Critical Thinking

What is a camera?

A camara is a light-tight box that contains a light-sensitive material or device and a way of letting in a desired amount of light at particular times to create an image on the light-sensitive material.

What is a convex lens?

A convex lens is bend the light toward the center of the lens, since one or both sides of the glass curve out. It also takes the various rays of light and bends them toward the same point, which ultimately allows an image to form.

What three components make up a film camera?

Define each part. The three components are First is the mechanical element, which is the camera body and the parts associated with it the second one is the optical element, This is otherwise known as the camera lens. Finally, we have the chemical element, which is the film. These three different elements make up a film camera.

What is a pentaprism?

What job does it do in the camera? A pentaprism which is a five-sided mirror. The job of the pentaprism is to flip the light from the image so that the image appears right side up rather than shows the inverted image that first occurs.

What are point and shoot cameras?

How do they differ from SLR cameras? Point and shoot cameras are those that use an optical viewfinder, rather than having the semiautomatic mirror. The image the photographer sees through the viewfinder is not the exact same image that will be recorded. An SLR, or single lens reflex, camera has a semiautomatic movement of the mirror, which produces an exact image in the viewfinder, is different from the point and shoot cameras because the point and shoot cameras shows not the exact image that will be recorded, and the SLR show a exact image.

What is JPEG?

What considerations have to be kept in mind with JPEG? JPEG  is the default file format in many digital cameras on the market today. We need to consider JPEG has an important drawback to this space-saving advantage—it is compressed in a lossy manner, which means that some of the data is lost. The more the image is compressed (the smaller the size of the file), the more information from the image is lost.

What is the difference between optical and digital zoom?

Optical zoom works like a telephoto lens, the image quality remains the same as the image is magnified. Digital zoom crops the image and enlarges the cropped image to fill the frame of the camera. This means that the digital zoom generally results in a loss of quality in the image. They are different because Optical zoom remans the same as the image is magnificant, and digital zoom enlarge the cropped image to fill the frame of the camera.

What are the steps you can take to create a pinhole camera?

Have you tried to make one? First, you’ll want to cut the round oatmeal box (or other cardboard type tube or round container) in half, leaving the bottom of the container in place, so that you have two short round pieces or tubes. Place a piece of wax paper over one of the open ends of the round container and tape it in place. Once you have this done, put the oatmeal tube back together again so that the wax paper is in the middle of the tube. Wrap tape around the middle of the tube where the two pieces join together, making the tube as lightproof as possible. Finally, create a small pinhole in the bottom of the container. Now you’re ready to try out your pinhole camera. I’m going to try to make one.

What are some of the differences between film and digital cameras? Which one do you prefer? Digital cameras digital cameras create files that are relatively large, digital images do not require processing for viewing, use an electronic image sensor to digitally record an image, Some digital cameras can also be used to create video in addition to still photographs. Digital cameras create photographs that are made up of pixels. Film cameras film must loaded into cameras and developed in light-tight conditions, this drives up the cost of developing and printing film-based images, ilm negatives or final prints must be scanned prior to computer manipulation, some color prints can fade over time. I prefer digital camara.

What are some advantages of being able to see an image right after you’ve taken it (such as with an instant camera or being able to review the image on a digital camera)? With a digital camera you can basically take as many photos as you like until you get the perfect image. If you don’t like the way your photo has turned out you can simply delete it and take it again. This can be done because you can view the photo seconds after you’ve taken it, is just perfect to have this camaras, and be able to see the image right after you’ve taken it.

Case Analysis: Part C of Mid-Term Test The Mann Gulch Disaster Name: Suren Sachchithanantham Student #: 300545709 Course: MGMT 321 -101 Professor: Jai Goolsarran Due Date: October 25th, 2012 What conceptual blocks were experienced by the smokejumpers? The conceptual blocks that were experienced by the smokejumpers would be the first conceptual block is commitment where Dodge have seen that the fire crossed the gulch ahead of the crew and so he turned the his crew around and told them go towards up the hill.

Thus, the crew didn’t know why Dodge told them to go this way when it would be safer going to the river. Second Conceptual block would be Complacency. That’s when Dodge lit a fire in their escape path and told everyone to lie down in the area that already had been burned. But nobody listened to him and they all did the opposite of what he said. And they couldn’t understand why Dodge said that and they never thought by doing this could save their lives but they all got panicked and ran off.

Third conceptual block would be commitment where Dodge told his crew members to drop their tools when they could have used them to help them stay alive and prevent themselves from getting burned. Forth conceptual block is constancy that when smokejumpers assume the fire would be under control by 10:00 the next morning. But they all shouldn’t have assumed that the fire would be under controlled when12 of them had served in the military. What steps in analytical problem were skipped or short-circuited by the fire crew?

The steps in analytical problem that were skipped or short-circuited by the fire crew would be the second step in the analytical problem solving of generating alternative solutions was short circuited because the fire crew members never planned or talked about any alternatives that could happen when they are fighting the fire. Perhaps they decided not to listen to Dodge because they couldn’t think straight. Instead they had time to eat dinner and take pictures where they could have used this time to figure out short term or long-term alternatives in this situation.

Another would be the fourth step in the analytical problem solving of implementing and follow up on the solution, which was also short circuited because they didn’t have any alternatives to choose from the follow up on. They didn’t prepare or provided feedback and couldn’t monitor anything because they were listening to the foreman and never shared their ideas or concerns. For instance, the smokejumpers are every highly skilled and trained for these sort of situations but they never thought of any circumstances that could happen in this case.

