Critical thinking is an important skill that helps process information by objectively analyzing and evaluating issues. It involves questioning information to reach a deeper understanding, and moving from lower to higher levels of thinking. Critical thinking skills like reasoning, evaluating, problem solving, and analyzing need to be developed. It is an active process of gathering information from multiple perspectives, asking who, what, when, where, and how questions, and making informed judgments or decisions rather than passively accepting all information at face value.

1. Critical Thinking 101

2. Critical Thinking
• Every day you encounter endless amounts of
information inside and outside of the classroom
• How do you determine what’s true/accurate/important?
• How do you decide whether or not the information is
something you will need to know?
• Are your instructors always right?
• Does the textbook tell the whole story?
Critical thinking is a learning and thinking tool that helps with the process of processing information.

3. Critical Thinking
Definition:
The objective analysis and evaluation of an issue in order
to form a judgment
Critical thinking is a skill that needs to be
developed

4. Critical Thinking
What this means for you:
• Questioning, analyzing and applying information to make a
decision or judgment
• Actively engaging with information to reach a deeper level
of understanding
• Moving from the lower levels of Bloom’s to the higher levels
• It is questioning the information with:
• Who?
• How?
• What if…?

5. Bloom’s Taxonomy
https://mramusicplace.net/2017/01/12/music-teaching-and-blooms-revised-taxonomy/

6. Critical Thinking and Bloom’s
Taxonomy
By utilizing critical thinking we activate higher levels of
learning and thinking rather than passively accepting:
• A problem as unsolvable
• All information as accurate, valuable, true, and relevant
• Indecisiveness as a reality

7. Critical Thinking in Action
• Start by gathering information
• What is going on, what is being said, what is the task
• Step back and look at all of the angles
• Evaluate the information presented for its relevancy and
importance
• Ask questions
• Who, what, when, where, how, what if…
• Develop a position/judgment based on the full
evaluation of the information presented
• Make an informed decision

8. Critical Thinking Skills
•Reasoning
•Evaluating
•Problem Solving
•Decision Making
•Analyzing
These skills need to be developed and
practiced