Even more stunning is the experience of following through in a way of  
thinking or acting that instinctively feels wrong--actually, it  may  
be right, but because the way of thinking / behaving is so new, it  
feels wrong.

Just because something "feels right" doesn't mean it is, and just  
because something "feels wrong" doesn't mean it is wrong.  Think of  
learning a new sport--EVERYTHING will feel wrong, yet that is  
probably the only way to learn.

Andrea

On Jul 10, 2008, at 1:25 PM, Alpha Computer Training and COnsulting  
wrote:


> Hi Kearney,

>

>

>

> Excellent points everyone.  Learning is like placing a ladder  

> against a building and climbing it.  Critical thinking (1) gets us  

> to examine why we are placing our ladder against that building and  

> (2) helps us remain open so that we can reposition our ladder as  

> new information and thoughts become available.  It is a shame to  

> finally get to the top of the ladder and realize that we are on the  

> wrong roof.  As we remain open to new thoughts and ideas, we can  

> make sure that we end up on the right roof top.

>

>

>

> Excellent discussion everyone.

>

>

>

> Jeff Brown

>

> Alpha Computer Training and Consulting

>

> (902)956-2600

>

> E-mail: info at alphacomputer.ca

>

> www.alphacomputer.ca

>

>

>

> From: professionaldevelopment-bounces at nifl.gov  

> [mailto:professionaldevelopment-bounces at nifl.gov] On Behalf Of  

> Andrea Wilder

> Sent: July-10-08 12:42 PM

> To: The Adult Literacy Professional Development Discussion List

> Subject: [ProfessionalDevelopment 2247] Re: What do we mean  

> bystudentinvolvement and critical thinking?

>

>

>

> Kearney--

>

>

>

> I agree with your statement.  It accords  with my experience in the  

> martial arts, where one thanks the teacher for corrections.  The  

> possibility of "being wrong" is a tremendous hurdle to overcome.    

> However, I have found it possible to transfer the skill of  

> acceptance for being wrong to other areas.  I think this skill goes  

> against the American grain.

>

>

>

> Andrea

>

>

>

> On Jul 10, 2008, at 11:19 AM, Kearney Lykins wrote:

>

>

>

>

> I would proffer that critical thinking is not so much a skill as it  

> is an attitude; at least it starts there.

>

>

>

> Because critical thinking exposes oneself to the possibility of  

> being shown that he is wrong, it is more about being open to  

> ambiguity and change. These are not skills per se; it is really  

> about overcoming the will. Montaigne's essays come to mind as  

> exemplars of critical examinations about how one initially thinks  

> the world and oneself "is", and after honest reflection and  

> observation, revising one's opinion's about things. Critical  

> thinking is concerned with growth and change and these always carry  

> risk. A willingness to accept risk is paramount.

>

>

>

> Any attempt to “teach critical thinking” will be lost on those who  

> are not ready to accept its consequences.

>

>

>

> I have never heard a teacher say, "today we are going to learn  

> about critical thinking."

>

>

>

>

>

> Kearney

>

> ----- Original Message ----

> From: Janet Isserlis <Janet_Isserlis at brown.edu>

> To: The Adult Literacy Professional Development Discussion List  

> <professionaldevelopment at nifl.gov>

> Sent: Thursday, July 10, 2008 8:31:03 AM

> Subject: [ProfessionalDevelopment 2243] Re: What do we mean  

> bystudentinvolvement and critical thinking?

>

> I think we're also losing (or maybe teasing apart?) some of the  

> finer distinctions between critical thinking and persuasive arguing.

>

> Sometimes saying it again, saying it more loudly may sway a  

> listener.  But it's easy to be loud, and even sequential , and yet  

> still not think critically.

>

> Think of some politician whose views you don't share.  S/he may be  

> clear, have a beginning, middle and end of her/his oration, and  

> yet, at the end of the day, hasn't problematized anything, hasn't  

> asked him/herself to think about something differently and/or  

> imagine different outcomes and certainly hasn't moved his/her  

> audience beyond the thing they were thinking about the candidate or  

> the issue before they came to the rally, the speech, the  

> demonstration.

>

> In other words, it feels like some of this thread is parsing out  

> the things people need to be able to do to articulate ideas, but  

> we're not (entirely) quite digging into what has to happen to think  

> critically.

>

> Maybe it's a continuum of sorts — to engage in a project, we  

> analyze what we'll do, what the goals are, what the outcomes might  

> be, etc.  But to then push ourselves a bit more critically, we  

> might ask why the project is important, who gains or loses / in  

> whose interest are we undertaking the project...?

>

> It is fascinating.

>

> Janet

>

>

>

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>

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