Barriers to critical thinking if left unchecked can harm, and even seriously injure a curious and open mind, the ability to think through issues, analyzing issues from multiple view points and other critical thinking concepts. Let’s call theses threats land mines. Much thinking of the untrained mind is distorted, incomplete, biased, uninformed and prejudiced. This kind of thinking creates a potential mine field that can hold a person back from using his/her knowledge, schooling, experience, reasoning, intuition, common sense and confidence to make informed decisions.

This section was created to raise awareness of the critical thinking mine field and ways of avoiding the mines. Then, you can focus your efforts on thinking more critically. Egocentric thinking is viewing everything in relation to oneself. These individuals are self-centered and consider only their interests. This impedes critical thinking. It is difficult for many people to identify this characteristic within themselves. The egocentric person is usually unaware of his or her thinking patterns.

There are many successful business people, lawyers, politicians, and others who are egocentric thinkers. They are closed minded to the thoughts and ideas of others. This damages their critical thinking abilities. Open minded thinking is one of the fundamental critical thinking skills. The best defense to minimizing thinking egocentrically is to be aware of it and to be mindful of the needs of others. In essence, to continually strive towards viewing ideas and concepts from multiple vantage points. Social conditioning can be a benefit or drawback to your ability to think critically.

Each of us is unique

Age, IQ, race, genes, gender, culture, family, friends, and a wide array of other factors have a dramatic effect on how we view the world and the people we interact with. Critical thinking is hindered when the world and people in it are viewed from biased conditioning without learning the needs, desires and dreams of others. It may not be possible to completely understand others, but open minded critical thinking can enable you to listen, learn and empathize. This helps you understand others better.

For example, because someone is a Christian, that doesn’t mean he or she can’t appreciate the beliefs of Judaism, Buddhism, or Confucianism. The same is true for any religious, social or political belief system. Arguably one of the biggest problem in the world today is lack of acceptance. In another word: intolerance. Race, religion, culture, and a wide array of other factors can bring us together or tear us apart. Each of us chooses if we will accept others, or not. Recognizing and accepting the influences of conditioning from social effects is normal.

However, strive to understand how and why they are biasing thoughts. That enlightenment will help clarify your thinking about issues and help guide you towards conclusions that are rational, unbiased, logical and fair. Return from Social Conditioning to Problem Solving Techniques Biased experiences are a relative of egocentric thinking. Although experience is a wonderful teacher, if it is filtered through a biased or distorted view, that is how it is remembered. Self-delusion supports self-delusion.

Create an open mind and question logic by asking again and again: “Am I thinking logically and rationally”. This is called a sanity check. Another good sanity check is choosing friends and colleagues who will tell you the truth, not just what you want to hear. These friends are priceless as sounding boards for your stream of thought and rational thinking. Arrogance and Intolerance Arrogance and intolerance are not welcome in the mind of the true critical thinker. They are recognized for what they are and kept to a minimum.

Arthur Ide, who is the editor of my first two books once said to me: “Everyone is prejudice, I hate bigots! ” These words have stayed with me for several years and I find myself saying them when the occasion is right. Another example: The economist Milton Friedman makes a strong case for individual freedom. He has stated: “The people who always get us into trouble are the people who know better than you do what’s good for you. ” He goes on to say: “Arrogance and intolerance are what produce the ills of the world. ” These simple words say a great deal.

When a mind is closed, so is the ability to find the best solution. Critical thinking skills are crippled. To learn more see: The Re-Discovery of Common Sense. Schedule Pressures Schedule pressures can be an enemy of sound critical thinking.

These pressures can lead to:

• Cutting corners – That can lead to mistakes and poor decision making.
• Undue stress – This can also lead to mistakes and bad decision making.
• Procrastination – This comes from not knowing how or where to start. This can lead to even more stress and cutting corners. A vicious circle begins. The result is excessive cost and time to fix.

This is unfortunate when proper planning and execution could have helped tasks to be done right the first time. Many times tasks can be done within the budget allocated. Think of a time when you or someone you know had some excessive pressures from tight schedules.

• Were an undue number of mistakes made?
• Did it cost time, energy and money to fix later?
• If more focused time had been invested up front to do the task correctly, would the results have been better?

There is an overused statement at many work places. It is: “We don’t have time to do it right the first time, we will fix it later! Many companies lose millions of dollars each year from schedules that have high pressures. It costs individuals dearly as well. To help minimize the negative effects of excessive pressures from schedules do the following:

• Before starting, map out the project steps using the tools and techniques shown on this website.
• Determine the schedule drivers and see if relief is possible.
• Work hard, but make time to relax however you do it best>br> (Consider: exercise, chilling, listening to enjoyable music etc). Group Think -The Herd Mentality Group think is a danger to critical thinking.

