¶ … creative thinking are important tools that can help a person in both their professional and their personal lives. As Pascal said, "We are but thinking reeds, but because we know, we are superior to the universe. Thought constitutes our greatness" (as cited in Kirby, Goodpaster & Levine, 1999, p. xix). This paper will discuss some of the facets of this important topic.
As there have been several definitions of the term "critical thinking" these definitions will be compared and contrasted. In addition, an evaluation of ways in which critical thinking relates to cognitive development, logic and emotionality will be given. The role of cognitive dissonance and how it plays in fostering critical thought will be analyzed, and the validity of arguments will be evaluated, as will fallacious logic and reasoning.
Regarding creative thinking, the role that metaphors play in this process will be explained and the creative process will be analyzed. The conditions that foster or inhibit creativity and creative culture will be discerned. And, the relationship between critical thinking and creative thinking will be analyzed.
Finally, applications of critical and creative thinking will be discussed including using these process to solve problems and how creative thinking principles apply to classroom situations. The concept of leaderly learning will be analyzed as will the function of creative and critical thought in the evolution of leadership. The role creative and critical thought plays in group processes will be evaluated. And, lastly, a practical product will be created that meets a real need and demonstrates critical thinking and applied creativity.
Critical Thinking
Introduction:
Critical and creative thinking are important tools that can help a person in both their professional and their personal lives. As Pascal said, "We are but thinking reeds, but because we know, we are superior to the universe. Thought constitutes our greatness" (as cited in Kirby, Goodpaster & Levine, 1999, p. xix). This paper will discuss some of the facets of this important topic.
As there have been several definitions of the term "critical thinking" these definitions will be compared and contrasted. In addition, an evaluation of ways in which critical thinking relates to cognitive development, logic and emotionality will be given. The role of cognitive dissonance and how it plays in fostering critical thought will be analyzed, and the validity of arguments will be evaluated, as will fallacious logic and reasoning.
Regarding creative thinking, the role that metaphors play in this process will be explained and the creative process will be analyzed. The conditions that foster or inhibit creativity and creative culture will be discerned. And, the relationship between critical thinking and creative thinking will be analyzed.
Finally, applications of critical and creative thinking will be discussed including using these process to solve problems and how creative thinking principles apply to classroom situations. The concept of leaderly learning will be analyzed as will the function of creative and critical thought in the evolution of leadership. The role creative and critical thought plays in group processes will be evaluated. And, lastly, a practical product will be created that meets a real need and demonstrates critical thinking and applied creativity.
Compare and Contrast of Critical Thinking Definitions:
Myers (2003) defines critical thinking as a process that "examines assumptions, discerns hidden values, evaluates evidence, and assesses conclusions" (p. xv). Warnick and Inch (1994) define critical thinking a bit differently. They believe the process involves, "the ability to explore a problem, question, or situation; integrate all the available information about it, arrive at a solution or hypothesis; and justify one's position" (p. 11). Both involve examining aspects of the situation before coming to any sort of decision. Myers makes a solid point in including finding any hidden information that may be of value in the process, which Warnick and Inch leave out. However, Warnick and Inch talk about integrating all of the information before coming to a conclusion, which is an important step that Myers does not clearly address.
Critical Thinking and Cognitive Development, Logic and Emotionality:
Cognitive development is the ability "to process information," according to Aquilno (1997). As noted in the above definitions, processing information is one of the most important facets of critical thinking, without this, critical thinking cannot occur. Logic is also a necessary component of critical thinking as criticality is "characterized by a logic of clear, purposeful and objective thinking" (Paul, 1993). Emotionality must be taken into consideration in the critical thinking process, as it can be one of the primary challenges of the process.
Cognitive Dissonance...
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