Abstract:
When I think about college classes I have taken in past years, Critical Thinking Psy700 is perhaps the most thought provoking. In six weeks, I have realized that many assumptions about the process of knowledge acquisition have been taken for granted, as well as the context of that knowledge. In the age of new media, old notions of knowledge and meaning must be re-examined.
Treatment:
Media is alive now . The World Wide Web no longer behaves in the form it originally was. (Darcy Dinucci 1999) might have explained it best in, “Fragmented Future”, “The web is not a static page viewed in a browser; it is rich, provoking, attention grabbing, and it approaches the threshold of thinking like you.” The web is a not just screen of text and graphics, but a fluid mechanism by which interactivity happens. It may be on your computer, television, car dashboard, cell phone, or other devices but interaction will happen.
This is now the Web 2.0. Media can now engage and forces us to think about issues that face the world, in immediacy never thought possible. New media can orchestrate the overthrowing of a government, by those who feel no one has listened to their needs. Using Facebook, the young unemployed population of Egypt showed the world the power of new media. In less than two weeks, they changed the course of history forever.
The use of new media has not only changed the rulers of nations, but the economics as well. The value chains of the past focused on the machines. New media will change that forever (Skirky 2008), Skirky asserts that the future uses of media will focus on three major activities: 1. information, 2. coordination, and 3. collaboration. Solving the problems of tomorrow is about collaboration. In the past, planners and solution providers alike have always focused on the mere nature of information being open and accessible, but underestimated the power of the collective.
Education is a passion for me. A teacher, an educator, which ever label best applies that is what I hope to continue to be. It is with much passion I must assert the experience in Critical Thinking Psy700, has created re invigoration to engage students on the subject. Educators and administrators need to reassess the role of critical thinking in the education process. In education, critical thinking is essential for productive learning. Through the sharing methods of new media tools found in the Web 2.0, students would experience new reams of awareness. (Will Richardson 2009) applies a new label to the term Web 2.O., it is the “read/ write web.” Will asserts that instructors must embrace the new media tools of the read/ write web. These tools are about collaboration; in this new keys to knowledge can be discovered.
Students who spend hours on Facebook and MySpace have begun to create their own language, coining their own idioms thus redefining their lives. It is in this process they may have begun the infancy of Richardson's Personal Learning Networks. The notion of personal learning networks reinforces Skirky‘s assertion that value is not in the accessing of information, but the collaboration of information.
Research requires reliable information. As doctorial students, I believe the claims we assert must begin with authoritative and accurate information. We are held to the standard of clarifying goals, examining assumptions, evaluating evidence and assessing conclusions. We are also being asked to scholarly expand upon, what to believe or what to do, and do so in an impartial and reflective manner. Any notions of taking knowledge for granted must be put to rest.
Conclusion:
The past six weeks was intense. The role of critical thinking is to propel us past our comfort zone. Ask questions, analyze assumptions, analyze the methods which lead to those assumptions and arrive at a reasonable level of confidence about those assumptions. Critical thinking is required to become a close reader and a substantive writer; it is a way of taking up the problems of life. (Charles Darwin 1856) once implied “it is not the strongest of species that survives or the most intelligent, but the one that adapts.” We must learn to adapt.
Darcy DiNucci
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Web_2.0
Clay Shirky
Health 2.0 and The New Economics of Aggregation
http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/health_20_economics_of_aggregation.php
Will Richardson
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Will_Richardson
Change Agent
http://www.edweek.org/tsb/articles/2010/10/12/01richardson.h04.html
Critical Thinking
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Critical_thinking
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Sunday, March 13, 2011
Consumer Minds, The Search for Meaning and The Psychology Behind it
Abstract
Meaning is the center of it all. Consumer psychology begins with the understanding of how consumers see the meaning of the world and the willingness to make purchases based on the motivation behind those meanings. Words can create meaning as well as resonate with the understanding of those meanings. An understanding of culture, class and religion must be explored as well, to deconstruct the hierarchy of these meanings in the mind of the consumer. Advertisers today understand the significance of finding these relationships, because it is in these relationships the desire for their products may become inexhaustible. For the consumer this presents a quandary. Let's examine.
