A500.5.3.RB_PALUGODCAROLYN

Since I’ve begun this course I have come to understand how crucial it is to practice critical thinking.  Critical thinking is not just thinking and this is something that has to be stated clearly.  Until I took this course I did not understand the deep intricacies of critical thinking.  I now understand that critical thinking allows us to be active listeners instead of passive recipients of information (Nosich, 2012).  Before I never understood my own role in the learning process and that in order to learn and get the most out of our experiences, we have to practice critical thinking. 

 I feel that in theory I understand the steps needed to begin the critical thinking process.  I understand the concept of reasoning around the circle using the eight elements of reasoning.  I am knowledgeable about the standards of critical thinking and how critical thinking applies within a discipline.  I even understand how to apply the critical thinking process to my own field.  In my professional field, I have not had the opportunity to practice critical thinking.  The administrative duties I have on a daily basis are so overwhelming, that all I can do is to continue my practices as I’ve been doing in order to get through the day.  Trying to incorporate a new way of thinking and doing things right now is absolutely impossible because of the amount of work that I have on my plate.  There have been one or two issues that have come up at work where I put my reasoning skills to work and I tried to apply the standards of critical thinking.  For example, in creating instructional emails for my students I have used the SEE-I system to make sure that my emails were coherent and easy to follow.    

  In regards to studying for this course, I have to admit, it has been a more difficult task.  I find it difficult to complete so much work in a nine week period given all my other responsibilities.  In all honesty, I have not been able to apply much of what we are learning in this course to my own studying habits.  I am barely keeping up with the work using my timeless and probably ineffective methods but cannot find the time to incorporate new ways of doing things.  I keep telling myself that in the next module I will find the time to practice with the elements and standards of reasoning and that I will stop and breathe for a minute to reflect on my own processes, but Sunday sneaks up on me every time.  I don’t know if maybe on a subconscious level I have made any headway or if I have improved my critical thinking skills in anyway.  I haven’t had the time to reflect on my reflections!  I have taken the time to ask myself how I can improve in this class and how I can manage my time better so I can apply the practices we are learning.  I am conscious of the changes that need to be made in order to do better I just have not had the time to reason through all of my options to find a solution.  

On a personal level I have become aware my own obstacles to critical thinking.  In fact, I scored the lowest in this category during the critical-thinking assessment test that we took in the beginning of the course.  I am aware of my own biases when researching online for information.  I have come to realize how I research, where I research and what I choose to believe is very much reflective of my past experiences, values and personal desires.  In this aspect I have tried to practice more reflective thinking.  For example, I am prescribed anti-anxiety medicine.  Not for everyday use, but for when I feel it’s necessary.  This weekend I went to get a tattoo of my father who passed away a few years back.  I debated beforehand whether or not I should take my anti-anxiety medicine.  I was definitely very anxious and emotional.  Every ounce of my being told me to take it, but I also understood the consequences of taking certain medications before getting tattooed, the most notably being that it could thin the blood.  I decided to conduct my research.  Of course my initial research was in favor of taking the pill, after all, taking the medication would benefit me.  I found the research to be very disheartening as most of what I read counseled against taking any medications unless absolutely necessary.  I kept digging deeper and deeper, trying to find the answer that I wanted to hear.  I did not want to believe in the results.  Nosich explains that critical thinking has three parts: asking questions, answering those questions by reasoning them out, and believing in the results of our reasoning (Nosich, 2012).  I believe this last part is critical to the reasoning process because we have to learn to put aside our biases and past beliefs in order to make accurate and truthful decisions.  We owe it to ourselves to be armed with the most conclusive information.

I think the only way I can make lasting changes in the way I think is to re-prioritize things in my life.  I will admit that critical thinking has not been a priority because the actual process of changing the way I think about things seems so time consuming.  I am overwhelmed at this point in my life with obligations that it’s hard to stop and think.  Most of the time I am on autopilot, going through the motions of life, mindlessly completing tasks and checking off to-do-lists.  I know that if I could just slow down for a moment and think about how and why I think the way I do, I would be able to improve my critical thinking skills. 

References

Nosich, G. M. (2012). Learning to think things through: A guide to critical thinking across the curriculum (4th ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson Education.