There is an old but worthwhile statement: “When everyone thinks alike, no one thinks very much. ” It has much truth to it. Critical thinking by its very nature questions ideas, opinions, and thoughts of yourself and others. It uses internal and external reflection. There are three reasons it can be tough to escape this mentality. They are:

1. The group think mentality is present every day from many sources. Radio, television, news papers, magazines and the Internet all reflect the current so called norm of thinking. Too many times opinions are stated as fact by self-proclaimed experts.They cater to the most uninformed. Unfortunately, many people don’t question what they hear, nor do they question the source of information before repeating it as gospel.
2.  The problems of the world are complex. For the non-critical thinker the world is a much simpler place to live.
3. The drive for acceptance from others is a strong motivating factor. Thinking outside the group can be uncomfortable. However, it is necessary for the critical thinker. Becoming a critical thinker takes conscious and constant diligence. A critical thinker continually asks the questions:

• Does this make sense? If so, why?
• If not, why not? Here is an example: David Crockett was best known for his adventures in the wilderness and fighting at the Alamo. He also served as a Congressman where he was known as an honest and conscientious man. During the time of his tenure in Congress a law known as the Indian Removal Act in 1830 was being debated. This was a proposed law that would relocate the Five Civilized Tribes of Native American tribes living east of the Mississippi River to further west. It was favored by many who would gain access to lands inhabited by these tribes. They influenced many congressmen.

David Crockett was one of the few in Congress who spoke against the Indian Removal Act. It was passed after a bitter debate in Congress by a small margin and then signed into law by Andrew Jackson. The relocation of the five tribes had many hardships. It became known as: “The Trail of Tears. ” Thousands of Indians died during the forced relocation. David Crockett was a strong critical thinker who followed his own beliefs and values. He couldn’t be bribed to support any measure he thought was wrong. His celebrated motto was: “Be sure that you are right, and then go ahead. ” The Drone Mentality

It is easy to fall into a drone mentality (a pattern of not paying attention to the world, people and surroundings). This mentality can sneak up at any time. Working through daily chores without thinking is one symptom. Another symptom is to shy away from new challenges or problems. Many people live this pattern for years, sometimes decades. Without a conscious effort it is easy to loose critical thinking skills over time. There are some serious problems to not paying attention to what goes on. The drone mentality can cost dearly. The movie Catch Me if You Can by Steven Spielberg is about a young man who was a brilliant master of deception.

It is based on the real life exploits of Frank Abagnale, Jr. who successfully passed himself off as a teacher, a pilot, a doctor and a lawyer all before he reached his 21st birthday! He did this in the late 1960’s. Frank Abagnale Jr. used disguise and deception to get away with his antics. He passed off bad checks to finance his expensive life by targeting drone like people. He stole the bulk of the money from corporations. Today, fraud and theft criminals still prey on drone like people however now it is personal. Identity theft and fraud are at epidemic proportions. The scams are getting more creative and damaging.

It is tough enough as a critical thinker to protect personal and private information and not get caught in a scam. A drone like mentality can cost individuals significant time as well as thousands, if not tens of thousands of dollars—or more. Identity theft alone has affected several million people in the United States and is growing. Always protect personal information. If approached about a “deal” where someone asks for money be very skeptical.

Ask:

• Does this deal make sense?
• If so, why?
• If not, why not? “What I did in my youth is hundreds of times easier today. Technology breeds crime. ” ~ Frank Abagnale Jr.

The challenge you face is to create a coherent view of the world that expresses who you are as well as the person you want to become. It should be a vision that not only guides your actions but also enables you to understand the value of your experiences, the significance of your relationships, and the meaning of your life. The quality of your life philosophy is a direct result of your abilities to think critically and think creatively, abilities that you have been developing while working on activities presented throughout this book.

But a life philosophy is incomplete until it is acted upon through the decisions you make, decisions dad possible by your ability to choose freely. These are the three life principles of human transformation upon which this book is based: thinking critically, living creatively, choosing freely. These three principles are interlocking pieces of the puzzle of your life. Working together as a unified force, these principles can illuminate your existence: answering questions, clarifying confusion, creating meaning, and providing fulfillment.

Think critically: When used properly, your thinking process acts like a powerful beacon of light, illuminating the depths of your personality and the reader of your experience. Clear thinking is a tool that helps you disentangle the often confused jumble of thoughts and feelings that compose much of your waking consciousness. By becoming a more powerful critical thinker, you are acquiring the abilities you need to achieve your goals, solve problems, and make intelligent decisions. Critical thinkers are people who have developed thoughtful and well-founded beliefs to guide their choices in every area of their lives.

In order to develop the strongest and most accurate beliefs possible, you need to become aware of your own biases, explore situations room many different perspectives, and develop sound reasons to support your points of view. Live creatively: Creativity is a powerful life force that can infuse your existence with meaning. Working in partnership with critical thinking, creative thinking helps you transform your life into a rich tapestry of productivity and success. When you approach your life with a mindful sense of discovery and invention, you can continually create yourself in ways limited only by your imagination.

A creative lens changes everything for the better: Problems become opportunities for growth, mundane routines become halogens for inventive approaches, relationships become intriguing adventures. When you give free rein to your creative impulses, every aspect of your life takes on a special glow. You are able to break out of unthinking habitual responses and live fully in every minute, responding naturally and spontaneously. It sounds magical, and it is. Choose freely: People can transform themselves only if they choose to take different paths in their lives-?and only if their choices are truly free.

To exercise genuine freedom, you must have the insight to understand all of your options and the wisdom o make informed choices. When you fully accept your freedom, you redefine your daily life and view your future in a new light. By working to neutralize the constraints on your autonomy and guide your life in positive directions, you see alternatives that were not previously visible, having been concealed by the limitations of your previous vision. Your future becomes open, a field of rich possibilities that you can explore and choose among.