Treatment
Redefining meaning is the stratagem advertisers play and are quite keen to the fact that consumers will most likely take it for granted. Consumers are not always aware of the motivations subconsciously planted. Why does this happen? Most American consumers are in search of “something” but never sure of what. Clotaire Rapaille, not with out controversy, has made some profound observations in his technique of "archetype discovery". Rapaille cites “Most people have know idea about what they are doing so they will make up something (why do you need a hummer to go shopping?) You don’t need to be a rocket scientist to see there is a big disconnect” This disconnect or lack of direction is not unnoticed by advertisers. Major corporations now have brand managers as there new strategists and armed with the tools of semiotics. Douglas Atkin recalls, “When I was a brand manager at Procter & Gamble, my job was to make sure a product was good, to create copy, and to design the product package”. As Atkin sees it now, his job is to create and maintain a whole meaning systems for people to whom they get identity and an understanding of the world.
A brand manage is a community leader providing hope and vision. Most advertisers have discovered that American consumers are not ignorance, but empty longing to be satisfied. Advertisers believe the right product will complete the desire or postpone it to the next purchase. Atkin's attention was caught by the words of a focus group having conversations about a sneaker. He noticed the language they were using, the phrases were that of a cult. He began to realize that he should turn his attention from the study of the product, but that of cults. Atkin began to understand that people do not buy products; they join groups trying to connect to other people and sometimes with the obsession of cult behavior.
From the 1950s to the present, the American population has evolved and changed. Through each movement that occurred in American society, cultural meaning after meaning was redefined or completely lost altogether. As traditional institutions began to disintegrate, old traditions have gone the way of the past; the consumer’s need for meaning however has not. Institutions such as churches, schools, and civic clubs no longer have loyalty they used to. People became willing to entertain identity and meaning from message systems
not associated with early childhood core values but with the needs of consumption.
Saturn, a division of GM had advertisers study and devise a meaning system by which their product could be sold to the American public. The meaning system focuses around the need for family, Saturn created a massive campaign that brought the down-home feeling to the Saturn showrooms. They created a campaign to invite everyone to come and be part of the Saturn family. It worked, with the use of words like “homecoming” and down-home, people came by the thousands. At the end of the day, it was just a car. Like Saturn, products brands like Nike or Godiva create “desire systems” through words and images that resonate with consumers and the deeper needs they have.
Conclusion
Today's consumers are not just consumers, but consumers wondering in the wilderness of "no meaning" and needing the "manna bread of definition". Advertisers may be more than willing to help them obtain this bread with their products. We cannot always be sure their motives will have the consumer’s best interest in hand, but nonetheless it will happen. The consumer, searching for meaning is predispose to manipulation, one can only hope companies with good intentions will care.
Clotaire Rapaille
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clotaire_Rapaille#Research_Methods
Semiotics
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Semiotics
Douglas Atkin
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/persuaders/interviews/atkin.html
The Culting of Brands: When Customers Become True Believers
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JCIzS6AfRT0&feature=related
Meaning is the center of it all. Consumer psychology begins with the understanding of how consumers see the meaning of the world and the willingness to make purchases based on the motivation behind those meanings. Words can create meaning as well as resonate with the understanding of those meanings. An understanding of culture, class and religion must be explored as well, to deconstruct the hierarchy of these meanings in the mind of the consumer. Advertisers today understand the significance of finding these relationships, because it is in these relationships the desire for their products may become inexhaustible. For the consumer this presents a quandary. Let's examine.
Treatment
Redefining meaning is the stratagem advertisers play and are quite keen to the fact that consumers will most likely take it for granted. Consumers are not always aware of the motivations subconsciously planted. Why does this happen? Most American consumers are in search of “something” but never sure of what. Clotaire Rapaille, not with out controversy, has made some profound observations in his technique of "archetype discovery". Rapaille cites “Most people have know idea about what they are doing so they will make up something (why do you need a hummer to go shopping?) You don’t need to be a rocket scientist to see there is a big disconnect” This disconnect or lack of direction is not unnoticed by advertisers. Major corporations now have brand managers as there new strategists and armed with the tools of semiotics. Douglas Atkin recalls, “When I was a brand manager at Procter & Gamble, my job was to make sure a product was good, to create copy, and to design the product package”. As Atkin sees it now, his job is to create and maintain a whole meaning systems for people to whom they get identity and an understanding of the world.
A brand manage is a community leader providing hope and vision. Most advertisers have discovered that American consumers are not ignorance, but empty longing to be satisfied. Advertisers believe the right product will complete the desire or postpone it to the next purchase. Atkin's attention was caught by the words of a focus group having conversations about a sneaker. He noticed the language they were using, the phrases were that of a cult. He began to realize that he should turn his attention from the study of the product, but that of cults. Atkin began to understand that people do not buy products; they join groups trying to connect to other people and sometimes with the obsession of cult behavior.
