CRITICAL THINKING

What is Critical Thinking?

Thinking has different levels

Being a critical thinker does not mean being sarcastic or pessimistic

the ability to analyze the way you think and present evidence for your ideas, rather than simply
accepting your personal reasoning as sufficient proof

this leads to better control of your own learning and empathy for other points of view

Critical Thinking is self-directed, self-disciplined, self-monitored, and self-corrective thinking

The foundation of effective academic reading and writing

Critical Thinking enhances language and presentation skills. (Thinking clearly and systematically
can improve the way we express our ideas. In learning how to analyse the logical structure of texts,
critical thinking also improves comprehension abilities.)

Critical Thinking promotes creativity (To come up with a creative solution to a problem involves
not just having new ideas. It must also be the case that the new ideas being generated are useful and
relevant to the task at hand. Critical thinking plays a crucial role in evaluating new ideas, selecting the
best ones and modifying them if necessary)

Critical Thinking is something that is valued both in the university setting and in the professional
situations. (it is part of a lifelong learning process. It enhances academic performance as students
primarily use this to make connections across disciplines, see knowledge as useful and applicable to
daily life and understand context in a deeper level. It helps you to think creatively – ‘outside the box’. It
keeps you from becoming narrow. Critical Thinking is expected of you in higher education. It can lead to
developing your judgement, evaluation and problem solving abilities.)

Rather than relying on teachers and classroom time for instruction and guidance, students with
critical thinking skills become more independent, self-directed learners. Today one of the most
important criteria for success in College is the ability to think independently while being logical at the
same time. Often students are asked to present papers either on their subject matter or in liberal arts.
Knowledge of Critical Thinking Skills enables students to not only outline their papers coherently with a
logical structure, it also helps them reason and present their thoughts in an organized and persuasive
manner.

A good critical thinker knows how to separate facts from opinions, how to examine an issue
from all sides, how to make rational inferences and how to withhold personal judgment or biases.

The critical thinker remains calm and knows when he is right. Critical thinkers are less likely to
fall for scams or tricks because they approach everything with a healthy amount of skepticism. Those
who lack critical thinking skills often assume that everything they hear is true, regardless of the source.
 Critical thinkers consider all options before they act. If time is an important factor, they consider
the fastest method of achieving a goal. They may even discover a shortcut. Critical thinkers embody the
phrase “work smarter, not harder.” They are masters of efficiency.

Critical Thinking Skills help you to better understand the experiences and views of others,
enhancing your ability to work with different people.

RIDDLES

I am a word of six; my first three letters refer to an automobile; my last three

letters refer to a household animal; my first four letters is a fish; my whole is
found in your room. What am I? (CARPET)

Romeo and Juliet are found dead on the floor in a bedroom. When they were
discovered, there were pieces of glass and some water on the floor. The only
furniture in the room is a shelf and a bed. The house is in a remote location,
away from everything except for the nearby railroad track. What caused the
death of Romeo and Juliet? (Romeo and Juliet are fish. The rumble of the train
knocked the tank off the shelf, it broke and Romeo and Juliet did not survive.)

A man was found dead next to a 13 story building. The police say it was a
suicide, but you say it was a homicide (someone killed him). To prove this, you
go to each floor on the building, open the window, and toss a penny out. You do
this to each floor until you reach the 13th floor, open the window, and toss a
penny out. How does this prove it wasn't a suicide? (If the man committed
suicide, he would've left the window open and you wouldn't have had to open it.)

All the electricity was out in town and none of the street lights or traffic signals
had power. A dark limousine was cruising down the newly paved blacktop, with
its headlights off. A young boy dressed totally in black (with no reflectors)
stepped out to cross the street. The moon wasn't out and the boy had no
flashlight, yet the driver stopped to let the boy cross the street. How did the driver
see the boy?
(The driver saw the boy because it was during the daylight hours.
 
 
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