What are the key Concepts of Critical Thinking in Television watching?

Critical thinking is productive and positive activities

• thinking critically about television can cause many problems for people especially parents.

• It can be disturbing, inappropriate and time wasting.

• Thinking critically about television can provides enjoyment and information that can enhance lives.

• It can increase our understanding of it - so that something positive can be done or learned from it.

Critical thinking is a process, not an outcome

Critical thinking is about how to think, not what to think. It is an ongoing process that usually begins with questions. The process

doesn't end, but often leads to a new question.

Where does critical thinking arises from?

• The critical thinking process arises from a critical attitude or stance. That attitude has been described as "critical-mindedness."

• It includes curiosity, open-mindedness, skepticism, and persistence. Once developed, critical-mindedness and the critical thinking process can be applied to any text or medium, and to all aspects of life.

Critical thinking can be triggered by positive events as well as negative ones

It can usually start with something disturbing that "gets people thinking" and

causes them to question what they thought they already knew

Negative look It is common for parents of young children to start thinking critically and negatively about television after they see the violence of cartoons.

Positive lookIt is also common for parents to encourage children to watch an educational program, and they discover after all that it wasn't boring after all.

Thinking differently?

• Children may start to think differently about what is watched at other times.

• Parents may start to rethink the assumptions they make about television programs, how their children interpret them, and how they can deal with them.

Critical thinking involves feelings as well as reasons

• many people can think that critical thinking has no room for emotion.

• They think that being rational and logical is most important, and that emotions can at one point or another get in the way. This is a mistake. It is natural for people to experience anxiety and fear when they start questioning or challenging their own and others' beliefs.

Example• People may be disappointed to

see a program about the special effects used to make something look real, and may resist believing the information. However, that feeling of disappointment could trigger an important critical thinking episode, which could lead to an understanding of the difference between reality and fantasy in television. The feeling of disappointment must be acknowledged before it can lead to new learning.

• Other emotions people may experience in critical thinking processes are excitement at seeing things in new ways, and increased confidence at feeling more in control of their lives.

• However, some people may resist thinking critically about ideas they have held for a long time. When people start to doubt ideas or opinions that previously made them feel secure, they can become very uncomfortable.

• People's feelings, and the struggles they may have with

entrenched feelings, need to be respected.

People learn from their experiences, and those experiences usually involve the senses and feelings. Television affects feelings first. Sounds, moving pictures, pace of editing, and special effects all combine to give viewers the feeling of an experience. Critical viewers will be able to name those feelings and understand how they influence thinking and affect viewing

THE ENDIrena Krakovsky

Speech 104extra credit presentation