A500.4.3.RB_PALUGODCAROLYN

       

When I was in college, I went through a phase of self-discovery and healing.  I experimented
with all types of healing techniques such as acupuncture, reiki, past life regression, hypnosis, yoga, herbal medicine, meditation and pretty much any unconventional methods that would bring me closer to “knowing” myself.  One of these practitioners told me once that there were four aspects of one self.  There was the You that everyone knew including yourself, there was the You that everyone knew except for yourself, there was the You that no one knew except for yourself, and then there was the You that neither you or anyone else knew, which was the You in its purest form, your true self.  Discovering your true self meant bypassing the ego.  The ego is the person we become based on our learned culture, values, beliefs, and fears.  It is a Being collectively created by ourselves and the world around us, but it does not represent the true inner-self.  That is what most eastern practices try and teach us.  Therefore, when we are making choices from the perspective of the ego (which is everyone), our choices are really a conglomeration of our entire surrounding:  friends, family, strangers, experiences, etc.  We learn our beliefs and values from others, from school, and from the media, so are we really making true choices?    We are influenced by everything around us and therefore our choices reflect all these influences.  I am of the belief that in our society, we share a collective mind, one built from the collective thoughts, values and experiences of everyone.  To make a choice that is only your own means to free yourself of the ego.  This requires reflection and intuition and asking yourself why you are making a certain choice.  For example, when purchasing a car, if I decide I want a Volvo I can ask myself “What are my reasons for choosing this car?  Is it because my neighbors seem like really nice people and they happen to drive a Volvo?  Is it because the consumer reports say it’s one of the safest cars?”  Maybe I saw a Volvo in a movie that truly impacted me and made me want a Volvo.  Or maybe I have an affinity for German culture and am drawn to the idea of owning a Volvo.  Ask yourself, are our choices really our own? 

Dr. Iyengar talks about a study that was done that demonstrated that Asian-American children performed better at a series of activities when they thought that the activities were chosen by their mothers (TEDGlobal [TED], 2010).  Dr. Iyengar goes on to  mention that “if they had a concept of being true to one's self, then that self, most likely, [was] composed, not of an individual, but of a collective” (2010).  In American culture, we may not value the opinions or choices of our parents as much as our Asian counterparts; instead our parents have been replaced by role models such as actors, football players, singers and television media as a whole.  I believe that Americans are just as likely to choose based on the collective opinion of the media in general then our own parents and therefore the choice is really never ours. 

 Dr. Iyengar states in her presentation that Americans believe that the more options they have the better the choice (TEDGlobal [TED], 2010).  I believe from my own personal experience, that this is not true.  I personally find many choices to be stressful and confusing.  Just simple things like choosing from a menu.  The more things that are on the menu, the more difficult it is for me to decide.  Dr. Iyengar goes on to say in her presentation that studies show that when people are given more than 10 options, they actually end up making worst decisions (TEDGlobal [TED], 2010).  In fact, sometimes when we are confronted with too many decisions, we can freeze up, rendering us incapable of making any decision.  In an article in the Financial Planning Association website, author David Zuckerman explains:

“Psychological studies have shown that people encounter difficulty objectively evaluating      different options when they have more than about 7 different choices.  Evaluating too many options can be so mentally taxing that people will often become overwhelmed and decide to forego making a decision altogether, a phenomenon known as analysis paralysis” (Zuckerman, 2013). 

Analysis paralysis happens when we over analysis a situation because we are exposed to too many choices or information which eventually renders us unable to make any choice at all.

I used to work for an Indian owned IT firm.  Most of the Indian women I worked for came from very traditional families where their husbands were chosen for them by their parents.  Every single one of my Indian friends told me that given the choice to choose their own husbands, they would still prefer that their parents choose for them.  When I asked them why, they told me that their parents knew them better than anyone and would know what was best for them.  They had also told me that that their more modern Indian counterparts who had been able to choose for themselves ended up in loveless marriages and that women, who had no election, were happily married.  In fact, about 75 percent of Indians prefer arranged marriages, according to a survey called The Taj Wedding Barometer, conducted by the Taj Group of Hotels, Mumbai ("Indians Swear By," 2013).

I think we have a lot to learn from other cultures.  I believe that the American culture of over-consumerism has actually degraded our society and degraded our ability to make intelligent choices. Having too many choices actually affects the satisfaction we experience when making a choice.  Psychologist Barry Schwartz, during one of his live talks, explained this best when he said:
“It’s easy to imagine that you could have made a different choice that would have been better. And what happens is this imagined alternative induces you to regret the decision you made, and this regret subtracts from the satisfaction you get out of the decision you made, even if it was a good decision. The more options there are, the easier it is to regret anything at all that is disappointing about the option that you chose” (TEDGlobal [TED], 2005).

 Barry Schwartz also explains how having so many choices actually escalates our expectations (TEDGlobal [TED], 2005.  The more options we have, the more we expect and the more we expect, the higher the risk of becoming disappointed.  Therefore, choices equal unhappiness. 
Our choice making has dwindled to such superficial levels. 

We waste so much time making superficial choices over what color running shoes to wear, should we serve pork or beef canapés at our party or even which CD to listen to while driving home, that we miss out on so many wonderful spontaneous experiences.  Tuning out of choice-making means stopping to smell the roses and experience the dynamic and ever-changing reality around us.