From the 1950s to the present, the American population has evolved and changed. Through each movement that occurred in American society, cultural meaning after meaning was redefined or completely lost altogether. As traditional institutions began to disintegrate, old traditions have gone the way of the past; the consumer’s need for meaning however has not. Institutions such as churches, schools, and civic clubs no longer have loyalty they used to. People became willing to entertain identity and meaning from message systems
not associated with early childhood core values but with the needs of consumption.
Saturn, a division of GM had advertisers study and devise a meaning system by which their product could be sold to the American public. The meaning system focuses around the need for family, Saturn created a massive campaign that brought the down-home feeling to the Saturn showrooms. They created a campaign to invite everyone to come and be part of the Saturn family. It worked, with the use of words like “homecoming” and down-home, people came by the thousands. At the end of the day, it was just a car. Like Saturn, products brands like Nike or Godiva create “desire systems” through words and images that resonate with consumers and the deeper needs they have.
Conclusion
Today's consumers are not just consumers, but consumers wondering in the wilderness of "no meaning" and needing the "manna bread of definition". Advertisers may be more than willing to help them obtain this bread with their products. We cannot always be sure their motives will have the consumer’s best interest in hand, but nonetheless it will happen. The consumer, searching for meaning is predispose to manipulation, one can only hope companies with good intentions will care.
Clotaire Rapaille
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clotaire_Rapaille#Research_Methods
Semiotics
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Semiotics
Douglas Atkin
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/persuaders/interviews/atkin.html
The Culting of Brands: When Customers Become True Believers
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JCIzS6AfRT0&feature=related
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Web Bias
Abstract
Evidence of bias can be traced to its birth with the advent of the printing press beginning in the Roman Empire. Today's web presents a challenge far greater than the birth of the press; from any place on the planet, authors can create content and update it without any method of verification. This week, an examination of the processes and the methods of controlling misinformation have been done.
Treatment
One should never assume anything; information can be presented in ways that may lead us to dangerous places. Alan November's example of website misinformation, www.MartinLutherKing.org was a stark reminder of what misinformation is. It shows how cleverly presented data can be convincing. Information of this nature could affect the most susceptible ones of all: children. It proves that if people were willing to take a few extra steps to verify the author’s origin, then they would discover the information’s bias and deem it unsuitable.
Michael Shermer’s detection kit presents interesting methods of fact checking. His presentation displays his personal biases, but Shermer suggests ten questions that provide a method of analyzing and comparing. Two questions are most helpful: (1.) How reliable is the source of the claim? And (2.) Where does the preponderance of evidence point?”
Reliability of a claim should be obtained before information is accepted. Furthermore, when analyzed, the facts should present an alignment in a given direction. Richard Allen Nelson may have methods that best meet our needs in his study,Tracking propaganda to the source: Tools for analyzing media bias. He presents a 12-step program for checking information and the sources of origin. The steps are:
1. Surveys of the political/cultural attitudes of journalists, particularly members of the
media elite and journalism students.
2. Studies of journalists' previous professional connections.
3. Collections of quotations in which prominent journalists reveal their beliefs about
politics and/or the proper role of their profession.
4. Computer word-use and topic analysis searches to determine content and labeling.
5. Studies of policies recommended in news stories.
6. Comparisons of the agenda of the news and entertainment media with agendas of
political candidates or other activists.
7. Positive/negative coverage analysis.
8. Reviews of the personal demographics of media decision makers.
9. Comparisons of advertising sources/content, which influence information/
entertainment content.
10. Analyses of the extent of government propaganda and public relations (PR) industry
impact on media.
11. Studies of the use of experts and spokespersons by media versus those not selected to
determine the interest groups and ideologies represented versus those excluded.
12. Research into payments of journalists by corporations and trade associations to speak
before their groups and the impact that may have on coverage
Nelson methods direct us to investigate a source from various directions. Checking for political agendas and slanted views of journalists. Although most authors on the web are not journalists by trade they are writing journalistic works in the creation of content.Most of theses steps may require the assistant of sources that are fee based but Step 4, I find especially useful because anyone can do it. For most information, anyone could apply a simple word use or topic analysis check. Searches of this nature yield content and labeling similarities or discrepancies. As in Shermer’s steps, although quite less bias in presentation, Nelson’s steps rely on an exhaustive search of comparing and crosschecking the points of origin.
Conclusion
“Trust but verify” (Reagan 1985), although this was used in the perils of the Cold War, it is quite befitting for navigating the web today. People in the present need tools that will help them verify and authenticate information. This week was an eye-opener for those who take the ease of harvesting information from the web for granted. Trust alone is not enough; well-presented information still must be verified.
