Producing Integrative Thinkers Reflection Sara O’Toole American College of Education Introduction During this course, we have discussed, experienced, and dug deep into the four main pillars of integrative thinking. Intuitive, analytical, creative and rhetorical thinking are not separate entities but work together to strengthen each type of thinking’s weakness. The problems we face, are not one sided, they are influenced by many factors, thus how we come up with our solutions should also not be one sided. We need to use a mix of thinking skills in order to make the best decisions or come up with new possible solutions to a problem. Throughout the duration of this course, each week we focused on each of the four integral parts of intuitive thinking. Experiencing how it works, making workshops, working …show more content…
Using integrative thinking process provided by Riel and Martin, (2014) which has four steps, first understanding the problem and coming up with two extremes to focus on to then coming up with new possible solutions by taking pieces of the opposing extremes to generate something new to explore and test, will allow us to tackle problems that we may classify as unsolvable. As I have said, majority of our problems or item we want to study are multidimensional, therefore our thinking must be as well. Even in the realm of science, it is not all analytical thinking, you need creativity to first come up with ways to test, you need intuition to know that there is some type of relationship there, and we need the evidence to support the claims that are made. Therefore, all four types of thinking are needed, not just one, which if these skills were taught to learners, educators, businesses and leaders, to name a few, we all would be part of creating new solutions to our most difficult problems, benefiting everyone
The emphasis of this paper concerned it’s self with the Thinking Process brought to light, by
Dr. Gerald M. Nosich, an expert in critical thinking, wrote a book titled, “Learning to Think Things Through,” for his readers to understand and enhance their analytical skills. In the book, Nosich discussed the eight elements of reasoning including two additional elements: Purpose, Question at Issue, Assumptions, Implications and Consequences, Information, Concepts, Conclusions/Interpretation, Point of View, and Alternatives and Context (two additional elements). These elements help sort through our reasoning process so that we can make reasonable decisions. As a kid, I did not fully understand nor used any critical thinking skills, which led me to make some unreasonable mistakes.
Paul, R. and Elder, L., (2008). The Miniature Guide to Critical Thinking-Concepts and Tools, 5th. Ed., Foundation for Critical Thinking Press: Dillon Beach, CA
In conclusion, this paper has examined three different methods of thinking and thought processes. The three different types of thinking styles discussed were creative thinking, pessimistic thinking, and optimistic thinking. Each of these styles were compared and contrasted against each other. The different thinking styles including workplace examples and the critical thinking processes were clearly discussed.
At the start of this semester I wasn’t sure what to expect. The last attempt I made to take Psychology 101 was eighteen years ago, just out of high school, fresh into junior college. That class was overwhelming, not to mention boring, and I was not able to wrap my head around the information. I did end up withdrawing from the class. So, at the start of this semester I was nervous that this experience might be similar. I can honestly say it was not! My instructor made the material interesting, fun, and left me excited to return to class the next week. There were many topics that were covered throughout this semester. And a few of the chapters, Learning, Life Span Development, and Motivation and Emotion really resonated with me. Concepts I learned within in these chapters really got me thinking and some I am even trying to apply to my life now.
Segregation in educational institutions taking place in the United States is not often talked about. People may consider apartheid schooling taking place presently to a nation that does not respect basic human rights. Thus, the injustices taking place in public schools are not easily classified because it is commonplace to many. It can be argued that apartheid schooling was never completely dismantled in the United States. Jonathan Kozol’s book The Shame of the Nation (2005) provides evidence and insight to apartheid within the educational system that children are currently experiencing. The structure in children’s curriculum, the way they are spoken to as well as the funding public schools are funded are examples to the inequalities that children face. Conceptually, structural violence is what keeps educational injustices to recur.
While the semester is over and the deadline has expired, I thought I would write this to express my true intended thoughts.
The first experience (appendix 1) the practitioner was working with a group of children, the activity was reading a story from a book to which a discussion is formed. The aim of this activity was to promote the children’s thinking development. This type of thinking is from Matthew Lipman (1993) who uses a philosophical approach, it is known ‘stories of thinking,’ this can help to a...
