A500.5.3.RB_Critical Thinking_Trey McNeil

When I began Embry Riddle’s Leadership program about a month ago I rarely executed the process of critical thinking. In fact, I really did not know what it meant to think critically. Robert Ennis defined critical thinking as, “Reasonable, reflective thinking that is focused on deciding what to do or believe” (as cited in Nosich, 2012, p. 1). Now that I had a definition of critical thinking I needed to break it down and determine what it really meant. I determined that critical thinking was taking time to reflect and think deeply about a question or situation before responding.  Two words really jumped out to me in his description of critical thinking; reasonable and reflective. These are two adjectives that undeniably did not describe my way of thinking before starting this class. Nosich (2012) also states that critical thinking should involve thinking about your thinking. I had a terrible habit of just taking things at face value and not thinking any deeper about anything.

Nosich (2012) taught me that there are as many as fifty basic concepts in critical thinking but the most crucial concepts can be placed into the eight elements of critical thinking. The eight elements of critical thinking are: point of view, purpose, question at issue, assumptions, implications and consequences, information, concepts, and conclusions or interpretations. The elements can be formed into a circle and one should go through each element during the critical thinking process.  Critical thinking also involves standards and alternative that must be considered while making a decision. Nosich (2012) describes that critical thinking must involve asking questions. After studying the text I now knew how to think critically but questioned if I had taken any action to change my way of thinking.

As I pondered the question if my critical thinking has changing over this course of this class, I started to write down some of the things I do now that I would not have done just over a month ago.  I now attempt to think through the circle, use fewer assumptions, ask questions, and think about things systematically.  When I am given a problem or scenario I now attempt to think through things a little more thoroughly before coming to an answer.   My girlfriend has always told me that I refuse to see things a different way because I have assumptions that I cling to. This is something I have really tried to correct over the last couple of weeks.  I now try to not let my assumptions play a role in my decisions.

Another concept that I have tried to practice is asking questions before coming to a conclusion.  A month ago if I were asked if I agreed with universal healthcare or with Colorado legalizing marijuana, I would have simply given a yes or no answer. Today if I were asked the second question my thoughts would center around the following questions: (a) has the legalization helped to boost the economy of Colorado? , (b) Are there more traffic related accidents due to the legalization of marijuana? , and (c) how are the non-licensed dealers being monitored? I would really think things through and weigh the options out before making a decision. In relation to that concept, I have also noticed that I am beginning to take a systematic approach to thinking. My assignments have even begun to be laid out very systematically. I also have tried to begin to listen more thoroughly during a conversation. I had a pattern of hearing but not really listening to someone who was speaking to me. I now listen and process the conversation methodically in order to critically think about what is being said. I have found the concepts that I learned in this course to be very supportive while I learn to critically think.

I must be more conscious of my thinking if I am going to make a lasting positive change in regards to the way I think.  I also believe the art of critical thinking will take time and repetition to master. I do not think it will be something that will be a normality in every situation without thinking about my thinking and going around the circle many times so it become second nature. In the last couple of weeks I have begun to change the way I think, so I trust that if I continue to be cognizant of the concepts, elements, standards, and alternatives of critical thinking then I can make a complete and positive change for the betterment of my critical thinking process.

Reference

Nosich, G. M. (2012). Learning to think things through: A guide to critical thinking across the curriculum (4^th ed). Boston, MA: Pearson 

A.500.4.3.RB_Ballet slippers or adorable_Thomas McNeil

Nosich (2012) stated, “Whenever you reason through something, you always have to begin somewhere. You can’t begin at the beginning because there is not beginning. What you begin with are your assumptions” (p 52). In her TED talk, Sheena Iyengar (2010) spoke about 3 assumptions that she believes Americans are guilty of when making choices. Those assumptions were: (a) If the choice affects you then you should be the one to make it, (b) the more choices you have the more likely you are to make the best choice, and (c) you must never say no to a choice.

When I heard the first assumption my first thought was, “Yeah, of course I want to make the choice for anything that would affect me. Who wouldn’t?” I am not a big fan of change so an event as small as one of my favorite TV shows getting cancelled makes me realize that my choice would be for the show to stay on forever. It brings me pleasure, entertainment, and matters to me so why wouldn’t I prefer it to continue. Of course there are many other factors as to why a show would get cancelled that do not involve my feelings. As I thought more about the option to make choices based on the affect they have on you, I realized that some choices may affect more than just you so maybe that is not the best option for a decision. For example, I usually only make it back for a visit home once a year. While I am there my choice would be to relax because it is my vacation. I believe this is what I should do because it affects me and is my decision, but my actions can also affect my family’s choices. They do not get to see me often so they would like me to choose to make time for each of them while I am home. In this case, my choice to relax and do what I would like to do is not always the right choice.