Media bias
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Media_bias#Tools_for_measuring_and_evaluating_media_bias
A Measure of Media Bias
http://www.sscnet.ucla.edu/polisci/faculty/groseclose/Media.Bias.8.htm
Michael Shermer
http://www.committedsardine.com/blogpost.cfm?blogID=181
Alan November - Who Owns the Websites Your Kids Access?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QVLS_rlwnwI
Evidence of bias can be traced to its birth with the advent of the printing press beginning in the Roman Empire. Today's web presents a challenge far greater than the birth of the press; from any place on the planet, authors can create content and update it without any method of verification. This week, an examination of the processes and the methods of controlling misinformation have been done.
Treatment
One should never assume anything; information can be presented in ways that may lead us to dangerous places. Alan November's example of website misinformation, www.MartinLutherKing.org was a stark reminder of what misinformation is. It shows how cleverly presented data can be convincing. Information of this nature could affect the most susceptible ones of all: children. It proves that if people were willing to take a few extra steps to verify the author’s origin, then they would discover the information’s bias and deem it unsuitable.
Michael Shermer’s detection kit presents interesting methods of fact checking. His presentation displays his personal biases, but Shermer suggests ten questions that provide a method of analyzing and comparing. Two questions are most helpful: (1.) How reliable is the source of the claim? And (2.) Where does the preponderance of evidence point?”
Reliability of a claim should be obtained before information is accepted. Furthermore, when analyzed, the facts should present an alignment in a given direction. Richard Allen Nelson may have methods that best meet our needs in his study,Tracking propaganda to the source: Tools for analyzing media bias. He presents a 12-step program for checking information and the sources of origin. The steps are:
1. Surveys of the political/cultural attitudes of journalists, particularly members of the
media elite and journalism students.
2. Studies of journalists' previous professional connections.
3. Collections of quotations in which prominent journalists reveal their beliefs about
politics and/or the proper role of their profession.
4. Computer word-use and topic analysis searches to determine content and labeling.
5. Studies of policies recommended in news stories.
6. Comparisons of the agenda of the news and entertainment media with agendas of
political candidates or other activists.
7. Positive/negative coverage analysis.
8. Reviews of the personal demographics of media decision makers.
9. Comparisons of advertising sources/content, which influence information/
entertainment content.
10. Analyses of the extent of government propaganda and public relations (PR) industry
impact on media.
11. Studies of the use of experts and spokespersons by media versus those not selected to
determine the interest groups and ideologies represented versus those excluded.
12. Research into payments of journalists by corporations and trade associations to speak
before their groups and the impact that may have on coverage
Nelson methods direct us to investigate a source from various directions. Checking for political agendas and slanted views of journalists. Although most authors on the web are not journalists by trade they are writing journalistic works in the creation of content.Most of theses steps may require the assistant of sources that are fee based but Step 4, I find especially useful because anyone can do it. For most information, anyone could apply a simple word use or topic analysis check. Searches of this nature yield content and labeling similarities or discrepancies. As in Shermer’s steps, although quite less bias in presentation, Nelson’s steps rely on an exhaustive search of comparing and crosschecking the points of origin.
Conclusion
“Trust but verify” (Reagan 1985), although this was used in the perils of the Cold War, it is quite befitting for navigating the web today. People in the present need tools that will help them verify and authenticate information. This week was an eye-opener for those who take the ease of harvesting information from the web for granted. Trust alone is not enough; well-presented information still must be verified.
Media bias
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Media_bias#Tools_for_measuring_and_evaluating_media_bias
A Measure of Media Bias
http://www.sscnet.ucla.edu/polisci/faculty/groseclose/Media.Bias.8.htm
Michael Shermer
http://www.committedsardine.com/blogpost.cfm?blogID=181
Alan November - Who Owns the Websites Your Kids Access?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QVLS_rlwnwI
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Social Media
Abstract
We can sum up Social Media in two words, “connect us”. It is not that people before, did not want to connect; but it is the way this all happen. It has been the perfect storm of circumstances, 1. Millennials, a generation that needs constant feedback and 2. The interactive web applications of the past 6 years that allowed it. Those colliding of forces created a new meaning for the phrase “in the world together”.
Treatment
The cloud, the web, the collective, a few terms to start; Web 2.0 is the term now. Its impact has been enormous, why? Millennials. Unlike generations before, they need to be connected. Who would guest the impact they would have on the nation or the world for that matter. I think Morley Winograd and Michael Hais spoke so profoundly in their book Millennial Makeover. " Millennials are unlike the Gen- Xers before them. They are civic minded and really value the opinions of their peers” If hindsight is 20/20 the rise of Social Media tools should be easy to understand with that in mind.
