Peer Response
Peer Discussion 1: Artemio Salispara
Wednesday May 22 at 8:02pm
Manage Discussion Entry
Explain at least five elements of critical thinking that you found in the reading material.
Critical thinking is a very important process that allows us to make logical and informed decisions based on effectively analyzing information around us. Critical thinking is not only helpful in our careers but also in our daily lives. People who do not think critically reduce their chances of being successful in the workplace and increase their susceptibility to fraud and manipulation (Erstad, 2018). Five elements of critical thinking that I found in the reading material include (Erstad, 2018):
Identification– Identifying the situation, problem, and influencing factors.
Research– Finding the source of the information and evaluating it for credibility and validity.
Identifying Biases– Critical thinkers evaluate information objectively by setting aside personal biases. When evaluating claims, It is also important to identify any biases from both sides of an argument.
Inference– Drawing conclusions based on all available information. It is very important to gather and assess as much information as possible before drawing a conclusion.
Determining Relevance– It is important to identify which information is the most relevant in the situation.
Search the Internet, media, or the Ashford University Library, and find an example in which good critical thinking skills are being demonstrated by the author or speaker. Summarize the content, and explain why you think it demonstrates good critical thinking skills.
The article I found in which good critical thinking skills are being demonstrated by the authors is a scholarly article that shows the scientific consensus that human actions are the main cause of global warming and climate change. The study assessed 11,944 scholarly research papers and concluded that a range of 90% – 100% of climate scientists agree that humans are causing global warming and climate change (Cook et al., 2016). This article demonstrates good critical thinking skills because the authors are assessing information in an objective manner and using facts to support their conclusion.
Search the Internet, media, or the Ashford University Library, and find an example in which the author or speaker lacks good critical thinking skills. Summarize the content, and explain why you think it demonstrates the absence of good, critical thinking skills.
The article I found in which a person demonstrates the absence of good, critical thinking skills is about how Donald Trump dismissed a study on climate change because he does not believe in the phenomenon. According to Cillizza (2018), a study conducted by 13 government agencies and more than 300 climate scientists that affirms climate change is real, caused by human actions, and warned about the catastrophic impact of climate change was dismissed by Trump because he does not believe that climate change is real. This demonstrates the absence of critical thinking skills because Trump refuses to look at scholarly evidence and makes decisions based solely on his own bias and perceptions.
References
Cillizza, C. (2018, November 27). Donald Trump buried a climate change report because ‘I don’t believe it’. Retrieved from https://www.cnn.com/2018/11/26/politics/donald-trump-climate-change/index.htmlLinks to an external site.
Cook, J., Oreskes, N., Doran, P., Anderegg, W., Verheggen, B., Maibach, E., … Rice, K. (2016). Consensus on consensus: a synthesis of consensus estimates on human-caused global warming. Environmental Research Letters, 11(4), 1. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com.proxy-library.ashford.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=edb&AN=114704127&site=eds-live&scope=site
Erstad, W. (2018, January 22). 6 critical thinking skills you need to master nowLinks to an external site.. Retrieved from http://www.rasmussen.edu/student-life/blogs/main/critical-thinking-skills-you-need-to-master-now/
Explain at least five elements of critical thinking that you found in the reading material.
· Element 1 – Communication: this means defining the main problem or idea in your own words to provide supporting details to present clearly.
· Element 2 – Analysis: this means comparing the available resolutions to the main problem or idea while applying evidence to support your information.
· Element 3 – Problem-Solving: this means you pick a solution and defend that decision with facts and evidence.
· Element 4 – Evaluation: this means identifying any weaknesses with the solution you picked while problem-solving.
· Element 5 – Synthesis: this means you suggest ways to strengthen and improve your solution.
Search the Internet, media, or the Ashford University Library, and find an example in which good critical thinking skills are being demonstrated by the author or speaker. Summarize the content, and explain why you think it demonstrates good critical thinking skills.
· I found an article that discussed public schooling vs. homeschooling. This article has good critical thinking skills. The author discusses how homeschooling has become more popular and about all the benefits of homeschooling vs. public schools. I have kids that have done both as well as private schools, but after reading this article I have an even better understanding of how great it was for my kids that were homeschooled. The author of this article done their research, including statistics, references, and peer-reviewed references.
Search the Internet, media, or the Ashford University Library, and find an example in which the author or speaker lacks good critical thinking skills. Summarize the content, and explain why you think it demonstrates the absence of good, critical thinking skills.
· I found an article that discusses sanctioned cities and how the public views these. It was obvious that the author was biased and did not like sanctioned cities. The author shows his opinion that Republicans ruined how these cities are run because Democrats did run these cities. This author lacks critical thinking skills.
References
Denvir, D. (2017, February 17). The False Promise of Sanctuary Cities. Retrieved May 23, 2019, from https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2017/02/the-false-promise-of-sanctuary-cities.html
Erstad, W. (2018, January 22). 6 Critical Thinking Skills You Need to Master Now. Retrieved May 23, 2019, from Rasmussen College: https://www.rasmussen.edu/student-experience/college-life/critical-thinking-skills-to-master-now/
Moreau, K. (2012, November 27). SPECIFIC DIFFERENCES IN THE EDUCATIONAL OUTCOMES OF THOSE STUDENTS WHO ARE HOME SCHOOLED VS. STUDENTS IN A TRADITIONAL SCHOOL SETTING. Retrieved May 23, 2019, from https://www.nmu.edu/education/sites/DrupalEducation/files/UserFiles/Moreau_Kathi_MP.pdf
Plencner, A. (2014). Critical thinking and the challenges of Internet. Communication Today, 5(2), 4-18. Retrieved May 23, 2019, from http://www.communicationtoday.sk/critical-thinking-and-the-challenges-of-internet/
