I think the most important characteristic of a critical thinker is having an analytical approach. A lot of people base their opinions on what they have heard rather than gathering information for themselves. One cannot think critically if the information they have comes with bias from a secondary or tertiary source. They have to only form opinions after having all the facts and analyzing them for the best outcome. My students are encouraged to find a primary source, such as an article, or the text information came from. They are not allowed to use just any .com website when researching topics.
WE need to be careful with waiting 2 seconds to respond as it might show a weakness
Ray,
You got that right. This attitude really challenges me since these types of students want to put no effort what so ever into learning how to be critical thinkers.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
a critical thinker is somebody that analyze the subject and find the right way of spreading the thought.
In some instantces they don't even want the formula. They would rather have the problem solved by someone else and take the credit for it
Chanel,
Good advice because so many people think in segments and not in a big picture way. The more you can help them to think big picture the easier it will be for them to see the segments.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Critical thinking characteristics include thinking in a way that is not linear. It is important to think on a macro level and see how the whole picture works.
Rebecca,
Many people do not take the all important "moment" to think through the problem. By helping your students to see the value of doing this you are helping them to move forward in their critical thinking skill development.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
I believe a critical thinker is someone who takes a moment to think through a problem. Someone who asks more questions to analyze the assumptions and discover the true issues.
Jay,
This is what a critical thinker should be about. If they follow these steps they will be able to analyze and come up with solutions to diverse problems and situations.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Critical thinkers are able to analyze the material presented to them and comprehend the implied and inferred information. They are then able to combine the facts presented with the intent of the knowledge and create their own thoughts on the topic or subject.
I believe a critical thinker is one who will take the time to gather the information from different perspectives and make a sound decicion based on the information given
I believe that critical thinkers make educated discissions based on accurate information.
Wayne,
Well said about the worse thing being that they experience the effect themselves. Over the years I have had such experiences and am here to tell you it is so much easier and a lot less painful to plan, think and then do. The more they can see the value of critical thinking the more they will see application of what is being taught.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
I would totally agree with this. as I am teaching a Basic Electricity class I seriously drive into my students to think before you act. Dealing with electricity it's imperative to think before you act. Especially since we can only see the effect thru action of applied voltage. The worse thing for them to experience is the effect themselves.
Wayne,
Yes, they do and this is what sets them apart in the problem solution process. The more they think it out and then strategize the possible solutions the greater their success rate is going to be.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Critical thinkers tend to solve problems in their head before starting a project or rushing to answer a question. Critical thinkers can form plans, layout logical processes and feel like everyone should be able to do the same thing
Seth,
These two characteristics are essential is students are going to develop into critical thinkers and problem solvers. They need to see the big picture as well as the segments that make up the picture as they make their selection of possible solutions.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Important characteristics of a critical thinker, I feel, are the following. 1) Must consider all aspects of the problem, issue, or case. 2) Must arrive at decision without bias or ethnocentric motivations.
Carlos,
Well said. This is how critical thinkers need to approach situations. The more opportunities you can provide your students to develop this needed approach the better prepared they are going to be when they graduate.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