Talking with a student the other day, I asked the question, “Why Facebook?, why so much time on this site?” He told me he just wanted someone to connect with and talk to. I asked him why not Myspace(we so kindly do not mention anymore). He said FaceBook is about connections and easy, but Myspace in his opinion was about self-expression and cumbersome to use, again we just want to connect. I got quiet, real quiet. Being a boomer myself, I realized that I considered myself a “people person” that is we boomers like to meet people, create alliances and get things done through the notion of goals. Millennials see themselves as “people people”, to make a opposite pun. They meet people to connect and experience just for being people. “People people” need a different kind of Web, not the static web of the 90's, but a Web 2.0.
The video on Delicous really brought another point home about the power of Social Media, sharing. Delicious is quite an ingenious tool. It insightfully allows you to store your bookmarks and write comments, so they can be easily retrieved for future use. This is very useful and smart to tag sites this way. These bookmarks can be sent to anyone to share. If Delicious is about sharing your bookmarks, semantically we may be sharing our thoughts. I believe being connected is all about that.
Conclusion
Social Media can help us connect and perhaps inform us simultaneously. For most of us the daily pressure can dust over the desire to see the world for what it should be. It’s not about wires, computers or smart phones; it is about the most basic thing that can be found in the use of the old party line telephones of the 60’s, the connection.
Millennials: Social Media Rockstars
Social bookmarking
http://www.commoncraft.com/bookmarking-plain-english
Millenial Makeover
http://odeo.com/episodes/23081457-Millenial-Makeover-by-Morley-Winograd-and-Michael-D-Hais>
The Social Habit: Who Uses Social Media and How
http://www.pamorama.net/2010/06/22/the-social-habit-who-uses-social-media-and-how/#ixzz1FDP4aHx9
We can sum up Social Media in two words, “connect us”. It is not that people before, did not want to connect; but it is the way this all happen. It has been the perfect storm of circumstances, 1. Millennials, a generation that needs constant feedback and 2. The interactive web applications of the past 6 years that allowed it. Those colliding of forces created a new meaning for the phrase “in the world together”.
Treatment
The cloud, the web, the collective, a few terms to start; Web 2.0 is the term now. Its impact has been enormous, why? Millennials. Unlike generations before, they need to be connected. Who would guest the impact they would have on the nation or the world for that matter. I think Morley Winograd and Michael Hais spoke so profoundly in their book Millennial Makeover. " Millennials are unlike the Gen- Xers before them. They are civic minded and really value the opinions of their peers” If hindsight is 20/20 the rise of Social Media tools should be easy to understand with that in mind.
Talking with a student the other day, I asked the question, “Why Facebook?, why so much time on this site?” He told me he just wanted someone to connect with and talk to. I asked him why not Myspace(we so kindly do not mention anymore). He said FaceBook is about connections and easy, but Myspace in his opinion was about self-expression and cumbersome to use, again we just want to connect. I got quiet, real quiet. Being a boomer myself, I realized that I considered myself a “people person” that is we boomers like to meet people, create alliances and get things done through the notion of goals. Millennials see themselves as “people people”, to make a opposite pun. They meet people to connect and experience just for being people. “People people” need a different kind of Web, not the static web of the 90's, but a Web 2.0.
The video on Delicous really brought another point home about the power of Social Media, sharing. Delicious is quite an ingenious tool. It insightfully allows you to store your bookmarks and write comments, so they can be easily retrieved for future use. This is very useful and smart to tag sites this way. These bookmarks can be sent to anyone to share. If Delicious is about sharing your bookmarks, semantically we may be sharing our thoughts. I believe being connected is all about that.
Conclusion
Social Media can help us connect and perhaps inform us simultaneously. For most of us the daily pressure can dust over the desire to see the world for what it should be. It’s not about wires, computers or smart phones; it is about the most basic thing that can be found in the use of the old party line telephones of the 60’s, the connection.
Millennials: Social Media Rockstars
Social bookmarking
http://www.commoncraft.com/bookmarking-plain-english
Millenial Makeover
http://odeo.com/episodes/23081457-Millenial-Makeover-by-Morley-Winograd-and-Michael-D-Hais>
The Social Habit: Who Uses Social Media and How
http://www.pamorama.net/2010/06/22/the-social-habit-who-uses-social-media-and-how/#ixzz1FDP4aHx9
Sunday, February 20, 2011
What is Critical Thinking?