A life that is free is one that is vital and exciting, suffused with unexpected opportunities and the personal fulfillment that comes from a life well lived. Your “self’ is, in its essence, a dynamic life force that is capable of thinking critically, creating, and choosing freely. These three essential dimensions of your self exist optimally when they work together in harmonious unity. When working together, these three basic elements create a person who is intelligent, creative, and determined-?the ingredients for success in any endeavor.

Consider the unfortunate consequences of subtracting any of these elements from the dynamic equation. If you lack the ability to think critically, you won’t be able to function very well in most challenging careers because you will eave difficulty thinking clearly, solving complex problems, and making intelligent decisions. What’s more, whatever creative ideas you come up with will be rootless, lacking an intelligible framework or practical strategies for implementing them. You will be an impractical dreamer, condemned to a life of frustrated underachieving.

Without insight into yourself, your freedom will be imprisoned because you won’t be able to see your choices clearly or to liberate yourself from the influences that are constraining you. F you lack the ability to think creatively, then your thinking abilities may enable you to perform in a solid, workmanlike fashion, but your work will lack imagination, you will be afraid to try original approaches because of the risk of failure, and your personality will be lacking the spontaneous sparkle that people admire and are drawn to.

You will in time become a competent but unimaginative “worker bee,” performing your duties with predictable adequacy but never rising to the lofty heights that you are capable of attaining. Your choices will be as limited as your imagination, and your habitual choices of safe and secure paths will eventually create a very small canvas for your personal portrait. You lack the ability to choose freely, then your abilities to think critically or creatively cannot save you from a life of disappointment.

Though you may be able to clearly analyze and understand, you will lack the will to make the difficult choices and stay the course when you encounter obstacles and adversities. And though you may develop unique and valuable ideas, your inability to focus your energies and make things happen will doom these ideas to anonymity. Because you lack the will to create yourself as a strong individual of character and integrity, the people you encounter will come to IEEE you as a shallow-rooted reed that bends with the wind of superficial trends, not as someone deserving of authority and responsibility.

Think of what you aspire to have: a life of purpose and meaning the respect and devotion of those around you, success and fulfillment in your chosen endeavors, and a secure sense of who you are, a person with the courage and vision to accomplish great things. These aspirations are within your grasp, but only if you develop all of these fundamental dimensions of your self to their fullest potential: the abilities to think critically, think creatively, and choose freely. Choose Freely You have the power to create yourself through the choices that you make, but only if your choices are truly free.

To exercise genuine freedom you must possess the insight to understand all of your options and the wisdom to make informed choices. In many instances passive, illogical, and superficial thinking inhibits people’s abilities to make intelligent choices and erodes their motivation to persevere when obstacles are encountered. This section is designed to provide you with a general framework for understanding the nature of free choice and the practical thinking strategies needed to translate his understanding into transformed behaviors and attitudes.

You can redefine your daily life in a new light and enhance its value through free choices derived from thinking critically and creatively. Condemned to Be Free Man is condemned to be free. Condemned, because he did not create himself, yet is nevertheless at liberty, and from the moment that he is thrown into this world, he is responsible for everything he does. Jean-Paul Sartre This book is based on the conviction, articulated here by the philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre, that we create ourselves through the choices that we make, ND that we are capable of choosing different courses of action.

But often we get so caught up in routine, so mired in the day-to-day demands of reality and the pressures of conformity that we don’t even see alternatives to our condition, much less act on them. Our complaints often far outnumber our shining moments, as we tend to focus on the forces and people that have thwarted our intentions. “If only got the breaks now and then . “If only could get rid of my habitual tendency to I would . These complaints, and millions of others like them, bitterly betray W. E. Hanley notion that “l am the master of my fate, am the captain of my soul.

It is much more common for people to believe that fate mastered them and that they never had sufficient opportunity to live life ‘their way. ” Instead of feeling free, we often feel beleaguered, trying desperately to prevent our small dinghy from getting swamped in life’s giant swells, rather than serenely charting a straight course in our sleek sailboat. The end result is that when people think of “being free,” they often conjure up a romantic notion of “getting away/’ from their concerns and responsibilities, imagining a world where anything is possible and there is plenty of money to pay for it.

However appealing this fantasy may be, it is a misconceived and unrealistic notion of freedom. Genuine freedom consists of making thoughtful choices from among the available options, choices that reflect your genuine desires and deepest values, resisting the pressures to surrender your autonomy to external pressures or internal forces. The most important and disturbing element of personal freedom is that it necessarily involves personal responsibility. And personal responsibility is the main reason why people are reluctant to embrace their freedom and in fact actively seek to “escape” from it.

If you acknowledge author choices are ere, then you must accept that you are responsible for the outcome of your choices. When you are successful, it is easy to take full responsibility for your success. But when failure occurs, people tend to dive for cover, blaming others or forces outside of their control. This is exactly what’s going on in all the preceding “If only’ statements and many others like them: they each express the belief that if only some outside force had not intervened, people would have achieved the goals they set for themselves.

However, in many instances, these explanations are bogus, and these efforts to escape from redeem are illegitimate. They represent weak and inauthentic attempts to deny freedom and responsibility. Free Choice: The Mainspring of Human Action Every day we are confronted with the mystery of human action. One person commits an armed robbery, killing a guard in the process. Another person is found to have embezzled large sums of money from the charitable organization he directed. A firefighter risks his life to save the life of an infant trapped in a burning building.