References
Indians swear by arranged marriages. (2013). Retrieved from http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/indians-swear-by-arranged-marriages/1/252496.html
TEDGlobal. (Producer). (2005). Barry Shwartz: The paradox of choice [Video]. Available from http://www.ted.com/talks/barry_schwartz_on_the_paradox_of_choice.html.
TEDGlobal. (Producer). (2010). Sheena Iyengar: The art of choosing [Video]. Available from http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/en/sheena_iyengar_on_the_art_of_choosing.html.
Zuckerman, D. (2013). Choice overload & analysis paralysis. Retrieved from http://www.fpanet.org/ToolsResources/ArticlesBooksChecklists/Articles/Investments/ChoiceOverloadandAnalysisParalysis/

A500.3.4.RB_PALUGODCAROLYN

      I have to admit that I am a “googleholic”.  The urban dictionary defines “googleholic” as “One who is obsessed with anything Google” or  “one who can't live without Google search” (Urban Dictionary.com website, n.d.).  Google is my library, my doctor, my entertainer, my counselor and face it, my educator.  With that said, I know that I have to take everything I read in Google with a grain of salt.  Let’s be honest, how much of the information on Google is actually real valid information?  According to wikianswers.com, 300 million people search on Google every day ("How Many People," n.d.).  Of the 300 million people that actually post information on websites and forums, how many are actual experts in the discipline they are posting about?  How valid is the statistic I just posted seeing that it was retrieved from wiki answers where anyone can post?  I just tried running a search…..yes on Google, to see if I could find statistical evidence on how much information on the internet is true.  Obviously it would be impossible to come up with any conclusive evidence but what I did come across in an article from Huffington Post was that “98 percent of Americans distrust information on the Internet, according to a recent survey by Harris Interactive”  (Fitzgerald, 2012).  This, in my opinion, speaks volumes about how much on the information superhighway is actually true.   

      Many times when you search for information on Google, you don’t know where it came from.  Many sites, websites, forums, blogs and even some online journals, don’t reveal the source of the data.  I just did a quick Google search of the term “leadership” and chose an article from Psychology Today.  The article is called “What is Charisma and Charismatic Leadership?” and it has an author (Riggio, 2012).  The author gives definitions of different styles of leadership, but where did these definitions come from?  I don’t think he made them up because they sound like similar definitions from my Organizational Leadership textbook from the last course I took.   I’ve also noticed that whenever I use Google as my natural pharmacist and google for a remedy for some type of ailment, most websites I visit will give a list of benefits and remedies but will never post the source from where they retrieved that information.  Is there scientific evidence that drinking lemon water will lower my cholesterol or is this just the opinion of someone who has tried it?  

 Google is great when we want information on the mundane aspects of our life, but you don’t want to rely on it if you are having adverse reactions to a medicine or as a self-diagnosis for life-threatening diseases.  You also don’t want to rely on Google when doing any kind of academic research.  When it’s important to know the truth, backed up by statistical and scientific evidence, you need to go to more scholarly sources of information.  Scholarly information is either written by experts or professionals in the field or written by people who are careful to cite and refer back to the source of the information.  A more complete definition of scholarly source is provided on the Penn State website and it states:

Scholarly Journals are journals which are respected for the research and information they provide about the topic they cover.  They are written by and for people who have experience in the discipline or field.  The research is often refereed meaning that is reviewed by other researchers who are knowledgeable about the topic of the article ("What Is A Scholarly," n.d.).

            Scholarly sources can be identified by features such as: content, language, audience,

Intent, authorship, peer-review, references, and listing (California State University San Marcos Library, n.d.).  

            Google is still a great source for researching any topic, but it’s important to practice critical thinking when reviewing the information from any source on the internet.  It’s best to reason through the information, compare and contrast the information you find, and be willing to question what you learn with an unbiased nature.  Apply the elements of reason which are elements that allow us to arrive at the most accurate conclusions after assessing all possibilities and reasoning to the best of our ability.

References

California State University San Marcos Library. (n.d.). http://library.csusm.edu/subject_guides/history/scholarly.asp

Fitzgerald, B. (2012). 98 percent of American users distrust the information they find on the internet. Retrieved from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/19/american-internet-users-distrust-info_n_1686242.html

Googleholic. (n.d.). The Urban Dictionary.com Retrived April 14, 2013 from urbandictionary.com website: http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Googleholic

How many people use the search engine ’Google’ everyday day? (n.d.). In Wiki Answers. Retrieved April 14, 2013, from http://wiki.answers.com/Q/How_many_people_use_the_search_engine_%27Google%27_everyday_day

Riggio, R. E. (2012). What is charisma and charismatic leadership? Retrieved from http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/cutting-edge-leadership/201210/what-is-charisma-and-charismatic-leadership

What is a scholarly journal? (). Retrieved from http://www.sgps.psu.edu/foweb/lib/scholarly_journal/index.html

What is a scholarly source? (). Retrieved from http://pegasus.cc.ucf.edu/~janzb/courses/scholarly1.htm