Critical Thinking Beau Seagraves, Associate Dean of Students and Director of Student Care & Outreach Carrie

Outcomes Participants will discuss… developing critical thinking skills. developing confidence to make decisions. moving away from dualistic decision making. questions to ask oneself when making decisions. stepping outside of oneself to see the big picture when making decisions. They will ask who to make their ROIs out to

Agenda What is Critical Thinking? Myths of Critical Thinking Developing Critical Thinking Skills Results of Critical Thinking Application: Scenarios Carrie

Critical Thinking Defined Pair & Share: Write down your own definition on notecard & share “Disciplined thinking that is clear, rational, open-minded, and informed by evidence” (www.dictionary.com) “The ability to think critically…involves three things: ( 1 ) an attitude of being disposed to consider in a thoughtful way the problems and subjects that come within the range of one's experiences, (2) knowledge of the methods of logical inquiry and reasoning, and (3) some skill in applying those methods.” (Edward M. Glaser, An Experiment in the Development of Critical Thinking, Teacher’s College, Columbia University, 1941) “Critical thinking is that mode of thinking - about any subject, content, or problem - in which the thinker improves the quality of his or her thinking by skillfully taking charge of the structures inherent in thinking and imposing intellectual standards upon them.” (http://www.criticalthinking.org/pages/defining-critical-thinking/766; Taken from Richard Paul and Linda Elder, The Miniature Guide to Critical Thinking Concepts and Tools, Foundation for Critical Thinking Press, 2008) Beau

Characteristics of Critical Thinking Rational Considers multiple perspectives Synthesized information Evidence-based Outcomes-oriented Beau

Myths of Critical Thinking Myth #1: Protocols & procedures stifle critical thinking. Reframe: We all interpret and implement protocols and procedures differently. Seek context and understand expectations How we “show up” is often not part of the protocols or procedures Beau

Myths of Critical Thinking Myth #2: There is one right way to understand or manage a situation. Reframe: We make the best decisions we can with the information with have. Be prepared to defend your decision/course of action Be prepared to modify decision/course of action in the future as necessary Beau

Critical Thinking Skills Information Gathering What information do I need? What is actually happening? Who are the players? What is the potential impact of situation and my decision? What are the policies/protocols? How will I gather information? Observation Asking Questions Previous experience Information Sharing What info do I need to share to demonstrate I have thought through the situation? How do I share it? Beau

Critical Thinking Skills Tara DeLecce (Psychology; www.study.com) Curiosity Skepticism Humility Grant Tilus (Rasmussen College) Interpretation Analysis Inference Evaluation Explanation Self-Regulation Beau

Results of Critical Thinking Personal/Professional Satisfaction Demonstrated Sense of Urgency Increased Confidence Empowering for ourselves and others around us Beau

Scenarios Beau/Carrie

REACTIONS??? beaus@uga.edu Beau/Carrie