Description

1.)

Write: For this discussion, you will address the following prompts. Keep in mind that the article or video you’ve chosen should not be about the topic “critical thinking,” but should be about someone making a statement, claim, or argument. One source should demonstrate good critical thinking skills and the other source should demonstrate the lack or absence of critical thinking skills. Personal examples should not be used.

Explain at least five elements of critical thinking that you found in the reading material.

Search the Internet, media, or the Ashford University Library, and find an example in which good critical thinking skills are being demonstrated by the author or speaker. Summarize the content and explain why you think it demonstrates good critical thinking skills.

Search the Internet, media, or the Ashford University Library and find an example in which the author or speaker lacks good critical thinking skills. Summarize the content and explain why you think it demonstrates the absence of good, critical thinking skills.

Your initial post should be at least 250 words in length, which should include a thorough response to each prompt. You are required to provide in-text citations of applicable required reading materials and/or any other outside sources you use to support your claims. Provide full reference information of all sources cited at the end of your response. Please use correct APA format when writing in-text citations and references.

2.) Respond to:

Critical writing should be strategically planned and well thought out. A key element to a critical writing piece is finding a thesis or in other words the purpose of the writing. The first step is having a reason for wanting to write. This can include persuasive writing or just informal writing. Another step that is important for critical thought writings is finding evidence based information. This information can also include data that has been collected on the topic of choice. The next key element in critical writing includes how the information is presented. The reason for the thesis should be presented with thought is backed up with the evidence and data this is researched. Another vital component to critical care writings is stating a solution to a problem that is found. A strategic and critical writing should have a well thought thesis along with a strategic solution to the problem. The last key element to critical written pieces is the overall clarity of the writing. The writing should be written so that the audience can understand and also form their own opinion.

The article, “A $15 U.S. Minimum Wage: How the Fast Food Industry Could Adjust Without Shedding Jobs,” is the embodiment of a critically and strategically written piece. This writing acknowledges that the current minimum wage is $7. 25. This wage is not a living wage. Using data collected from different areas in the United States, the author proved that the wage of $7.25 is not enough. The writer purposes that the minimum wage increases gradually over four years. This way jobs are not eliminated. This is the writers’ solution to the minimum wage issue. The authors developed a thesis, conducted research while collection data, and the proposed a solution to the issue. This is a perfect example of a critically written piece.

The article, “How Low-Paying Retailers Can Adapt to Higher Minimum Wages,” is written in the Business Source, however while this article is written on a very touchy subject. This source is very opinionated and does not contain any facts. The content is focused on making employees happy verses truly adaptation techniques.

Pollin, R.; Wicks-lin. J. (2016). A $15 U.S. Minimum Wage: How the Fast Food Industry Could Adjust Without Shedding Jobs. Journal of Economic Issues. September, 2016. Vol 50. Issue 3 p. 716-744

DOI 10. 1080/00213624.2016.1210382

Ton, Z. (2016). How Low-Paying Retailers Can Adapt to Higher Minimum Wages. Business Elite Source.

3.) Respond to:

Explain at least five elements of critical thinking that you found in the reading material.

Critical thinkers are able to change their opinions based on facts. Critical thinkers are aware of their own emotional biases and feelings and are able and willing to set those aside. Critical thinkers have the ability to evaluate an argument, no matter who it comes from or what the source is. Another element which is interesting is that while critically thinking does not completely exclude emotions, it addresses the reason and emotions and uses them as tools rather than letting those drive you to the answer. A critical thinker also clarifies their values, researches all the information, and then decides to their final opinion. A critical thinker should also remain neutral and objective before deciding on a final opinion as well.

Search the Internet, media, or the Ashford University Library, and find an example in which good critical thinking skills are being demonstrated by the author or speaker. Summarize the content and explain why you think it demonstrates good critical thinking skills.

Good critical thinking skills are used by the author’s Plotkin, Gerber, and Offit in the article Vaccines and Autism: A Tale of Shifting Hypotheses. In this article, they examine the three hypotheses that are related to the argument that vaccines cause autism. These arguments are that the combination of measles-mumps-rubella vaccine causes autism by damaging the intestinal lining which allows the entrance of encephalopathic proteins, thimerosal which is found in vaccines is toxic to the central nervous system, and that the administration of multiple vaccines overwhelms and weakness the immune system. For each hypothesis that is laid out, the authors use a wide variety of case studies from multiple different countries to prove that the hypotheses are in fact incorrect. For example, with the ingredient thimerosal, originally studies in Denmark and Sweden showed that with the presence of thimerosal in vaccines from 1980-1990 there were stable incidences of autism. However, when the ingredient was removed in 1992, the study from 1990-2000 still showed an increase in the incidence of autism. Thus, this shows that the evidence supports that thimerosal is not a cause of autism. I think this is a great example of how critical thinking is used because it does not leave out any data for the argument. The authors could have easily decided to leave out the initial data of the first case study results, but still gave the full facts to the readers. I think that this article shows simply the data that supports the facts.

Search the Internet, media, or the Ashford University Library and find an example in which the author or speaker lacks good critical thinking skills. Summarize the content and explain why you think it demonstrates the absence of good, critical thinking skills.

This article written by Paras, reveals that in the UK, they were forced to release court documents that show proof of the vaccine MMR causing Autism when the vaccine was first seeking approval there in the 1980’s. This author does not demonstrate critical thinking because the author only takes the facts that support their claim, without looking at the whole picture. For example, when they were trying to determine the cause of Autism that long ago, they did look at vaccines as a possible cause. However, later research and case studies have since corrected that. Also, the author only picks out bits and pieces from the CDC website, yet uses it against them as a claim that it does cause autism. This article is a good example of how the author used their opinion to make the facts work instead of using the facts to form their opinion.

References:

Paras, T (2016). The Big Vaccine Conspiracy: Secret Documents Confirm Vaccines Cause Autism. 

Plencner, A (2014). Communication Today: Critical Thinking and the Challenge of the Internet. Volume 5, No 2. Retrieved from 

Plotkin, S; Gerber, J; Offit, P (2009). Vaccines and Autism: A tale of Shifting Hypotheses. Clinical Infectious Diseases: Volume 48, Issue 4. Oxford Academic.