I do not agree with the second assumption that the more choices there are the more likely you are to make a better choice. In fact, for me the more choices there are the more difficult it is to make a choice. Sometimes I may choose not to choose at all. There have been times when I am home sick from work so I decide to watch a movie. I open up the entertainment center and see the many selections we have to choose from. I will comb through them for an extended period of time and not be able to pick out which of my favorites to watch. This usually ends with me not picking a movie at all and flipping through the hundreds of TV channels (once again way too many choices) to try to find something to watch.  I recently had another experience involving too many choices.

We decided that we wanted to add a back patio to our home to have a place to place a grill and place a table in order to take advantage of our backyard. As I went to research a contractor, I realized that there were numerous options. This was a surprise to me since our town is not very large. I began to stress out about which company to choose to do the work. I called all the companies for quotes, researched the reviews on the internet, and even asked around to see if anyone I knew had a personal experience with any of the companies. I eventually chose a company and am very happy with the finished product, but this is an instance where I would have been okay with just one or two options.

In regards to the third assumption that a person should never say no to a choice, I both agree and disagree. In my opinion, this assumption is based on the context of the choice. For example, when we purchased our home several years ago all of the walls were white. After a couple of years, we decided it was time to add some color to the walls. Not having a very good eye for color, I deferred to my girlfriend’s choice. In this instance I chose to say no to the choice.  She is the artistic one in the family and enjoys tasks like this. I knew that she would do her research and pick out great colors for each room. She made outstanding choices as we are both very pleased with how each room turned out. But, if someone came into our home and said that we could no longer have white walls and each wall must be painted maroon then I would definitely want my right to make a choice. I am not 100% sure if this would be because my freedom of choice would be taken from me or because I just really do not prefer the color maroon. Whatever the reason, in that instance I would definitely not say no to a choice.

I believe that choice in leadership is very important but the choices must be looked at very carefully. Dr. Iyengar (2010) mentioned that there can be an illusion in choice. After watching the video it is evident that many choices are available but the assumption is made aware that most are made for personal gain. This could be a mistake in leadership. Managers and leaders need to make sure choices are made for the betterment of the organization or they could harm the company by making the wrong choice for the wrong reasons.

On a personal note, I would be part of the 50% of people to accuse Dr. Iyengar of playing a joke about the two colors being different. After my girlfriend watched this video a couple of years ago, we were out shopping one day and we went into a cosmetic store. She wanted to know if she could tell the difference between ballet slippers and adorable. She swore she was able to determine a difference in the two shades of pink. I stared at them for a while but had no luck in determining the difference in the two colors.

References

Iyengar, S. (2010). The art of choosing [TEDGlobal]. Retrieved from: http://www.ted.com/talks/sheena_iyengar_on_the_art_of_choosing?language=en

Nosich, G. M. (2012). Learning to think things through: A guide to critical thinking across the curriculum (4^th ed). Boston, MA: Pearson

A500.3.4.RB-Explore the Hunt Library-mcneil thomas

MLSD 500 is my first graduate level class at Embry Riddle Aeronautical University-Worldwide, so I was not familiar with the Hunt Library.  To be honest the first two weeks of this program have been not only emotional draining but also intellectually draining. I have not been in school since 2003 and this is my first class to be offered exclusively online. I have had to overcome some technological hurdles regarding Ernie, Canvas, Foliotek, and especially Blogger. I had the perception that the Hunt Library would be another obstacle that I needed to learn in order to adjust to the program. In looking ahead at the modules I knew that we were going to be asked to use the Hunt Library frequently moving forward and I was worried about the learning curve I may need to endure.  To my surprise and joy I was completely wrong about the Hunt library. It is extremely user friendly and easy to navigate.

The first thing I noticed when I logged in was the search bar. It was visible and easy to find. Since it was my first time logging into the library I really was not sure what topic I would research.  I was delighted to find that as I typed into the search engine suggestions were made for me about various topics. Another feature that I found great with the library was that you could limit your search results to be more accurate according to what you were searching for. It will allow you to filter and pursue only peer reviewed material if that is what you desire. I also enjoyed learning that a search can be conducted based on the content of the material you would like. If you would like to see only peer reviewed journal articles on servant leadership then the Hunt library will happily oblige your desire. The library will also let you limit your search to a particular time period which is a great addition. This would be great if I was only searching for a recent article on a particular style of leadership. I also found the fact that you can save your searches into a temporary folder and either email, export, or save them to Refworks from the folder very reassuring. Refworks is a great tool because all of the articles that you preferred can be saved to be examined at a future time. 

Peer reviewed articles have been read and examined by experts in the related field before the article is published. (Nosich,2012) While exploring the Hunt Library it was instantly obvious that finding scholarly or peer reviewed articles will be much easier here than by searching on Google. I have a habit of searching information on Google and taking it for its face value without doing further research. The issue with Google is that the search is very broad and it searches any and everywhere to find the requested info.  The Google search will not specifically look for peer reviewed articles where the Hunt Library has an option to only search peer reviewed or scholarly articles allowing for better output.

