By: Trisha Welstad on November 3, 2017
This week marks the 500th year anniversary of the Protestant Reformation of the church. The Reformation was initiated by Martin Luther and his 95 Theses or grievances against the church he loved. Luther longed for pragmatic change to the ways the church interpreted and lived the bible. He thought critically, not negatively but rationally, about…
By: Shawn Hart on November 2, 2017
Dr. Linda Elder and Dr. Richard Paul, two specialists in the area of critical thinking, have created a handbook that can, and quite possibly should be used by all who are focused on higher learning. Miniature Guide to Critical Thinking addresses the highly necessary foundations of thinking concerning higher learning and educated communication. “Critical thinkers…
By: Jean Ollis on November 2, 2017
Paul and Elder are so passionate (and confident) about their guide for critical thinking skills, they encourage students to “get in the habit of carrying it (A Miniature Guide to Critical Thinking) with you to every class”.[1] The guide is sponsored by the Critical Thinking Foundation which is a “non-profit organization that seeks to promote…
By: Jay Forseth on November 2, 2017
Drill Seargant Major Payne [1] Please allow me a little leeway to use a personal real life situation to help write my blog this week. I believe I will be able to connect our most recent book, The Miniature Guide to Critical Thinking Concepts and Tools, by Richard Paul and Linda Elder, with my son…
By: Jason Turbeville on November 2, 2017
As a student over the past few decades I have always thought of myself as a critical thinker. Usually I am not one for group think. I like to see myself as open minded about how others see the world. I am not so sure I have ever been a critical thinker. As I was…
By: Dave Watermulder on November 2, 2017
In an article in Psychology Today, Mark Sherman writes about the idea of the “fundamental attribution error”. He describes the way that, when “we see someone doing something, we tend to think it relates to their personality rather than to the situation the person might be in.”[1] The opposite can also be true, in that,…
By: Mark Petersen on November 2, 2017
My review of the brief pamphlet, Critical Thinking: Concepts and Tools[1], by Richard Paul and Linda Elder, provided me with a sharp set of tools for advancing with research on generational transitions in Christian family philanthropy. How to analyze logic, how to reason, how to approach research, a template for problem-solving, and the problems of…
By: Chris Pritchett on November 2, 2017
Much like our own research journey, it is always helpful when the author is clear about the problem she is seeking to address. Elder described the problem she was seeking to address as a problem of formation and awareness. The author writes: “But much of our thinking, left to itself, is biased, distorted, partial, uninformed…
By: Jennifer Williamson on November 2, 2017
Who would’ve thought that a book on critical thinking could arouse feelings of longing and theological reflection? While I know it was meant to be a practical handbook, The Miniature Guide to Critical Thinking Concepts and Tools hit me at a heart and soul level—like combination romance novel/theological inquiry. Alas, in the day of Tweets…
By: Jake Dean-Hill on November 1, 2017
The Miniature Guide to Critical Thinking Concepts and Tools by Linda Elder and Richard Paul was quite the little gem to read. It was packed with a tremendous amount of rich material that was very helpful as I look to become a better critical thinker in my area of research. One of the more challenging…
By: Dan Kreiss on November 1, 2017
Finally, a book I can read cover to cover in the short time provided to devour books. This is good for my obsessive/compulsive nature and my need to have a sense of closure. Do you have any idea how long the list of books I will feel compelled to go back and ‘finish’ is likely…
By: Kyle Chalko on October 27, 2017
Ethnography is the study of images and what images mean for a particular culture. Its art 101 mixed with anthropology 101 but tagged with a $50 name. My immediate question is, what’s the point of learning about what images mean? We all already use images intuitively. Is it not enough to just continue to do…
By: Mike on October 27, 2017
Linda Elder and Richard Paul’s, The Miniature Guide to Critical Thinking Concepts and Tools is a 24-page mini-guide that serves as a supplement, design tool, and personal guide to ensure we are applying the right critical thinking approaches to life and learning. Critical thinking is the “analyzing and evaluating” of thinking, but with the unique…
By: Jason Turbeville on October 27, 2017
I like to think I know have a vast knowledge about many things. Growing up I would watch the T.V. show Cheers with my father. One of the characters was named Cliff Claven. Cliff was a Postal worker who had a vast knowledge of a great many things, but it was all surface level, he…
By: Jennifer Williamson on October 27, 2017
A few years ago I stumbled upon an article on Time.com that convinced me of the power of visual ethnography. The article highlighted a project called “Hungry Planet,” in which photographer Peter Menzel teamed up with writer Faith D’Aluisio to visually document what families eat in 24 different countries around the world. Each photograph shows…
By: Trisha Welstad on October 26, 2017
Doing Visual Ethnography by Sarah Pink is at once fascinating and complex for the non-professional anthropologist. The concept of using images to scientifically describe the customs of people and their culture suggests engagement by a broad community. However, once the reader begins to examine the text more closely they will realize Pink is not interested…
By: Jean Ollis on October 26, 2017
Visual Ethnography is “capturing and expressing perceptions and social realities of people”.[1] When we gathered for this group photo on our last evening together in Cape Town, it captured the end – and beginning – of a journey which included new friendships (joy), challenging discussions (stress), rich learning (travel), fun adventures (adrenaline), and an…
By: Katy Drage Lines on October 26, 2017
I’ve been reflecting this week on the layers of complexity and messiness within institutions, specifically during experiences of dissatisfaction. How do we respond within the church when we’re frustrated? As I’ve pondered this, I’ve also procrastinated on writing my sermon reflection for this week, which will eventually focus on the 500th anniversary of the Protestant…
By: Christal Jenkins Tanks on October 26, 2017
On A&E there is a tv series entitled “Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath”. The premise of the show is that Leah was a former member of the Church of Scientology (a religious organization founded in 1954 by L.Ron Hubbard). She spent majority of her life supporting this religious movement. She was introduced to the…
By: Chip Stapleton on October 26, 2017
There is a lot of technical economic language in Exit, Voice, and Loyalty: Responses to Decline in Firms, Organizations, and States by Albert Hirschman, in spite of the struggle I had following some of the language – not to mention much of Hirschman’s prose – I found this relatively small book to be both interesting and insightful.…