Abstract
The question of deep thinking or what is critical thinking is in itself somewhat of an enigma. Creating a baseline definition can be difficult and illusive. Why? critical thinking after all is done in the mind, the mind of a person. We all have had several different experiences since birth, which may create problems in understanding how we deconstruct meanings and approaches to problem solving. Understanding our biases may be the key.
Treatment:
The word Critical Thinking broken into it roots and defined, Critical (adjective) means: involving skillful judgment as to truth, merit, etc.; judicial: and the word. Thinking (adjective) means: judgment, reflection: clear thinking. If you study the key words: judgment, truth, and reflection, a pattern begins to emerge. Another word for explaining the process is “profound contemplation”. The Wikipedia further defines contemplation as “In Christianity, contemplation refers to a content-free mind directed towards the awareness of God as a living reality. This corresponds, in some ways, to what in Eastern religion is called samadhi”. Since we cannot assume everyone is of the same faith, but we can agree that deep mental reflection needs a content-free mind. The term content-free mind may be “arrived upon” or “in the quest of “but in any event critical thinking requires a free mind, one that approaches being impartial or impartial. Christine Twiford states in her essay Critical Thinking: Call to Scholarship the three base activities that needs to be in process by anyone approaching critical thinking:
OBSERVATION - recognize and comprehend a theory or position
REFLECTION - effectively integrate or challenge a theory or position
INTERACTION - organize and express a theory or position
Based on what we have come to understand, one cannot think deeply without profound
observation, one cannot think deeply without profound reflection and one cannot think deeply without profound interaction.
With deep thinking, only come more questions. Janice Sequeira-Higgins reflects in her essay “The Answer is in the Question”. “Although varying definitions and characteristics have been generated, many of the views on critical thinking overlap. Throughout the viewpoints presented, three common threads of interest emerged: (a) the importance of being inquisitive, (b) the willingness to ask questions, and (c) the necessity of continual practice”. Questions help us see the world, with questions their must be the presence of another signal of critical thinking, curiosity.
Questions of deep thinking cannot be asked with understanding the biases one may have in the process critical thinking. A problem to solve includes some kind of bias; it may from either sides or the very reason for the problem. Without a clear measure of the bias, one cannot yield a clear meaning.
Another way understanding critical thinking is what would a society being like with out critical thinking being practice as culture norm and what is the cost for the absence of this norm. Janice Sequeira-Higgins reflects again in her essay “Academicians agree that becoming an efficient critical thinker, while necessary for improving the quality of life, is a lifelong process, which requires the embodiment of a rigorous set of standards”. The quality of life can improve with presences of critical thinking. Vincent Gardner evokes Michael Mandel from his article, “The Failed Promise of Innovation in the U.S. Mandel” notes” What if outside of a few high-profile areas, the past decade has seen far too few commercial innovations that can transform lives and move the economy forward? What if, rather than being an era of rapid innovation, this has been an era of innovation interrupted?” Innovation comes with much critical thinking.
Conclusion
Critical thinking can be best understood by observing it in practice, reflect on it being
practiced and interacting with others who practice thinking deeply. A society with out critical thinking may be in danger of losing their economic edge in if not brought into check. But the future of critical thinking may still be unfolding…WATSON, WATSON, WATSON.
Sources
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/Thinking
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/critical
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Contemplation
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_cognitive_biases
The New Arms Race:Critical Thinking
Vincent E. Gardner
Posted on 14 February 2011 08:06 PM
Critical Thinking: Call to Scholarship
Christine Twiford
Posted on 14 February 2011 07:21 AM
The Answer is in the Question
Janice Sequeira-Higgins
Posted on 16 February 2011 10:19 PM
The Failed Promise of Innovation in the U.S.
By Michael Mandel
http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/09_24/b4135000953288.htm
The question of deep thinking or what is critical thinking is in itself somewhat of an enigma. Creating a baseline definition can be difficult and illusive. Why? critical thinking after all is done in the mind, the mind of a person. We all have had several different experiences since birth, which may create problems in understanding how we deconstruct meanings and approaches to problem solving. Understanding our biases may be the key.
