In Gary Meegan’s video, critical thinking was defined as “the art of analyzing and evaluating thinking with a view to improving it.”, quoting Dr. Richard Paul. This fits well with the idea of looking at critical thinking as an art that you get better at with practice. Continuously putting the skill to use with those around you to understand the way that they think and how they came to have these beliefs. This opens up the mind to may viewpoints and how an individual may have formed the ideologies they have today. Not only other’s viewpoints but your own. The ability to be introspective about what experiences and lessons you’ve learned in life that have led you to think the way you do is a powerful skill to have. Jesse Richardson focused on the importance of critical thinking in an educational environment. Not only having children regurgitate given information but to truly understand why it’s important an even being taught in the first place. I agree with both videos but I especially resonated with Jesse Richardson’s talk. It is truly important for children and adults to not only be given information, but to be able to question it and further understanding why it is being taught in the first place. Open dialogue and the ability to dig deeper is important in every aspect of life, and being able to develop that skill at a young age is key. Not just believing what has been presented to you, but how it aligns with what you think. From an educational standpoint it’s more about why is a certain subject or topic is being taught and how does this correlate to what will be useful in life and an individual’s interests. As one gets older, you’re exposed to much more information in various forms on much heavier topics. Having those critical thinking skills allows for one to not believe an opinion or standpoint is right simply because it is supported by the majority, but because it truly aligns with who they are. When one is able to think deeply and develop a stronger understanding for all they are being exposed to, they can eventually pass that on to the next generation. Continuing the cycle of expansion will continue to benefit the world around us. Allowing anyone to understand the thinking of those around them whether it supports their own ideas or not.