A peaceful protest gets out of control and turns into a violent and destructive altercation. A respected member of the immunity is accused of abusing the children on the teams that he coached. Two teenagers are accused of murdering their newborn infant and dumping the body in a garbage container. An 84-year-old woman who spent her life cleaning the homes of others donates her life a local college with which she had no previous relationship. In each of these instances, and countless others, we struggle to understand “why/’ people acted the way they did.

Our answers typically depend on our deepest beliefs about the nature of the human self. For example: Human nature: “I believe in human nature; people are born with certain basic instincts that influence and determine how they behave. ” Based on this view, the actions described previously, whether “good” or “evil,” are no more than the natural expression of a universal nature that is genetically hardwired into every person. From this perspective, we should no more hold people responsible for their destructive actions than we would an animal in the wild that kills in order to survive.

There is no possibility of free choice because our actions necessarily follow from our inborn nature, and we cannot be other than who we are. Whether you act virtuously or destructively in your life is ally beyond your control, and you cannot alter your fundamental character. The environment: “l believe that people are shaped by their environment, conditioned by their experiences to be the kind Of people they are. ” From this vantage point, the actions described previously are the direct products of the life experiences that the individuals had.

If the environment in which a person developed was deprived or abusive, then these forces shaped a violent individual with little regard for the rights or lives of others. On the other hand, if you were fortunate enough to grow up in a loving and nurturing environment in which kindness and empathy were considered paramount values, then this upbringing shaped who you are. But once again, you cannot be held responsible for how you turned out because you didn’t choose your environment; you were a passive agent molded by forces beyond your control. And, of course, you are incapable of making free choices.

We should no more condemn the embezzler than we should reward the firefighter who risks his life, since they are each merely products of environments that are ultimately responsible for their behavior. Psychological forces: “l believe that people are governed by psychological ores, many of them unconscious, that cause them to think, feel, and act in certain ways. ” Based on this point of view, the actions described previously are the direct result of deep psychological impulses that have been formed by people’s earliest relationships and experiences.

Although these people may think they are choosing to do the things, in reality, they are puppets manipulated by unseen psychological strings. The same is true for you. So when the coach sexually abused the children on his teams, he was not actually choosing this reprehensible course of action, he was impelled by psychological forces over which he had no control. Similarly, your behavior results from psychological motivations, often repressed, that form the basic structure of your personality. Your feelings of freedom are illusory.

Social dynamics: “l believe that we are social creatures that are greatly influenced by the people around us. ” From this perspective, people’s behavior results in large measure from the forces exerted by those around them. The need to conform to the prevailing norms, to be accepted by the groups to which you belong, to please those who are close to you, to obey those in sections of authority-?these and other social needs determine your behavior and define who you are as an individual. For example, the violent actions of the initially peaceful demonstrators can be understood only by examining the dynamics of social interaction.

Since the group as a whole is to blame, responsibility is removed from the individuals. In the same way, individuals who act illegally (or immorally) within an organization often seek to be exonerated on the grounds that they were merely acting as cogs in the machine, not independent agents. An extreme version of this occurred after World War II at the Murderer trials when many people accused of wartime atrocities explained that they were “only following orders. ” Thinking Activity 12. 1: Your Theory of Human Behavior Think about some of the actions described at the beginning of this section.

How would you explain why those people acted in the ways that they did? Which of the above theories make the most sense to you? Do you have your own theory to explain why people behave the way they do? Creating Yourself Through Free Choices If we examine all of these beliefs regarding the nature of human beings, we can see that they have several significant things in common: These beliefs represent attempts to explain human behavior in terms of factors that precede the action: a universal human nature, past experiences, psychological forces, and social dynamics.

In other words, all of these beliefs assume that the “essence” of a person, as defined by the factors identified previously, comes before the human actions and in fact causes these actions to take place. As a result, all of these beliefs about the human self have the effect of removing responsibility from the individual for his actions. If what you did was the direct result of human nature, past experiences, psychological forces, or social dynamics, then you cannot be held accountable. You didn’t have a choice, your behavior was outside of your control.

As a final consequence, these beliefs about the self limit future possibilities. If your thoughts, feelings, and actions are caused by forces beyond your control, then you do not have it in your power to change, to alter direction, to improve-?any more than a puppet can decide to act independently and contrary to the wishes of the puppeteer. From a framework rooted in human freedom, these traditional perspectives regarding the nature of people can be dangerous and destructive. One of the most passionate and articulate modern exponents of individual freedom was Jean-Paul Sartre.

His position is extreme-?you are completely free. You create yourself entirely through the free choices that you make every day of your life. Though you may try to pretend otherwise, the reality is that you are the originator of your actions, the master of your fate and the captain of your soul, for better or for worse. You may choose to surrender control of your life to other individuals or organizations, but this is ultimately a free choice that you make and for which you are completely responsible. Let’s revisit the examples identified previously and analyze them from this perspective.

Free choice: “l believe that people are free to choose their courses of action, and that they should be held responsible for the choices they make. ” The person who committed the armed robbery and murdered the guard freely chose to steal money and he is completely responsible. He was not compelled to act in this fashion; he could have chosen not to. The person who embezzled money from the charitable organization which he headed freely chose to betray his trusted position out of greed and should be held fully accountable.

The heroic firefighter freely chose to overcome his natural fear of death and risk his life to save someone else’s, and he should be awarded full credit for his heroism. The child abuser freely chose to surrender to his destructive sexual impulses, and he deserves to be condemned and fully punished. The infant-murdering teenagers freely chose to deal with their fear of having an unwanted child by killing it and trying to hide the body (despite having many other alternatives available), and they should be held fully responsible for their choice.

