A500.9.3.RB - Course Reflections

Reflect on your perceived value of this course. Include both positive and negative aspects of your experience. What might you have done to improve your learning experience in this course? How might the University or your instructor provide additional support for your learning? Were there topics covered in this course that seem particularly relevant or irrelevant to your experiences and to what you expect to come in future courses?

"No problem can be solved by the same consciousness that created it. We need to see the world anew." - ALBERT EINSTEIN (Critical Thinking Co., 2016)

            After completing this class about critical thinking I definitely see just about all facets of life in a different light. At first I definitely struggled with the process but now I'm able to whisk through assignments with ease. The most profound aspect of critical think that I'm able to take away, is first trying to understand f&p concepts before going into further detail about the context. To accomplish this I first analyze the text, and try to think how the publisher would think. I sort of transpose myself into their profession, environment, and thought process. This allows me to remove any of my subconscious biases that have formed from my past experiences.

            On the negative side, Nosich (2012) himself even says that you need to first read his book cover to cover before doing any of the practical exercises. He further explains that many aspects of the text won't make sense but that is with purpose. I found the first three weeks to be a bit frustrating because I didn't fully understand the whole process. Many things made much more sense once I finished reading the entire book, so I think the only task this course should have for week one, is to read the entire book. Then the subsequent weeks can go back and reread some specific pages that highlight the most important factors. Nosich also says that his book needs to be reread numerous times as your critical thinking skills progress. Once your able to tap into newly explored cognitive revelations, then your mind is ready to take on new points of view, hence the necessity for new learning.

            Probably the most disappointing aspect of this course is the timing... As I stated in my last daily question, this course really needs to be split apart, and placed in much more effective places in the curricula. The whole purpose for learning about critical thinking is to establish a new foundation for learning. If your thinking is much better, then your learning will be much more memorable as well. This is where ePortfolio comes into play but I'll talk about that next. Since critical thinking sets a great foundation for learning, then duhh! It should be placed in the beginning of the learning cycle. I'm much more well equipped for classes now that I've completed this course, and to be frank, I'm rather upset that I'm just now being exposed to it. I also think critical thinking and action research should be two separate classes, because they both should be explored in greater detail.

            Another aspect that I'm upset about is the lack of emphasis on the use of the ePortfolio. I really think kids in grade school should start documenting and organizing work, so they can track what they have learned in the past, and hopefully be able to link it to what is in store for them in the future. I think that pressuring kids right from the start to take onus of their education is hugely beneficial, because then they will feel pressured to work harder at it. You can almost make a game out of it in order to make it more fun and appealing, almost like creating a map for their future.

            I didn't really find anything in this course to be irrelevant, because I could relate to just about everything covered in the txt. I would have liked to work through some of the practical exercises as weekly discussions, because they really do have great applications. The most beneficial aspect of the course that I'm able to better myself with is the action research. I thought this to be a great tool that has actually created some behavioral changes within. Not only do I think differently for just about everything, I actually behave differently now. Again I'm a huge fan of this course hook, line, and sinker, I just hope that my voice is heard so others can greatly benefit from it being more adequately placed. 

References

Critical Thinking Co. (2016). Empower the mind. Retrieved from http://www.criticalthinking.com/critical-thinking-quotes

Nosich, G. M. (2012). Learning to think things through: a guide to critical thinking across the curriculum. Boston: Pearson.