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Re- Imagining Critical Thinking in the Digital Age. Narrowing the Gulf Conference March 30, 2012 Presenters: Matthew Bodie , M.A. Cher N. Gauweiler , Ph.D. The Bottom Line…. We live in an ecosystem of interruption technologies (Carr, 2011). The Shallows. Defining our terms.
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Re-Imagining Critical Thinking in the Digital Age Narrowing the Gulf Conference March 30, 2012 Presenters: Matthew Bodie, M.A. Cher N. Gauweiler, Ph.D.
The Bottom Line… • We live in an ecosystem of interruption technologies (Carr, 2011).
Defining our terms • What is text? • What is media? • What is message?
Analyze this! What is the message? Who is the messenger?
An Experiment http://slate.me/Ha4xXm
Points to Ponder #1 • How can someone critically think quickly? • Has skimming become our dominant form of reading?
The Same? Or Different? (Best, 2004)
Strategies to try… • Give a purpose for reading. • Slow down when reading. • Teach students how to determine importance. • Other ideas?
Points to Ponder #2 • What has happened to the role of author and reader? • Are we “all authors”? http://bit.ly/Ha4V8q
Question…. • Question It is time to elect the world leader, and yours is the deciding vote. Here are the facts about the three leading candidates: • Candidate A: He associates with crooked politicians, and consults with astrologers. He's had two mistresses. He also chain smokes and drinks up to ten Martinis a day. • Candidate B: He was ejected from office twice, sleeps until noon, used opium in college and drinks a large amounts of whisky every evening. • Candidate C: He is a decorated war hero. He's a vegetarian, doesn't smoke, drinks an occasional beer and hasn't had any extra-marital affairs.
Strategies to try… • Question authority! • Cross-check references
Point to Ponder #3 • What is relevance?
Strategy #3 • Ask questions, such as: • Which stories are trending? • Which point of view is being privileged? • Which points of view are being emphasized? • Learn how redefine issues. • Access alternative sources. • Put events in historical perspectives.
References • Best, J. (2004). Confusing numbers. In More damned lies and statistics: How numbers confuse public issues (pp. 44-46). Berkeley, CA: Berkeley University of California • Carr, N. (2011). What the Internet is doing to our brains: The shallows. W. W. Norton and Company: New York. • Paul, R. & Elder, L. (2006). How to detect media bias & propaganda in national and world news, 3rd ed.Foundation for Critical Thinking. www.criticalthinking.org