Treatment:
The word Critical Thinking broken into it roots and defined, Critical (adjective) means: involving skillful judgment as to truth, merit, etc.; judicial: and the word. Thinking (adjective) means: judgment, reflection: clear thinking. If you study the key words: judgment, truth, and reflection, a pattern begins to emerge. Another word for explaining the process is “profound contemplation”. The Wikipedia further defines contemplation as “In Christianity, contemplation refers to a content-free mind directed towards the awareness of God as a living reality. This corresponds, in some ways, to what in Eastern religion is called samadhi”. Since we cannot assume everyone is of the same faith, but we can agree that deep mental reflection needs a content-free mind. The term content-free mind may be “arrived upon” or “in the quest of “but in any event critical thinking requires a free mind, one that approaches being impartial or impartial. Christine Twiford states in her essay Critical Thinking: Call to Scholarship the three base activities that needs to be in process by anyone approaching critical thinking:
OBSERVATION - recognize and comprehend a theory or position
REFLECTION - effectively integrate or challenge a theory or position
INTERACTION - organize and express a theory or position
Based on what we have come to understand, one cannot think deeply without profound
observation, one cannot think deeply without profound reflection and one cannot think deeply without profound interaction.
With deep thinking, only come more questions. Janice Sequeira-Higgins reflects in her essay “The Answer is in the Question”. “Although varying definitions and characteristics have been generated, many of the views on critical thinking overlap. Throughout the viewpoints presented, three common threads of interest emerged: (a) the importance of being inquisitive, (b) the willingness to ask questions, and (c) the necessity of continual practice”. Questions help us see the world, with questions their must be the presence of another signal of critical thinking, curiosity.
Questions of deep thinking cannot be asked with understanding the biases one may have in the process critical thinking. A problem to solve includes some kind of bias; it may from either sides or the very reason for the problem. Without a clear measure of the bias, one cannot yield a clear meaning.
Another way understanding critical thinking is what would a society being like with out critical thinking being practice as culture norm and what is the cost for the absence of this norm. Janice Sequeira-Higgins reflects again in her essay “Academicians agree that becoming an efficient critical thinker, while necessary for improving the quality of life, is a lifelong process, which requires the embodiment of a rigorous set of standards”. The quality of life can improve with presences of critical thinking. Vincent Gardner evokes Michael Mandel from his article, “The Failed Promise of Innovation in the U.S. Mandel” notes” What if outside of a few high-profile areas, the past decade has seen far too few commercial innovations that can transform lives and move the economy forward? What if, rather than being an era of rapid innovation, this has been an era of innovation interrupted?” Innovation comes with much critical thinking.
Conclusion
Critical thinking can be best understood by observing it in practice, reflect on it being
practiced and interacting with others who practice thinking deeply. A society with out critical thinking may be in danger of losing their economic edge in if not brought into check. But the future of critical thinking may still be unfolding…WATSON, WATSON, WATSON.
IBM's Watson supercomputer wins in Jeopardy
Sources
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/Thinking
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/critical
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Contemplation
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_cognitive_biases
The New Arms Race:Critical Thinking
Vincent E. Gardner
Posted on 14 February 2011 08:06 PM
Critical Thinking: Call to Scholarship
Christine Twiford
Posted on 14 February 2011 07:21 AM
The Answer is in the Question
Janice Sequeira-Higgins
Posted on 16 February 2011 10:19 PM
The Failed Promise of Innovation in the U.S.
By Michael Mandel
http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/09_24/b4135000953288.htm
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Tomorrow only...for me
As a designer that has explored many realms of the creative arts and some in the human sciences, Media Psychology, I believe may be the most exciting yet. I became aware of the power of media and the world’s obsession with the consumption of content, my first years in college in the 80’s. Since then I have seen the planet we live on upturn, with a demand for content at an unprecedented rate.
I am now trying to understand where all this desire may be heading and the implications to us as a society. The gold standard tools of social media, Twitter, face book, You tube and other portals have brought society to together in ways never before seen. We have and are growing, in directions we may no be able to understand just yet. I would like to believe it is for the better, but as an instructor for 14 years, I will be honest I have my doubts.(view video link below) Connected as we are, I still find a large sense of disconnect about common things. We are plagued with age-old social issues that seem to be very resilient, even in the era of social media.
While training students for technical areas, such as web design and motion graphics, I have observed them invest large sums of time at media portals, yet some could not recite the most current news of the day. The problems of tomorrow will be deconstructed by the minds of the present, it is with this concern I hope my fears, are unfounded.
Having no formal background in psychology, but trained as an industrial designer, I have relied on the one thing that has saved me the most, curiosity. I believe that Media Psychology can keep that part of me stimulated. In undergraduate school, various courses in sociology, philosophy, human behavior, and human factors were taken, but the design psychology was perhaps the most intriguing to me. The area of psychology that dealt with perception was where I always seem to wonder and believe I would do the best research now. Understanding the deeper perception issues of media consumption and the relationship to enlightenment. I believe we have become very aware, yet on a personal level, we still are not in touch with the self. Can social media help us be happy with who we really are?
