notable Comments on critical thinking
*** The below are publicly published comments and are not endorsements of Mindvax or Mindvax's products by these entities. Mindvax has no relationship with them, but we do kindly ask that you support them because we believe in their efforts to improve education. ***
Ann Althouse, Professor Emerita, University of Wisconsin Law School
"Several studies suggest [current] education is detrimental to critical thinking. As students progress through their degrees, they get better at supporting their own arguments..."
https://althouse.blogspot.com/2021/06/several-studies-suggest-education-is.html
Andrew Gutmann, Former Brearley School Parent, New York City
"Moreover, we no longer have confidence that our daughter will receive the quality of education necessary to further her development into a critically thinking, responsible, enlightened, and civic-minded adult."
Billy Prempeh, Congressional Candidate, New Jersey
"Our children should be taught critical thinking, not Critical Race Theory."
Free To Learn Coalition
Nonpartisan organization established to support parents, caregivers, and community organizations in their advocacy for quality K-12 education.
"We support the basic principle that students should be Free to Learn
Free to ask questions
Free to develop individual thoughts and opinions
Free to think critically of ideas and concepts
Free to achieve"
Matthew Lynch, Writer, The Edvocate
Article: In the Era of AI, Students Need Critical Thinking Skills
"Critical thinking skill is not only necessary in the workplace, but also in everyday life. In an age full of false information and algorithms that do not rely on users’ input, thinking critically is key to achieving better use of digital resources. We need to train our students to get ready for the challenge ahead of them."
https://www.theedadvocate.org/in-the-era-of-ai-students-need-critical-thinking-skills/
Role of Content Knowledge In Critical Thinking: Comment by Mindvax
Using school choice, parents should insist on both content knowledge and critical thinking education for their children. It is not an either/or question. Students require both to become truly educated.
Classical courses, which teach hard data, such as history with dates and science with universal laws, are necessary components of being an astute critical thinker. Even playing a sport or an instrument is content knowledge because one has to learn specific rules and how to apply them.
In a nutshell, content knowledge is about knowing things, so one can compare similarities and contrast differences. Critical thinking is about understanding what those things mean and the development of logical arguments. One without the other is missing an important aspect of education.
If a school or teacher says that learning facts and figures are the main purposes of education, they are selling students short. It also holds true if someone says critical thinking is the main purpose of education, they too are selling students short.
That is why our homepage states, "A Good Education Must Include Critical Thinking." It says "include" because it is in addition to the classical courses that a student should take. Students require both content knowledge and critical thinking to emerge as confident, analytical adults who are naturally resistant to indoctrination.
For more information on the important role of content knowledge in critical thinking, Mindvax recommends the following article: https://hechingerreport.org/scientific-research-on-how-to-teach-critical-thinking-contradicts-education-trends/.