The philanthropic senior citizen freely chose to neonate her money to improve educational opportunities for underprivileged young people rather than spending the money on herself, and she deserves to be praised for her altruism. Each of these people had other alternatives available to them, and they could have made different choices-?but they didn’t. Therefore, they must be held responsible for the choices that they did make. But surely, you might be thinking, I can’t be held completely responsible for my life. After all, there are many factors outside of my control, people and forces that do create obstacles and undermine my efforts.

And we are subject o pressures and influences from within ourselves: feelings of greed, fear of death, altruistic impulses, sexual compulsions, need for social acceptance, and so on. Still, it is up to us to freely choose which impulses, motivations, fears, and desires we want to act in accordance with. In other words, it is up to you, your “self. ” You make the ultimate choice regarding who you want to become and the direction of your life. When you look in the mirror, the person that you see reflected is the person you have created.

If you are pleased with who you are and the state of your life, then you have every right to feel proud. On the other hand, if you are dissatisfied with the person you have become and disappointed with the course of your life, then you have to look no further than yourself to determine who is responsible. You must have the courage to accept full responsibility for your situation, but it is within your power to change, to improve yourself and your life through the free choices that you are able to make. Sartre characterizes humans as the one living creature whose “existence” precedes its “essence. In other words, you create your “essence” (your self, soul, personality) through the free choices that you make in your daily “existence. He explains: Man first of all exists, encounters himself, surges up in the world-?and defines himself afterwards. Man simply is-?he is what he wills to be after that leap towards existence. Man is nothing else but that which he makes of himself. This is exactly what distinguishes human consciousness from the rest of the animal kingdom: when confronted with a decision situation, we are able to think about the options available to us and then make a free choice based on our evaluation.

And that makes us responsible for our actions, as Sartre explains: If existence is prior to essence, then man is responsible for what he is, it puts very person in possession of himself as he is, and places the entire responsibility for his existence squarely on his shoulders. In today’s culture, personal freedom and responsibility are in danger of extinction, threatened by an array of psychological, sociological, and genetic explanations that have the cumulative effect of robbing people of their autonomy and dignity.

It is refreshing and enlightening to view people through the lens of personal freedom, awarding them the power to make free choices for which they are responsible, rather than viewing them as victims Of resistance with little control over their destinies. George Bernard Shaw dismissed this “victimized” view of life when he stated, “l don’t believe in circumstances. Rather than blaming their circumstances, the people who get on in this world create their own. ” Because You Are Free .

This discussion of freedom may seem abstract and theoretical to you, and you might be asking yourself: What difference do my beliefs about personal freedom make in my life? The truth is that along with your beliefs about morality and religion, there is perhaps no other belief that has a greater impact on your life. Here are a few examples. Self-improvement: If you are a person who is constantly striving to improve yourself and the quality of your life, then it is essential that you possess the freedom to make different choices from those you have previously made. Personal freedom is the lifeblood of human change.

By using your critical- thinking abilities, you can identify appropriate goals and intelligent alternatives; by exercising your freedom, you can choose the goals and alternatives that best meet your needs and fulfill your ideals. On the other hand, an exclusive belief in one of the “non-freedom” theories (human nature, environmental determinism, etc. Undermines and even eliminates the possibility of changing yourself. The die has been cast, and whatever the future has in store for you, you cannot influence it in any meaningful way. Morality: Morality deals with the way we relate to people around us.

Societies have developed moral ideals and prohibitions to help their citizens live together in a harmonious and productive fashion. As a result, most societies consider things like murder, robbery, cheating, stealing, and raping to be “wrong,” and they have enacted laws and punishments to discourage antisocial behavior. On the other hand, most societies consider things like impassion, altruism, sharing in communal responsibilities, and working for the good of everyone as well as yourself to be “right,” and this sort of behavior is encouraged through teaching, exhortation, and example.

How does conducting research move you away from the problem of egocentric thinking that was discussed on page 21 in the Paul and Elder critical thinking booklet? As humans we are sometimes stuck in our own beliefs. We believe what we are told and what we’ve always known. “We do not naturally appreciate the point of view of others nor the limitations in our own point of view” (Simmons, 2011). By conducting research, we are able to encounter other views that are more factual with actual research behind it. We only have so much to offer based on our experiences.

If we research other’s work from around the world, we are now open to so many more possibilities. A critical thinker is one that would research often to find multiple perspectives and then take that Information to form an educated response. A non- critical thinker would be the one to stick to their own beliefs based on what they know from personal experience. * How might conducting your inquiry research project contribute to your professional knowledge base, rather than relying on your intuitive knowledge base to make decisions?

By conducting my own Inquiry research project, I will be able to see many perspectives and ideas related to my topic by professionals from all over. Because I am a new teacher, I really rely on other’s work because they’ve had so much more experience than me. They’ve put in the time for all that research that I would have never known otherwise. We all live in different areas so my research results may only work for the student’s In my area. It’s important to get a variety of research so that you can compile them to get a more well-rounded result.

How does the skill of making decisions based on critically reviewing and conducting research differentiate you as a professional educator? By making decisions based on reviewing and research, differentiates me because I am not Just taking what I know from my own classroom and sticking with what I know. I am able to research professional articles to open my mind and allow new ideas in. A teacher that researches often and tries new ideas in their classroom, will have more of an Impact and become a better-rounded professional with much more to add to this profession.

