Learning to think

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Learning to think

• What is Self?
• Self management skills
• What is thinking?
• Types of thinking
• Learning to think

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Define your self

• Describe your self with the help of letters in
  your name, such as
• NAJAM
• N_nice
• A- active
• J- jaunty
• A- adorable
• M- multi dimensional task

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What is Self?

• It is the understanding or determination of one's
  own nature or basic qualities.
• your consciousness of your own identity.
• Defining ourselves is a life long process, one
  that is ever changing. We learn more, see more
  and experience more as we grow, and in doing so,
  we should always be defining ourselves.

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Self Management

• Being able to manage your own emotions and be
  flexible in a range of complex and demanding
  situations.
• Self-management is a psychological term used to
  describe the process of achieving personal
  autonomy.

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Self management skills

• Ability to choose,
• or make a decision
• Adventuresome
• Honesty
• Alertness
• Integrity
• Assertiveness
• Initiative,
• Loyalty
• Attention to details
• Authenticity
• Optimism
• Aware

• Open-minded
• Patience
• Performing well under stress
• Polite Punctual
• Reliability
• Resourcefulness, Risk taking
• Self-confidence, Self-control
• Self-reliance ,Self-respect
• Sense of humor, Sincerity
• Spontaneity ,Tactfulness Verstality

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Learning to think

• What is thinking?
• Types of thinking
• Process of thinking
• Thinking skills
• Uses of thinking

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Brain Teaser

• Exercise 1 - CABLE CARPretend for a moment that
  you are a streetcar conductor on a cable car in
  San Francisco, going up and down the city's
  hills. As you start your first run one morning,
  five people are waiting for you. It is a busy
  morning, for at the next stop 17 people board
  your car. At the third stop six people get off,
  and 11 get on. At your fourth stop, 20 people get
  on, and seven people get off.
• How old is the conductor of the cable car?

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Exercise 2 - MATCHSTICKS This diagram represents
twelve matchsticks positioned to represent a
square made up of four equal squares. Now ask
"Can you, by moving only three of these sides
(matchsticks), make three equal-sized squares?"
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What is thinking?

• Thinking is a purposeful mental activity. Most
  part of thinking is a conscious activity. At
  times when you are in deep thinking ,even in your
  unconscious mind can also continue thinking even
  after the conscious activity stops.

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Contd..

• Thinking is the manipulation of mental
  representations in the form of
• Word
• A visual image
• Sound

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The Mental Filing Cabinet

• Your brain works as an organizing tool, or mental
  filing cabinet, it has the amazing ability to
  cross reference the information.
• The important thing is how to use that filing
  cabinet in such a way that it enhances the
  creativity of a person.

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Types of thinking
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What is Convergent Thinking

• Convergent thinking is evaluating the possible
  solutions to come up with the best answer to the
  question at hand.

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Contd.

• This type of thinking is cognitive processing of
  information around a common point, an attempt to
  bring thoughts from different directions into a
  union or common conclusion.

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Critical thinking -

• This is convergent thinking. It assesses the
  worth and validity of something existent. It
  involves precise, persistent, objective analysis.
  When teachers try to get several learners to
  think convergently, they try to help them develop
  common understanding.

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Contd..

• Convergent thinking focuses on background
  knowledge, gathering information, applying
  conventional and logical techniques, and using
  decision-making strategies.
• Convergent thinking generates established ideas.
• Convergent thinking can be thought of as the
  knowledge base of creativity.

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Divergent thinking

• Divergent thinking, in contrast to convergent
  thinking, requires one to look for alternative
  answers from the available knowledge.

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Contd

• This type of thinking starts from a common point
  and moves outward into a variety of perspectives.
  
• It is a process whereby unexpected combinations
  are made, recognition of abstract associations
  takes place, and information is transformed into
  unanticipated or new forms.

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Examples of convergent and divergent thinking
processes.

• Divergent
• Taking risks
• Generating multiple answers
• Looking from a new perspective
• Combining what does not normally belong
  together
• Changing what is known

• Convergent
• Using logic
• Combining what normally belongs together
• Being accurate
• Finding the best answer
• Playing by the rules

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Creative Thinking

• Creativity requires both divergent and convergent
  thinking.
• This is mostly based on divergent thinking. It
  generates something new or different. It involves
  having a different idea that works as well or
  better than previous ideas.

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Contd..

• Once a person has a knowledge base, (part of
  convergent thinking) divergent thinking can take
  place. The knowledge base also makes it possible
  for a person to vary their thoughts from the norm
  and to identify a solution that may be effective.
  

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Exercise in Divergent Thinking

• Exercise 1 (10 mins)
• Write down the different novel uses of the
  following objects ( as many as you can think of)
• a brick
• A bar of soap
• A pen
• A rope

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Inductive and deductive thinking

• Inductive thinking - This is the process of
  reasoning from parts to the whole, from examples
  to generalizations.
• Deductive thinking - This type of reasoning
  moves from the whole to its parts, from
  generalizations to underlying concepts to
  examples.

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Uses of thinking

• thinking is what people do when they pursue their
  goals.
• Everyone focuses their thinking in order to
  satisfy wants and needs regarding a particular
  situation.

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Contd

• They recognize and define information relevant to
  their purpose, consider alternatives, decide what
  to do, do it, determine if they are satisfied
  with the results, and if not, revise their
  approach until they are successful, all while
  learning through the experience.

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Increase Your Experience

• Making a commitment to seek fresh experiences not
  only makes you a more interesting person, it also
  enhances your creative potential.
• An active brain is continually restructuring
  itself, becoming increasingly complex
  efficient.

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Learning how to learn

• Build good habits
• Success comes from good habits. Habits come from
  skill and lifestyle.
• Develop the habit of mental self-management
• Plan, monitor and evaluate your learning process
• Identify your best learning styles

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Learning how to learn contd

• Monitor and improve your learning skills
• Reading, writing, listening, time management etc
• Use different learning environments
• Lecture, labs, study groups, etc.

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Learning how to learn contd

• Develop the habit of positive thinking
• Increasing confidence and self esteem. Setting
  goals etc.
• Develop the habit of hierarchical thinking
• Set priorities and manage time. Summarize ideas
  and organize information.

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Learning how to learn contd. . .

• Develop the habit of creative and critical
  thinking
• Make decisions and solve problems.
• Develop the habit of asking questions
• Identify main ideas and support evidence
• Generate interest and motivation. Focus
  concentration and improve memory.

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Websites

• http//www.ves.wpsb.org/focus/typesofthinking.html