Critical Reasoning – Discussion – Week 1

Critically Thinking Through Content and Facts 
For this discussion first reflect and write out your answers to the following questions and post:

1. The concept of critical thinking basically means __________________________. (State this meaning in your own words.)

1. In other words, _________________________________________. (Now explain in a few sentences what you meant by the first sentence.)
2. For example, ____________________________________________. (Now give us an example of what you meant—tying the concept to your experience, and our experience, so that we can better understand it.)
3. To illustrate with an analogy, ______________________________________________________. (Now connect what you are saying to something similar, again, to help us better understand it.) 
   (question adapted from Paul & Elder, 2012)

Include at least 1-2 scholarly sources that are not required or recommended readings for this course. 

Format your discussion, including all in-text citations and references, according to the CSU-Global Guide to Writing and APA Requirements .

Note from the Professor:

Hello Class, 

I wrote this course and therefore I am biased in thinking, no pun intended, that it prepares students for their studies and professional and personal lives. I mean you are presented with a course which becomes the foundation of your everyday work, personal, and educational life shaping how you percieve, think, and act. I asked to teach the course because I wanted to know first hand reactions by each of you and to learn how best to fine tune and improve the course. I look forward to taking this learning journey together. 

You are about to begn an exciting, interactive, crtical thinking course that will present a new way of critical reasoning and make some sense to the terms critical thinking or thinking outside the box. I like to say it is important to think off the page of the book, so you have a fresh perspective and not to dismiss the box as you can find very creative uses for a box to play in as a child, or to use to store toys, papers, and repurpose an idea to find a new way of looking at something. 

Cogito ergo sum y translated into English as “I think, therefore I am” Rene Descartes.   Is thinking the definition to our existence? What about emotional intelligence, being fairminded, ethical, caring, loving, are these part of what it means to be human and a justification for our existience. This course does not delve into these philosphical questions but I do hope that what you learn in this couse will inspire you to think critically and to ask questions. 

Part of our thinking will be expressed in writing so I have provided this link to help shape our academic writing skills. If you have any questions let me know. 

Enjoy the course.

Dr David Kenneth Waldman

Module 1_ Interactive Lecture _ Critical Reasoning.pdf