Critical Thinking

Critical Thinking

Critical Thinking

Larry Goodman

MGT/350

Gayle Gerhardt

July 13, 2008

Critical Thinking 1

The purpose of this paper is to look at the critical thinking and how it can be improved.

To complete this task I will be utilizing outside resources such as articles, journals, and books,

along with my own personal experiences. This paper will look at different characteristics

of a critical thinker and how critical thinking can be improved. This paper will also look at how

The Department of Youth Services embraces critical thinking.

According to Carol Carter, Joyce Bishop and Sarah Kravits, (Becoming an Active Thinker)

Pg4, “critical thinking is the process of gathering information, analyzing it in different ways, and

evaluating it for the purposes of gathering understanding, solving a problem, or making a

decision. The most important step in the critical thinking is understanding the task, or identifying

the problem. Prior to making an educated decision, based on critical thinking, one must understand

what the problem is. Once the problem is identified, one must be able to understand the

objectives. The critical thinking process does not stop with just understanding the objectives.

Critical thinking is only completed when a person is able to implement the decision that is made

and evaluate the effectiveness of that decision. Critical thinkers have to be very skillful in many

ways.

Critical thinking includes a vast range of characteristics. According to Daniel Kurland,

(What is Critical Thinking), rationality, self-awareness, honesty, open mindedness, discipline,

and judgments are all very important features of people that are able to make good decisions.

Rationality is having the facts to support why a decision is made.

Self-awareness is looking past what is seen in a situation, to look over what we assume.

Honesty is being true to oneself and others.

Critical Thinking 2

Open mindedness is...