- A MUST SKILL FOR EVERY NEXT GENERATION TEACHER - Part 1

CRITICAL THINKING  AN IMPORTANT TEACHING LEARNING PRACTICE BEYOND CURICULAM

- A MUST SKILL  FOR EVERY NEXT GENERATION TEACHER -  Part 1

Dr.Sekar Srinivasan, Educationist, The National UN Volunteer.

Critical thinking is searching, plotting, making associations, explaining, analyzing, probing for multiple angles, justifying, scrutinizing, making decisions, solving problems and investigating.  It is literally thinking about something from many angles. Critical thinking is about making informed, enlightened, educated, open minded decisions in institutions, in relationships, in finances, and in life in general.

Critical thinking can serve us in many areas as students and citizens in society.  As a student, critical thinking can help one  focus on issues; gather relevant accurate information; remember facts, organize thoughts logically; analyze questions and problems and manage the priorities.  It can assist in the problem-solving skills and help in producing new knowledge through research and analysis and help to determine the accuracy of printed and spoken words.  It can help to detect bias and determine relevance of arguments and persuasion.

Planning Critical Thinking Processes:
This skill can be built and expanded in the following order:
•Restraining emotions
•Looking at things differently
•Analyzing information
•Solving problems
•Distinguishing fact from opinion
•Seeking truth in argument and persuasion

How Critical Thinking can help one beyond the classroom can be illustrated in the following ways:
•Relationships   
Whom to be friends with
Whom to trust
In whom you can confide
How seriously involved you should get in your friends problems
•Goal Setting
If the goal is realistic
How to develop a plan of action
What resources you need and how to get them
•Finances
How to develop a realistic budget
If you should charge or lay away
How much you have to save to pay tuition and fees
How to search for scholarships
•Decision Making
How to approach a difficult decision
How to analyze your options
How the decision will affect your life
If the decision is a solid one
•Problem Solving
How to identify the real problem
How to solicit assistance
How serious the problem really is
When to implement the solution
•Environmental Issues
Whether to buy one or other model
How recycling helps the earth
How your personal behaviour contributes to the global warming
•Civic Duties
For whom to cast your vote
How to get involved in your community
For which organization to volunteer
To which organization to donate money.

As you develop your critical - thinking skills, you will begin to recognize the illogical nature of thoughts, the falsehoods of statements, the deception in inputs and the irrational fears used to persuade.  You will also begin to understand the depths to which you should delve to achieve objectivity, the thought and care that should be given to your own decisions and statements, and the methods by which you can build logical, truthful arguments.

[ The above material is part of my lecture notes delivered during long course at various teacher training programme in 3 parts]