Insight is a term that is derived from Middle English expressions such as “inner sight, mental vision, [and] wisdom” (“Insight,” n.d.). According to the Oxford Dictionaries, the technical term for insight is “the capacity to gain an accurate and deep intuitive understanding of a person or thing” (“Insight,” n.d.). Insight is gravely important in regards to problem solving and creative thinking. It is indeed a concept that holds much value in the psychological community and is said to be “essential” to creative thinking (Qinglin, Jiang, & Guikang, 2004). The essence of the phrase ‘insight problem solving’ can be further explained as when a “problem solver fails to see how to solve a problem and then – ‘aha!’ – there is a sudden realization how to solve it” (Jones, 2003). When referring to insight, it is not that the problem solver received a miraculous idea from out of nowhere; the problem solver simply had a brief moment where he or she was completely unaware as to how a solution can be found. Therefore, “the problem solver was competent enough to accomplish the task to begin with” and they simply needed a moment to come up with a solution (Jones, 2003). Moreover, that is where the research and questions in regards to insight play a vital role in the cognitive field of psychology. The question that insight brings to light is, what happens in the mental process of an individual who becomes “stuck” and suddenly they gain insight and are able to create a solution (Jones, 2003)? As one can see, insight is a concept that is significant in cognitive psychology.
What is not easily recognized is the fact that the very fabric of life is dependent on the ability to think properly and make good decisions. Improper thinking is costly in the quality of life and monetarily. The result of a critical thinker that has worked to cultivate proper thinking skills includes: the ability to ask vital questions and to identify problems with clarity. A critical thinker also collects relevant information while effectively interpreting it, thinks with an open mind, uses alternative systems of thought, and understands how to communicate while working to formulate a strong solution. In summary, critical thinking is self-disciplined, self-monitored, and self-corrective thinking. Above all else, the standards of excellence are rigorous, and it entails the prospect of overcoming the challenge of sociocentrism and
Critical thinking is a significant and essential topic in recent education. The strategy of critical thinking skills helps identify areas in one's courses as the suitable place to highlight, expand and use some problems in exams that test students' critical thinking skills.
When it comes to the reasoning and problem solving of any issue there are various ways to come to a decision; thinking is the mental process that allows the people in the world to deal with it effectively, according to set goals, plans, ideas, and desires. Thinking involves the gathering of information that forms concepts and engages in problem solving, reasoning, and making precise decisions for the benefit of whom is concerned. Thinking according to Kirby and Goodpaster (2007),"is an internal mental process that uses information as input, integrates that information into previous learned material and the result may be knowledge or may be nothing". Creative thinking, logical thinking, and persuasive thinking are three types of thinking. Each of these types of thinking affects the critical thinking process in various ways. The three thinking types will be compared and contrasted, as well as applied to affects they have in the critical thinking process. Every person has a primary style of thinking that is used most to help in his or her decisions. Finally, critical thinking will be applied to the decision making process by using workplace examples.
As a person grows old, it is inevitable to have both physical and cognitive changes happen throughout their lifetime. In an average life span, a person’s physical and cognitive changes will normally vary depending on what age group they are in. For example, it is said that from birth to age five, a child will absorb more information including how to talk, language, form relationships, and fine motor skills than any other age. It is also said that that most rapid decline in physical ability is in older adults ranging from a loss in eyesight to severe dementia.
Paul, R., & Elder, L. (2006). Critical Thinking: Tools for Taking Charge of Your Learning and
Critical thinking regularly involves the capability to interpret information and make knowledgeable decisions based on such information. Additionally, problem solving is frequently theorised as the use of critical thinking skills towards the effective solution of a specific problem or towards a specific end goal. Critical thinking is the disciplined art of ensuring that you use the best thinking you are capable of in any set of circumstances. The general goal of thinking is to figure out some situation” (Critical Thinking, 2001, p.1), solve some problem, answer some questions, or resolve some issue. It also is a process in which a person pursuits reliable and pertinent information about the world. Critical thinking is often described as reasonable, ruminative, trustworthy, and a well-practiced form of thinking that assists people with deciding what they should believe in and what actions should be taken. A practiced critical thinker will ask good questions, collects pertinent data, categorizes common characteristics, logically reasons with the new data and then he or she will come to a trustworthy and dependable conclusion. Critical thinking makes use of many processes and procedures. Some processes include but is not limited to asking questions, making judgments, and identifying