I have now been enrolled in the MSLD 500 class for a little over a month now. When I first began the class, I had a completely different idea about what we would be studying. The class is "Leadership Foundations in Research". I thought that it was going to be similar to one of the undergraduate classes where you just are learning how to conduct research but on a higher level. I was pleasantly surprised when I found out that it wasn't "check the block" type class and that there actually is some substance to it. The focus thus far has been primarily on critical thinking.
Going into this class, I suppose that I had my own ideas about what critical thinking actually was but it had never been fully defined. Obviously it is a pretty in-depth topic if an entire graduate level class can be devoted to it. That indicates to me that even those that have completed an undergraduate degree may have been introduced to critical thinking but have most likely not mastered it. That is where I found myself. It is a term that I had heard and had self-defined but I wasn't truly familiar with it. I just thought that it meant giving serious thought to something to find the proper course of action.
I think that we all inherit certain traits from our parents. Some of those traits are psychological. Some are social. Some are mental. My father is a very emotional based man. I think that my sister inherited that trait from him. My mother has always been very logical. That is something that I inherited from her. In a crisis situation, my mother and I have always been the ones that I can step back and evaluate the situation and take control. I think that is an indicator of someone that thinks critically - using logic. But something that I have learned from this class is that it is so much more than that. Critical thinking is about more than just using logic. It is about applying a system of thought that includes emotion and perspective.
So how has this class changed me? As with most things, I think we get out of it what we put into it. I am sure that there are people that have taken this class before me and those that will take it after me that don't really care what they learn here. I, however, and working on my masters degree because I do want to learn. I don't just want to be a leader. I want to be an effective leader. I want to make a difference. Over the last month, I have been actually trying to apply what I have learned about critical thinking to my life. The main thing that I have been doing is trying to think about the eight elements of critical thinking. (Point of view, purpose, question at issue, assumptions, implications/consequences, information, concepts, conclusions/interpretations.) I memorized what they are I slow down and think about each of them in my situations. One thing that I have noticed is that it is really slowing down my thought processes. I am trying to not get discouraged by that. Our textbook even mentioned that that very well may happen. It's a little like trying to drink from a fire hose. It is a lot to think about. But I think the more that I do it, the easier it is becoming. I am at least familiar enough with the process now that I can just remind myself to follow the steps. The problem is that everything has to work in unison. For example, I have remember my point of view while processing the information and I have to remember the assumptions all at the same time. Sometimes it is tempting to just go back to my old way of thinking but it is too late. I have learned the right way to do it now so I can't just stop. The more I do it, I think the easier it will become. It may take years to master critical thinking but it is a work in progress.
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