Critical Thinking, Essay Example

Part I. In the ‘Getting Started’ section of this course, you read three online articles, 4 Time Management Tips for Online Students, How to Be a Good Online Learner, and Time Management 101 for Online Students. Which article do you feel was the most helpful to you as an online graduate student? Why? Which tip or technique do you feel you will implement as you continue through your program?

Although I believe that all three articles will be useful to my experience as an online graduate student, the article “4 Time Management Tips for Online Students” is the most useful for me (Sheehy, 2012). It is imperative to understand the ways that online learning differs from in-class learning and how time management for synchronous courses differ from asynchronous course. The article informed me that it would be idea to make a schedule that will help me ensure I complete all of my assignments in a timely manner. I believe that it may be difficult to organize a schedule that will work for me at first, but after the first two weeks of class I should have a significantly greater understanding of the kind of time I need for coursework and studying. It would be useful to continue to implement this technique throughout my program because it is one excellent way to ensure I do all the work that needs to get done and so that things don’t get left for last minute.

Part II. Anticipating change, considering multiple viewpoints, questioning traditions and assumptions, and addressing problems proactively requires strong critical thinking skills. Without them, people can appear vulnerable or simply less than their best. The development of critical thinking skills is vitally important to success in any profession, as well as being a contributing member of society. The call for educational institutions to develop critical thinkers comes in part from employers (Casner-Lotto & Barrington, 2006) and in part from researchers in the field who are aware of the integral role of critical thinking skills in the ability to survive and thrive as a democratic society (Facione & Facione, 2007).

I believe that one best adopts the attitude of a critical thinker by first reading through a work in a way that allows the reader to gain a greater understanding, rather than for simply reading it. As the reader goes through a document, he or she should question the meaning of words, the use of phrases in the context of the reading, the purpose the author had for writing the reading, and how this reading may be related to other works that have been read. Occasionally when trying to read critically, I hit several boundaries. Firstly, I have difficulty identifying the purpose of the article and how the work may fit into the context of other works. However, I believe this can be solved by reading more works and building my overall critical thinking skills.

References

Casner-Lotto, J., & Barrington, L. (2006). Are they really ready to work? New York,NY: The Conference Board. Retrieved from http://www.conferenceboard.org/publications/describe.cfm?id=1218

Facione, P. A., & Facione, N. C. (2007). Talking critical thinking. Change, 39(2), 38-45. Retrieved from Academic Search Premier.

Sheehy, K. (2012). 4 Time Management Tips for Online Students. US News. Retrieved from http://www.usnews.com/education/online-education/articles/2012/01/13/4-time-management-tips-for-online-students

Unknown. (2012). Time Management 101 for Online Students. Retrieved from http://www.onlinecollege.org/2012/08/03/time-management-101-online-learners/