Application and Critical Thinking Most crime labs In the U. S. Are funded & operated by the gobo and provide services free to police and prosecutors. Great Britain uses private labs that charge a fee for services and keeps any profits they make. What are some potential strengths and weaknesses of each system? One potential strength for the U. S. For being funded and operated by the gobo and providing free services for the police and prosecutors Is that they do not have to worry about funds.

The police and/or prosecutors can approach the crime labs they deed and ask for which ever tests they need to be performed and get them done, how ever many times. A potential weakness of this system could be that the information could be skewed being that it is run by one particular agency, another weakness is that the gobo isn’t making any money like the agencies in Great Britain. In Great Britain, they are getting paid to do a Job, they would want to do the Job well and In a timely manner.

In the U. S. , they not getting paid, so why would they rush to get It done? They can tea their time solving things or getting the tests completed. On the aside, the police and prosecutors have access to, free of charge, all of the services the U. S. Crime labs provide: FBI, DEAD, TAFT, US Postal lab, to name a few. A strength for Great Britain using private labs is that it’s not being interfered with by the government, It was paid to do a job, it will get the Job done.

On the down side, this type of system expects to be paid, so if a small area can not pay for the types of help they are In need of, the crime lab will not be able to provide help with the crime investigation. 2. Police investigating an apparent suicide collect the following items at the scene: a tote purportedly written by the victim, a revolver bearing very faint finger prints and traces of skin and blood under the victim’s fingernails. What units of the crime laboratory will examine each piece of evidence?

The unit that would examine the note would be the Document Examination Unit. This unit studies the authenticity of handwriting and typewriting on the documents in question. The revolver will be examined by the Firearms Unit as they are able to detect residue from firearms, discharged bullets, shotgun shells, cartridge cases, and other types of ammunitions. They examine all firearms and are able to approximate he distance the weapon was fired from the target. The revolver will also also be examined by the Latent Fingerprint Unit because it has a very faint fingerprint on it.

The Biology unit will examine the traces of blood and skin found under the victim’s fingernails. This unit is staffed with many biochemists and biologists that are trained to perform DNA profiling on body fluids, dried bloodstains as well as skin. Crime scene instead of a patrol officer or detective. One of the advantages of having an evidence collection unit process a crime scene over a patrol officer or a detective is that the evidence collection unit have properly rained staff technicians on the ready 24 hours a day to arrive at a crime scene to collect evidence.

Another advantage is that these technicians are trained recognize and to collect/gather important physical evidence at the crime scene where as a detective or a patrol office may not have such a keen eye for such things. A third advantage for having evidence collection units process a crime scene is that the technicians are trained to work with all the special lab equipment in order to help process the evidence. This helps them to become experts in their field as they are exposed to the equipment 24 hours a day, having all the supplies and tools for proper evidence collection and packaging which allows for future examination. . What legal issue was raised on appeal by the defense in Carl Spooling’s Florida murder trial? What court ruling is most relevant to the decision to reject the appeal? Explain. The legal issue that was raised while on appeal was that could the defendant be convicted of murder based on a series of tests designed specifically for this one case because the tests had not yet “gained general acceptance” across the toxicology profession. The court believed that these tests, though they are new, are important to the case and are admissible and doesn’t make the crime of murder any less of a crime.

Rule 702 is most relevant, in this case, to the decision to reject the appeal because Rule 702 deals with the “admissibility of expert testimony. ” The testimony from qualified experts (the witness); by skills, training, knowledge, experience, or education, is based on gathered data and/or sufficient facts. The testimony must be produced from methods and principles of reliability, and finally, the witness must use and apply the methods and principles reliably to facts of said case.

This essay will reason why critical thought is the most successful accomplishment used for survey in the university.In the university assorted accomplishments are needed to be embraced by one to accomplish uttermost booming out of one ‘s academic calling, but one accomplishment stands apart and poses distinguishable characteristics that set the foundation for other accomplishments to construct positively in 1s larning procedure. This accomplishment is referred to as critical thought and brings us to the inquiry what is critical thought?

Critical thought has been defined by many bookmans over recent times. Harmonizing to Michael scriven ( 1997 ) provinces, ” critical thought is skilled and active reading and rating of observations and communications, information and debates ” .

He observed that critical thought involved thorough probe of thoughts and theories, prosecuting in statements and organizing equal decisions on each topic affair presented before him or her.

Another writer John Dowey ( 1990 ) defined critical thought as ” an active, relentless, and careful consideration of a belief or supposed signifier of cognition in the visible radiations of the land which support it and farther decisions to which its terminals ” ( p.9 ) and besides saw critical thought as a procedure of brooding thought.

He was of the sentiment that critical thought was an active procedure which implied you thinks things through yourself, raise inquiries and happen out information yourself instead than larning in a mostly inactive manner.

The procedure of critical thought enables one non to take anything for face value but merely delve profoundly into it understanding it and organizing your ain beliefs and theories.it is non merely what the author presents to you but how and why did he get to those theories.it besides involves metacognition. During critical believing one has to determine the standards of credibleness, entree statements and must be prone to logical false beliefs. The activity of critical thought in big portion aims to expose this aims and public facet of the statement. Therefore when Socrates responds to Protagoras he is implicitly subjecting his adversary ‘s claim to one litmus trial of cogent statement: rationality. In fact, Protagoras claim fails this trial. It ‘s paradoxical. Critical thought involves logical logical thinking and all other academic accomplishments are besides of import for survey in the university.