The consumer use of social media and consumption of everyday goods is of the greatest concern to me. The rise of a green planet will be on the back of threads in social media. Can a world powered with social media create an efficient energy grid? Can a society enabled with social media create a smaller carbon footprint?
It is in my observations; I have found that most people tend to use social media i.e. social media for the word, that it is… social. My goal is to still explore all media and balance the use media in all areas. I am truly only concerned with
the “information” of which may not be socially seasoned or salted. The prime directive for me is information. The tone of the information can be dry, but not biased.
Media Psychology is an area that I have come to understand as the science that tries to examine the effects of human consumption of media and the effects of the delivery methods of media. Just a short 35 years ago, Media Psychology would not be concerned with the effects of social media; in fact, we can say that the intrusive media of decades ago laid the foundation for the explosive usage of social media today.
The need to respond to media has allowed us to interact with others again in a profound way, which has been result of past social, political and technical issues we have faced in our daily lives. I will leave with a line that may best describe my outlook on it all, it comes from a show last fall on ABC, On October 6th the planet blacked out for 2 minutes and 17 seconds the whole world saw the future. Can social media help us see our flash-forward?
Sherry Turkle had a moment of realization
Frontline interview
her new Book
Alone Together(a must read)
They look like pros, but Digital Natives
Mark Bauerlein Video
On October 6th the planet blacked out for 2 minutes and 17 seconds the whole world saw the future.
I am now trying to understand where all this desire may be heading and the implications to us as a society. The gold standard tools of social media, Twitter, face book, You tube and other portals have brought society to together in ways never before seen. We have and are growing, in directions we may no be able to understand just yet. I would like to believe it is for the better, but as an instructor for 14 years, I will be honest I have my doubts.(view video link below) Connected as we are, I still find a large sense of disconnect about common things. We are plagued with age-old social issues that seem to be very resilient, even in the era of social media.
While training students for technical areas, such as web design and motion graphics, I have observed them invest large sums of time at media portals, yet some could not recite the most current news of the day. The problems of tomorrow will be deconstructed by the minds of the present, it is with this concern I hope my fears, are unfounded.
Having no formal background in psychology, but trained as an industrial designer, I have relied on the one thing that has saved me the most, curiosity. I believe that Media Psychology can keep that part of me stimulated. In undergraduate school, various courses in sociology, philosophy, human behavior, and human factors were taken, but the design psychology was perhaps the most intriguing to me. The area of psychology that dealt with perception was where I always seem to wonder and believe I would do the best research now. Understanding the deeper perception issues of media consumption and the relationship to enlightenment. I believe we have become very aware, yet on a personal level, we still are not in touch with the self. Can social media help us be happy with who we really are?
The consumer use of social media and consumption of everyday goods is of the greatest concern to me. The rise of a green planet will be on the back of threads in social media. Can a world powered with social media create an efficient energy grid? Can a society enabled with social media create a smaller carbon footprint?
It is in my observations; I have found that most people tend to use social media i.e. social media for the word, that it is… social. My goal is to still explore all media and balance the use media in all areas. I am truly only concerned with
the “information” of which may not be socially seasoned or salted. The prime directive for me is information. The tone of the information can be dry, but not biased.
Media Psychology is an area that I have come to understand as the science that tries to examine the effects of human consumption of media and the effects of the delivery methods of media. Just a short 35 years ago, Media Psychology would not be concerned with the effects of social media; in fact, we can say that the intrusive media of decades ago laid the foundation for the explosive usage of social media today.
The need to respond to media has allowed us to interact with others again in a profound way, which has been result of past social, political and technical issues we have faced in our daily lives. I will leave with a line that may best describe my outlook on it all, it comes from a show last fall on ABC, On October 6th the planet blacked out for 2 minutes and 17 seconds the whole world saw the future. Can social media help us see our flash-forward?
Sherry Turkle had a moment of realization
Frontline interview
her new Book
Alone Together(a must read)
They look like pros, but Digital Natives
Mark Bauerlein Video
On October 6th the planet blacked out for 2 minutes and 17 seconds the whole world saw the future.
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Is Brand Awareness the Number-One Social Media Goal?
As a small business owner, you’ve officially entered the waters of social media. You’re blogging, you’re Twittering and you’re working hard to create a social presence. Why are you doing it? What is your ultimate business goal for your social media efforts?
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