I’m a big fan of ChatGPT. However, I do have some concerns that, as a society, we might become overly dependent on AI, potentially at the expense of independent critical thinking. I use ChatGPT almost every day, but I make a conscious effort to think through ideas on my own first before engaging with it. I then use the back-and-forth interaction to refine my thinking—sometimes challenging the AI’s reasoning, correcting its mistakes, and prompting it to reconsider its conclusions. Likewise, it often corrects my thinking as well. I’ve found that this dynamic actually sharpens my critical thinking skills rather than diminishing them.
I hope the education system can embrace AI in a way that enhances, rather than replaces, critical thinking.
Kimball: TY for that update. IMO AI is best when you already know the answer — and you want to come up with additional justifications, etc. It is very dangerous when you are NOT sure about what the truth is.
Regarding ChatGPT helping you refine your comment, my guess is that it suggesteds your first sentence...
HUh. I'm not so sure that critical thinking would lead me to your conclusion: closing down the DoEd would be like jumping from the frying pan into the fire. How did you get to that conclusion? Aslo, did you ask ChatGPT the question as to whether or not K-12 critical thinking was being taught leading to: "To my knowledge, the answer is: None. Zero. Nada."?
Reggie: My DOEd conclusion is explained several times in prior posts about DOEd... I did not ask Chat GPT your question. Instead it was based on my 20+ year experience intensively involved with K-12 schools. If you know any State that is formally teaching Critical Thinking, please share the facts.
I still remember what my 3rd grade teacher told the class - one of the most important things you can do in life is ask: Who, What, Where, When, Why, and How. I can say that while I didn't grasp the enormity of that lesson at the time, its repetition over the next few years and on into adulthood has definitely served me well. I'm often amazed at the lack of that practice in many of my peers, and I encourage them to utilize those questions.
Fantastic. In today's society, I think it would incredibly advantageous if there a series of classes (online and IRL) available to all (ideally targeted to parents and their children utilizing multiple forms of media) that taught critical thinking skills with easily relatable examples of daily life experiences and routines, each step or lesson building on the last. I know of so many young parents who didn't learn this, aren't teaching it to their children, and the schools attended are not only avoiding it but are actively attacking/criticizing reason.
I have come to believe the answer is to teach the student how critical thinking will benefit that student personally. Make it a necessity for personal success.
How about this idea? Teach the student that he or she is a personal business and success in life is achieved by making the most out of his value to society. What you choose to do with yourself is up to you, but the key is to find the innate capabilities you possess by finding what interests you the most and expanding that interest to make yourself of value to society.
Whether you actually start your own business or work for someone else is of no consequence. What matters is how you provide value to America in your personal pursuit of happiness.
This approach obviously ties back to civics and the Declaration of Independence. It is a human right to pursue happiness and to acquire property through hard work and perseverance.
Let’s train our students to turn themselves into money making entrepreneurs. That beats turning them in victims in my book.
JD, all that is well and good, and I do agree, critical thinking skills can be taught. Where we do not agree is on the answer to the most pertinent question: to whom? Child development research leads to the conclusion that if a child does not grow up in what I will call a "CT-Optimized Home," teaching CT at school is not going to bring about a miracle. In fact, I would predict that CT instruction with certain children is going to be a COMPLETE waste of time. But! CT skills can be taught. Johnny "Too Bad" Rosemond
That said, children have amazing abilities. Even if the home is not productive for a variety of matters, the evidence indicates that with the right nourishment elsewhere (school, relatives, friends, etc.) a child can get beyond their home liability.
John,
I love what you’re doing.
I’m a big fan of ChatGPT. However, I do have some concerns that, as a society, we might become overly dependent on AI, potentially at the expense of independent critical thinking. I use ChatGPT almost every day, but I make a conscious effort to think through ideas on my own first before engaging with it. I then use the back-and-forth interaction to refine my thinking—sometimes challenging the AI’s reasoning, correcting its mistakes, and prompting it to reconsider its conclusions. Likewise, it often corrects my thinking as well. I’ve found that this dynamic actually sharpens my critical thinking skills rather than diminishing them.
I hope the education system can embrace AI in a way that enhances, rather than replaces, critical thinking.
PS: ChatGPT helped me refine this comment.
Kimball: TY for that update. IMO AI is best when you already know the answer — and you want to come up with additional justifications, etc. It is very dangerous when you are NOT sure about what the truth is.
Regarding ChatGPT helping you refine your comment, my guess is that it suggesteds your first sentence...
HUh. I'm not so sure that critical thinking would lead me to your conclusion: closing down the DoEd would be like jumping from the frying pan into the fire. How did you get to that conclusion? Aslo, did you ask ChatGPT the question as to whether or not K-12 critical thinking was being taught leading to: "To my knowledge, the answer is: None. Zero. Nada."?
Reggie: My DOEd conclusion is explained several times in prior posts about DOEd... I did not ask Chat GPT your question. Instead it was based on my 20+ year experience intensively involved with K-12 schools. If you know any State that is formally teaching Critical Thinking, please share the facts.
I still remember what my 3rd grade teacher told the class - one of the most important things you can do in life is ask: Who, What, Where, When, Why, and How. I can say that while I didn't grasp the enormity of that lesson at the time, its repetition over the next few years and on into adulthood has definitely served me well. I'm often amazed at the lack of that practice in many of my peers, and I encourage them to utilize those questions.
JT: Exactly. I also learned that not at home, but in my training as a Scientist.
Fantastic. In today's society, I think it would incredibly advantageous if there a series of classes (online and IRL) available to all (ideally targeted to parents and their children utilizing multiple forms of media) that taught critical thinking skills with easily relatable examples of daily life experiences and routines, each step or lesson building on the last. I know of so many young parents who didn't learn this, aren't teaching it to their children, and the schools attended are not only avoiding it but are actively attacking/criticizing reason.
JT: yes, that would be of value. When I get some free time I'll consider doing something like that.
I have come to believe the answer is to teach the student how critical thinking will benefit that student personally. Make it a necessity for personal success.
How about this idea? Teach the student that he or she is a personal business and success in life is achieved by making the most out of his value to society. What you choose to do with yourself is up to you, but the key is to find the innate capabilities you possess by finding what interests you the most and expanding that interest to make yourself of value to society.
Whether you actually start your own business or work for someone else is of no consequence. What matters is how you provide value to America in your personal pursuit of happiness.
This approach obviously ties back to civics and the Declaration of Independence. It is a human right to pursue happiness and to acquire property through hard work and perseverance.
Let’s train our students to turn themselves into money making entrepreneurs. That beats turning them in victims in my book.
Jim: I agree that making a student appreciate that being a Critical Thinker is unequivocally in their best interest, is a worthy strategy.
JD, all that is well and good, and I do agree, critical thinking skills can be taught. Where we do not agree is on the answer to the most pertinent question: to whom? Child development research leads to the conclusion that if a child does not grow up in what I will call a "CT-Optimized Home," teaching CT at school is not going to bring about a miracle. In fact, I would predict that CT instruction with certain children is going to be a COMPLETE waste of time. But! CT skills can be taught. Johnny "Too Bad" Rosemond
John: This is the first time you've brought up that question, so I'm surprised! Yes, a CT-optimized home is desirable. I specifically wrote promoting that in a prior substack piece <https://criticallythinking.substack.com/p/teaching-children-to-think-critically-dce>.
That said, children have amazing abilities. Even if the home is not productive for a variety of matters, the evidence indicates that with the right nourishment elsewhere (school, relatives, friends, etc.) a child can get beyond their home liability.