesia is composed of islands. F 0

5. Moldova is poorer than the Ukraine F 0

6. Teachers thinks students are lazy. F 0

PAST AND PRESENT Compare students today with the time when your great

grandparents were children. What is the same? What is different? Why?

Remember the Critical Thinking example given of the decision process in “buying a bicycle?”1.In groups, think of another real-world

practical decision like this that anyone might need to make. What kind of questions would you ask yourself?

FEEDBACK

Questions? Comments? What can you add to this

presentation? Study tactics that work for you?Maria Erminia Flores López. B.A mariaeflores08@gmail.com

REMEMBER

Critical Thinking is Simply the Process of Making Informed Decisions.

That is, making decisions based on facts and criteria (what counts), not feelings and opinions.

REFERENCESSTUDY STRATEGIES AND CRITICAL THINKING SKILLS. http://www.yorku.ca/yulearn/universityskills/Presentation_CriticalThinking2.pdf.

THANKS FOR ATTENDING

MY PRESENTATION, I HOPE YOU ENJOY IT

GOD BLESS YOU.