I believe the Hunt Library will be a huge ally as I progress through the MSLD program. With its vast resources and search options it will definitely help me find what I am looking for more quickly to allow more time to focus on the assignment.  I’m very appreciative that Embry Riddle offers the library online as I think it is a great tool for students to find scholarly articles. I will definitely visit the library again soon and many times as I progress through my graduate studies. 

Reference:

Nosich, G. M. (2012). Learning to think things through: A guide to critical thinking across the curriculum (4^th ed). Boston, MA: Pearson

A500.2.3.rb-tell your story-mcneil thomas

I was raised in Mississippi and am the oldest of three children. I have a bother who is four and a half years younger and a half-sister who is eleven years younger than me. Being the first born, I feel like I was always held to a different or higher standard than my brother and sister. My brother was always pampered by my mother and my baby sister was always coddled by my stepmom. The four traits I value most in life are responsibility, reliability, preparation, and respect and they were adopted because I was the oldest child of the family. 

When I was twelve years old I made the decision to move out of my mom’s house and move in with my dad, stepmom, and baby sister. It wasn’t long before I began to develop my first valuable trait, responsibility. My dad and stepmom both worked very long hours so when I started driving I was asked, or as one of my old bosses used to say “voluntold”, to do various things to care for my little sister, which included: picking her up from pre-school, taking her to dance or gymnastics, picking her up and taking her home, feeding her, and putting her into bed. I also worked after school and there were some days where I would have to take her to work until one of my parents could come and pick her up. Nosich (2012) describes point of view as having a certain frame of reference or perspective. This is one area where my parents and I did not see eye to eye.

As a kid in high school I saw this as a tremendous burden. I once made the comment that I should not have to be made to take care of her all of the time because she was not my child. I felt like a kid raising another kid. Maybe in some ways I was. As I grew older I realized that while having my help was great for my parents; it may have not been the sole intention. There was also a lesson of responsibility to be found in the tasks they gave me. My memory and their impression of the past differ on the amount of time that I helped but I am glad that I was able to learn responsibility earlier than most. It contributed to my work ethic and is still present in me to this day.

As great as the lesson of responsibility was for me it was also a burden on my relationship with my siblings. Because I had a job in high school I was required to buy my own gas, pay my insurance, and other related tasks. They were not held to the same standards. My brother did not get a job until he was in his twenties and my little sister was handed everything she wanted. I felt that it was unfair that they were not held to the same responsibilities and this caused a bit of a disconnection for a while.

Responsibility helped to teach me the next value that is essential to me, reliability. This is a trait that I grew into as I got older. I see now that even though I did not appreciate taking care of my sister as much as I did that my parents relied on me to do this for them. My girlfriend has told me that I volunteer myself to help too often. This is something I cannot get past because I cannot stand to let people down and that drives me to be reliable at all times. When describing the theme of leading with consistency Conchie and Rath (2008) prompted, “Think about how consistency influences the relationships others are able to build with you. Are you always there in times of need” (p. 143)? As recently as last week I used this trait as a form of servant leadership. My dad has been planning to come visit me in Florida. He said that he would be ready to get the plane tickets as soon as I was able to help him order them. Although he can probably do this on his own, I know he relies on me to lend a helping hand and to lessen the burden of the task. I believe this is a perfect example of leading with consistency.

Another value that is significant to me is preparation. I was only in the boys scouts for about a year as a child, but the one thing I took away was the motto to always be prepared. Some may say that I am obsessed with preparation. This obsession is really driven by a fear of failure. I don’t want to fail myself or others. The week before this class began I read the text and studied the APA writing style.  With my habit of preparation I hold myself to a very high standard and attempt to be perfect. Not wanting to make mistakes and being very hard on myself when I do, I have become a very hard worker. In describing the theme of leading with achiever Strengths based leadership states, “People strong in the achiever theme have a great deal of stamina and work hard” (Conchie & Rath, 2008 p. 103). This describes me perfectly. I will continue to work until I am sure that the work is complete.

The final trait that I find vital in myself is respect. I vow to treat everyone equally no matter who they are. For as long as I can remember I have believed that the janitor of the school should be treated with the same respect as the principal and get upset when I see anyone treated with injustice or disrespect. My belief is that we are all humans no matter the race, gender, social class, or nationality so we should all be treated the same.

The four values that I hold near to my heart were rooted in my teenage years and helped shape who I am today. I did not exactly agree with the fact that I took care of my sister more than I would have like but I value the lesson of responsibility. It is a trait that I still try to live by every day. I also have great pride in the fact that I am seen as a reliable and generous person who will help out in time of need.

References:

Conchie, B., & Rath, T. (2008). Strengths based leadership. New York, NY: Gallup Press

Nosich, G. M. (2012). Learning to think things through: a guide to critical thinking across the curriculum (4^th ed). Boston, MA: Pearson