Critical thinking is the process of analyzing and evaluating information to reach a conclusion. It is important because it allows people to assess their own judgments, learn from experiences, and form rational beliefs. When applied to 21st century education, critical thinking is how 21st century learning skills are defined. Examples of applying critical thinking include analyzing arguments by identifying conclusions and supporting reasons. Technology can support critical thinking through tools like webquests, online discussions, podcasts, and wikis that encourage evaluating information from different sources.

1. Critical
Thinking
Kathleen Carpenter
Katelyn Lewis
Taylor Bruer

2. What is critical thinking?
Critical thinking is the mental process of actively and
skillfully conceptualizing, applying, analyzing,
synthesizing, and evaluating information to reach an
answer or conclusion.

3. Why is critical thinking
important?
Critical thinking is important because “we acquire a
means of assessing and upgrading our ability to judge
well. In enables us to go into virtually any situation and
to figure out the logic of whatever is happening in
that situation. It provides a way for us to learn from
new experiences through the process of continual
self-assessment. Critical thinking, then, enables us to
form sound beliefs and judgments, and in doing so,
provides us with a basis for a „rational and
reasonable‟ emotional life.” – Inquiry: Critical Thinking
Across the Disciplines, Winter, 1996. Vol. XVI, No. 2.

4. apply to 21st century
education?
When researching how critical thinking applies in 21st
century education, we found that critical thinking was
the answer to the question, “how are 21st century
learning skills defined?”
Click here for full article. (information is on page 2)

5. An example of how to
apply critical thinking
Example:
John is over two meters tall, so he is tall.
“The conclusion is “he is tall”, and the reason to
believe the conclusion is “John is over 2 meters tall”.
If all arguments were as elementary as the example
above, there would be little call to develop
standardizing conventions, but arguments can be
quite complex, and so we need to develop some
notation to keep track of everything.”

6. The use of technology
when critically thinking
• WebQuest
• Web 2.0
• Online Discussion Boards (questions the students
would like to ask the teacher or classmates)
o Wiki Spaces
o Blogs
• Podcasts, Twitter, & Facebook
o Each day require the students to listen to a podcast that the teacher has
set up with questions that the students will have to answer. These questions
may take the students time in-class or out of class to answer.
• GigaPan

7. Work Cited
• Critical Thinking By Example. (n.d.). Retrieved February 12,
2013, from Critical Thinking By Example:
http://www.criticalthinkingbyexample.com/Chapter1/chapter
1.html
• critical thinking. (n.d.). Dictionary.com's 21st Century Lexicon.
Retrieved February 12, 2013, from Dictionary.com website:
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/critical thinking
• Pacific Policy Research Center. 2010. 21st Century Skills for Students
and Teachers. Honolulu: Kamehameha Schools, Research &
Evaluation Division. Website:
http://www.ksbe.edu/spi/PDFS/21%20century%20skills%20full.pdf
• The Importance of Logic and Critical Thinking. (2011, March 8). In
Wired.com. Retrieved February 12, 2013, from
http://www.wired.com/geekdad/2011/03/the-importance-of-logic-
critical-thinking/