The cult of ignorance in the United States: Anti-intellectualism and the "dumbing down" of America -- Society's Child -- Sott.net © reddit.com There is a growing and disturbing trend of anti-intellectual elitism in American culture. It's the dismissal of science, the arts, and humanities and their replacement by entertainment, self-righteousness, ignorance, and deliberate gullibility. Susan Jacoby, author of The Age of American Unreason, says in an article in the Washington Post, "Dumbness, to paraphrase the late senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan, has been steadily defined downward for several decades, by a combination of heretofore irresistible forces. These include the triumph of video culture over print culture; a disjunction between Americans' rising level of formal education and their shaky grasp of basic geography, science and history; and the fusion of anti-rationalism with anti-intellectualism." There has been a long tradition of anti-intellectualism in America, unlike most other Western countries. "There is a cult of ignorance in the United States, and there has always been. John W.
Uljudna tišina Izraz “uljudna tišina” savršeno pristaje našem vremenu. Kako propadaju neka zemlja i njeno društvo? Kako nastaju desničarske diktature i koja je u tome uloga buržoazije? Sedeo sam sa prijateljem slikarem na kafi u Berlinu; nebo je bilo tmurno, a vesti ništa bolje. Razgovarali smo o Danskoj, nekada svetioniku liberalizma, čijim granicama sada patroliraju građanske straže i štite ih od ulaska izbeglica. To objašnjava medijsku nemoć da se odlučno i jasnim argumentima odreaguje na uspeh Slobodarske partije Austrije i njenog kandidata Norberta Hofera na upravo završenim predsedničkim izborima u Austriji. U međuvremenu desničari ne odustaju, a ako ih kritikujete oni će vam poput pisca Tilla Nikolausa von Heiselera preko fejsbuka poželeti smrt i napisati: “Novinare na bandere!”
10 Tips for Teaching Kids to Be Critical Thinkers Put a new spin on bell ringers by asking a Question of the Day. Use a questioning stem (e.g., “Create a riddle that uses the mathematics term ‘multiply’ in one of the clues” or “Write a letter to a classmate recommending this book”) and put it on the board. Students can write answers in their critical-thinking journals. Then have a class discussion at the end of the day. 3. 4. 5. Top Ten Criminal Thinking Errors | Criminal Thinking Deterred Top Ten Criminal Thinking Errors Criminal thinking errors are prevalent in our society and these made the top ten list thanks to the ground-breaking work of Stanton Samenow and Yochelson in their three volumes of work titled, “The Criminal Personality”. Although these errors are considered “criminal thinking” they really are present in each of us to varying degrees. Offenders take these errors to the extreme which then develops into patterns of thinking and behavior that continually victimize and harm others. Key Question: Which of these errors to you see in yourself and how can you change them? Check out our other criminal thinking infographic… and visit us at www.criminalthinking.net! Like this: Like Loading... About Brian Loebig
Ways to Develop Critical Thinking Skills - Eyes On Heaven Critical thinking skills teach children how to go beyond memorization and comprehension to understand the significance – the “why” and “how” of the concepts they explore. Kids that develop strong critical thinking skills are best prepared for their future lives; the problem solving and evaluation skills associated with critical thinking enable them to apply what they learn to real life situations, come up with new ideas and see viable ones through to completion. The more exposure your child has to critical thinking opportunities, the more they learn how to analyze, synthesize, judge, and express themselves. 1. 2. 3. 4. 20 Questions. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. Let your kids be creative too! Like this: Like Loading... OtherWise Bob Wiele - Different Learning Styles and Tools That Harness Them Leveraging Intelligence Quality thinking matters as much as quality processes do, at every level of the organization. According to the Research Institute of America, ineffective thinking is at the root of 94% of what goes wrong in the workplace. Quality thinking is at the root of consistent quality results. If thinking skills are so important where do people learn them? Can effective thinking skills be learned? Charting Thinking Processes: The Deva Project In 1977, Philips, the Dutch multi-national electronics firm, initiated the Deva Project to find better ways of understanding and harnessing the thinking of their R&D staff. The team did four years of intensive empirical research and continual trial applications with scientists, managers, and technicians in the work place. Rhodes and his associates at Philips identified three primary types of thinking and 25 precision conceptual competencies. Three Primary Types of Thinking - Each With Hard and Soft Modes
Why should we include Critical Thinking (Good thinking) in Preschool | The Life-long Learner “It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it.” – Aristotle Our role as educators is to support children to be independent life long learners in an ever-changing world. As explained by Andreas Schleicher (Director for Education and Skills, and Special Advisor on Education Policy to the Secretary-General at the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) in Paris) in his presentation to ACER (Schleicher, 2014, p. vii) ‘Today – where we can access content on Google, where routine cognitive skills are being digitised or outsourced, and where jobs are changing so rapidly – accumulating knowledge matters a lot less and success has a lot more to do with ways of thinking; creativity, critical thinking, problem solving, [and] judgement.’ Andrea’s comment “ways of thinking,” encourages us to ponder, what is thinking? Critical Thinking for many is examined as a skill as Mulnix has suggested (Facione, 2000; Mulnix, 2012; Salmon, 2008).
Free Critical Thinking Worksheets Critical Thinking Worksheets Critical thinking is more than just a simple thought process. It involves thinking on a much deeper underlying level rather than just at the surface. There is so much information available to us in this world that we don't know what is true and what is not. That's why it's important for students to analyze, think effectively, and understand that not everything is black and white. Brain Teasers- A great way to stimulate thinking. 3 Ways to help your child develop critical thinking skills Though critical thinking is emphasized in nearly every year of school — from pre-kindergarten to college or graduate school — it is a skill that parents can begin to introduce to their children from a young age. It is even less tricky than a term like “critical thinking” might imply. Here are three ways you can foster critical thinking skills in your student: 1. Encourage her to question the world around her “Why?” More: How to fully prepare your child for preschool 2. We all wish to protect those individuals who are most important to us, especially when they are distressed. More: 3 Common misconceptions parents have about kindergarten 3. As might be obvious by now, critical thinking is closely linked to creativity and problem solving. More: Kids need art class, even if you have to teach it yourself at home For more tips and strategies to help your student succeed in school, visit varsitytutors.com.
Critical Thinking: A Necessary Skill in the Age of Spin The ability to think critically is one skill separating innovators from followers. Critical thinking reduces the power of advertisers, the unscrupulous and the pretentious, and can neutralize the sway of an unsupported argument. This is a skill most students enjoy learning because they see immediately that it gives them more control. Devastating Consequences That said, young people -- without significant life experience and anxious to fit in -- are especially vulnerable to surface appeal. Targeted advertising affects their buying and eating habits; choosing friends for the wrong reasons can lead to real heartache. Every educator is in a position to teach students how to gather information, evaluate it, screen out distractions and think for themselves. A World of Illusions Seeing beyond superficial appearances is especially important today because we are surrounded by illusions, many of them deliberately created. How False Ideas Creep Into Our Belief Systems Understanding Motivations