What+is+critical+thinking?

By critical thinking or higher level thinking we mean habits of mind and cognitive abilities that help students to succeed in school and life. Literacy tools valued in our classrooms are reflection, writing and discussion about content that is essential to our disciplines. When students are asked to think for themselves, and are not merely reporting someone else's ideas, they are engaged in envisionment building, problem solving and making sense of the curricular content. Critical thinking is intellectual engagement and confidence in using higher order thinking such as analysis, synthesis and evaluation (Bloom's taxonomy). Critical thinking skills that cut across all disciplines are ability and willingness to pose questions, and to develop logical reasoning. Each discipline has its own rules for constructing an argument and what counts as appropriate evidence. Critical thinkers are able to consider issues from multiple perspectives, cope with ambiguity and conflicting ideas rather than seek simple answers, challenge another's opinion or viewpoint/ solutions to a problem by using interpretive skills, and scientific and logical reasoning. Critical thinkers use "language and thought to gain knowledge, share it and reason with it. We do this when we read, write and use symbols and signs that permeate our society." (Judith Langer)