{"id":39376,"date":"2024-11-07T23:42:33","date_gmt":"2024-11-08T07:42:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/?p=39376"},"modified":"2024-11-08T08:26:29","modified_gmt":"2024-11-08T16:26:29","slug":"since-when-did-critical-thinking-become-subversive","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/since-when-did-critical-thinking-become-subversive\/","title":{"rendered":"Since When Did Critical Thinking Become Subversive?"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>The contentious U.S. election has left me feeling battered and drained, much like the Oklahoma tornadoes that struck shortly before. Americans remain deeply divided in how the country should move forward, and many increasingly rely on social media headlines instead of fact-checking or thinking critically. Those who challenge misinformation are often publicly criticized or even canceled by friends and family.<\/p>\n

Pastor Adam Hamilton from the Church of the Resurrection once said, \u201cWe don\u2019t want you to check your head at the door of the church,\u201d[1]<\/a> meaning that it’s okay\u2014and even encouraged\u2014to dig deeper into important issues. Christians, he believes, should adopt a growth mindset.<\/p>\n

This week, I found myself exploring two interconnected ideas: Socratic learning methods, which help people develop decision-making skills and a philosophical text on how our thinking can either propel us forward or hold us back. While these topics differ in their audiences and applications, they share common themes and offer insights into failure.<\/p>\n

Socratic thinking is a strategic learning approach that encourages reasoning through open-ended questions rather than providing direct answers. It fosters curiosity, promotes discussion-based learning, and often leads to deeper, more memorable insights.[2]<\/a> I plan to apply this method in my NPO project. However, its success depends on one key factor: students must have a growth mindset. As Carol Dweck explains in Mindset<\/em>:<\/p>\n

\u201cA growth mindset is based on the belief that your basic qualities are things you can cultivate through your efforts, strategies, and help from others.\u201d[3]<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

In contrast, a fixed mindset is the belief that abilities and intelligence are static. People with a fixed mindset tend to avoid challenges, give up easily, and feel threatened by others’ success.<\/p>\n

I noticed several shared themes when comparing Dweck\u2019s ideas with\u00a0Education for Judgment: The Artistry of Discussion Leadership<\/em> by Roland et al.. Both works emphasize that abilities can be developed through effort and practice. They also stress the importance of feedback in honing decision-making skills. However, for individuals with a fixed mindset, feedback may be perceived as criticism and ignored.<\/p>\n

We all face disappointments and setbacks in life, but as Dweck notes, those who view challenges as opportunities are more likely to thrive in tough times. This idea is particularly relevant in today\u2019s politically and culturally divided world.<\/p>\n

I became drawn to Socratic learning after realizing I had unknowingly used it during stakeholder conversations at a recent design workshop. I believe the outcome could have been even more robust with proper training. Additionally, one of my ministry partners founded the Acton Academy, described as a \u201cone-room schoolhouse for the 21st century.\u201d[4]<\/a> Learning about their success stories has inspired me to explore alternative methods for public education. Socratic learning could be a powerful part of that mix.<\/p>\n

Throughout Dweck\u2019s book, it became clear to me that critical thinking and a growth mindset go hand in hand. Together, these approaches could create a transformative learning experience\u2014one that, if applied in Oklahoma, could help raise its education ranking from 49th to 1st.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

[1]<\/a> Hamilton, Adam. Has Modern Science Replaced God?<\/em> Church of the Resurrection, 2022. Accessed November 8, 2024. https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=h6ZVk0gtW4A.<\/p>\n

[2]<\/a> Christensen, C. Roland, David A. Garvin, and Ann Sweet, eds. Education for Judgment: The Artistry of Discussion Leadership<\/em>. Boston, Mass: Harvard Business School Press, 1991.<\/p>\n

[3]<\/a> Dweck, Carol. Mindset: How You Can Fulfil Your Potential; Business, Parenting, Scholl, Relationships<\/em>. London: Robinson, 2012.<\/p>\n

[4]<\/a> \u201cActon Academy | One-Room Schoolhouses for the 21st Century.\u201d Accessed November 8, 2024. https:\/\/www.actonacademy.org.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The contentious U.S. election has left me feeling battered and drained, much like the Oklahoma tornadoes that struck shortly before. Americans remain deeply divided in how the country should move forward, and many increasingly rely on social media headlines instead of fact-checking or thinking critically. Those who challenge misinformation are often publicly criticized or even […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":193,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[3354],"class_list":["post-39376","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-dlgp03-dweck","cohort-dlgp03"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39376","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/193"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=39376"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39376\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":39390,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39376\/revisions\/39390"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=39376"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=39376"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=39376"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}