Academic accomplishments such reading accomplishments, composing accomplishments, listening accomplishments, talk accomplishments, being an independent scholar, exam readying accomplishments are all sets of accomplishments that if a pupil exhaustively abides by its rules is on his manner to an un stoping success throughout his staying at the university.

Reading accomplishments at the university throws more accent on academic reading instead than leisure reading.it exposes one to assorted accomplishments such as skimming, scanning, elaborate reading accomplishments so that when one is reading academically he should be able to pick out information rapidly and be more efficient while reading.it besides enlightens one to the additions of active and critical reading and the hazards and storms of inactive reading.it besides educates one to reading critically and reflecting back to your reading.

Writing accomplishments at the university besides throws more prominence to academic writing.it exposes one assorted composing techniques such as punctuation, presentation of Hagiographas, standardisation and agreements of Hagiographas so that written work could run into up to criterions and outlooks and besides expose pupils to try Hagiographas, missive Hagiographas and journal Hagiographas so that approaching alumnuss would be able to run into up to challenges in assorted organisations and every sector of the economic system.

Lecture skills provides pupils at the university the assorted techniques used for acquiring the really best after talk has been conducted.it makes accent on seminal before categories, reading before categories, taking notes in category all spur a pupil to achieve and accomplish every bit much as he can in each talk.

Exam readying accomplishments, provides talk on the assorted accomplishments to be used by university pupils so that they can come out top of their game at any test taken topographic point non merely I the university but besides external scrutinies.

Independent larning accomplishments provides pupils with the assorted abilities of pull offing the learning.it educates pupils on the direction of clip puting disputing but come-at-able ends, being motivated to larn and besides changeless contemplation on your acquisition procedure.

Notwithstanding the assorted relevancy of the assorted academic accomplishments, experience as shown infinite figure of times that critical thought forms the footing of process for other academic accomplishments to run. All other academic accomplishments depend on critical believing one manner or another. As described earlier despite the assorted impact of reading accomplishments to a university under alumnus faculty members calling which enables him to absorb and pick out relevant information from a text, much accent is being made on critical reading which involves high application of the rules on critical thought which enables the reader to understand the transition exhaustively without merely achieving the inactive significance of the author. Besides in composing accomplishments besides relates to critical thought. Many believe ” critical thought is a stipulation for composing a good essay ”this has farther being analyzed and explained that during composing an essay, missive or a journal one demand to read and believe critically of the significance of the essay inquiry, understand what the tester wants from the author before composing the essay.

Critical thought besides relates to exam readying accomplishments and independent larning accomplishments in the same mode as authorship and reading accomplishments. It helps a pupil to believe anxiously about the exam inquiries and supply suited replies for each inquiry. Independent larning accomplishments besides makes mention to critical thought in the line of doing determinations, puting come-at-able ends and brooding acquisition.

Other academic accomplishment have comparative importance to a pupil in the university as they have contributed efficaciously to him or hers academic calling has explained above but critical thought has proven to be the most successful accomplishment for a pupil to stand out at the university due to the undermentioned grounds

First and foremost the province of instruction in the university varies with the degree of doctrine and appraisal of the pupils. The current theoretical account suggests pupils who can practise a series of memorized facts will remember those facts one time the trial is complete and will hold learned what is supposed to hold learned. Critical thought gives pupils the capableness to understand, assimilate and digest cognition of whatever is being taught during talk and categories besides while reading academically acquire the most out of every point assimilated.

Second, Critical thought accomplishments encourages pupils in the university to believe for themselves, cultivate hypothesis, interrogate bing hypothesis and besides put this hypothesis to prove against already known facts facts.

Third, critical thought will help university pupils differentiate statements based on steadfastly grounded cogent evidence from those that float along on misconception or desirous dreams. Although other academic accomplishments depend on mental adulthood and instruction, even immature kids have the basic capacity to believe critically, although they may non acquire much recognition for it. We one time know about a 4th grader who when told antediluvian Greece was the ”cradle of democracy ” replied, ”but what about adult females who were disenfranchised? Was Greece a democracy for them? That surely critical thought and one can get down to develop accurate points about Grecian civilisations.

Many university pupils have been able to organize acquire right replies but can non organize rational statement for it or see through equivocal advertizements that play on their emotions. They may non cognize how to entree a political proposals or campaigner or come up with fruitful solutions to their jobs but critical thought enables one to do rational and equal determinations at the right clip.

Fourthly, critical thought is non inessential in ordinary life, but besides cardinal to all scientific discipline and is peculiarly relevant in section of psychological science in the university. For one thing, the field itself includes the survey of concluding, job resolution, creativeness, and other facets of critical idea. It besides involves the survey of hindrances to clear thought such as human leaning for justification, self-deceit, and misperception. Many scientists need to bring forth many viing findings on hot subjects of personal and societal relevancy, such as dependence, memory, sexual orientation and function of genetic sciences in behaviour ; people need to critical thought helps pupils to measure these findings and their possible deductions.

In decision Critical thought can non supply replies to all inquiries in the university and other life predicaments. Furthermore critical thought is a procedure, non a once-and -for -all achievements. No 1 of all time becomes a perfect critical mind wholly non affected by some sorts of emotions. We are less unfastened minded to believe we can jab in another adult male ‘s statement than to critically analyze our ain places. Harmonizing to philosopher Paul Richards ( 1984 ) points out, critical thought is truly ”fair-mindedness brought into the bosom of mundane life ”