Critical Thinking: Educating Competent Citizens

Hoff, Jane

IL–Critical Thinking

Admin, E. (2014, January 29). Critical thinking: Educating competent citizens. Retrieved 2016, from https://www.elesapiens.com/blog/critical-thought-educating-competent-citizens

Critical Thinking: Educating Competent Citizens

Summary:  In this article, which first appeared on the blog Elesapiens January 29, 2014, critical thinking as a process is explained.  The article explains eight fundamental aspects to the process of critical thinking: Reflection, Analysis, Acquisition of Information, Creativity, Structuring Arguments, Decision Making, Commitment, and Debate.    Additionally, the article pairs these eight fundamental aspects with five soft skills that are universally important to the world citizen: Humility, Courage, Responsibility, Commitment, and Respect.  The basic idea is that critical thinking skills are fundamental to self-sufficiency and capable problem solving in everyday life. Critical thinking skills are not limited to academic pursuits, and the more young students correlate critical thinking skills with everyday life pursuits, the more success they will see in academic achievement, life-long learning, and over all life success.

Review:  Where many in our field might find the explanation of critical thinking gratuitous, it does add to the bounty of information that can be effectively transferred to our students for their understanding of expectations and learning targets in the classroom and in everyday life.  Deconstructed in this manner, this article encourages the educator to more effectively describe and define critical thinking as a process to students enhancing their ability to navigate the academic world, their local community, as well as the global community in which they will certainly be playing a larger role in the very near future.