Thinking Skills

Thinking Skills-Workshop

'Thinking skills' workshop organised at department of English, MKBU. lecture conducted by professor Milan Pandya sir. 

 Introduction of Prof. Milan Pandya :

Milan Pandya is a teacher, trainer and educator in the field of Thinking Skills i.e. Critical, Creative and

Design Thinking, English Language Teaching & Communication Skills. With more than 12 years of

teaching experience, Mr. Pandya has authored 02 books, and presented and published a number of

research papers in national and international conferences and journals. He has taught/trained in

numerous Universities/Institutions training more than 30,000 people in Thinking Skills across world.

Mr. Pandya has BA & MA in English Literature, M.Phil in English Language Teaching (ELT) & his Ph.D

involves study into Online Teaching, Communicative Competence & Critical Thinking. He currently

holds a position of Vice President of Advancement at Critical Thinking Solutions company in Ontario,

Canada, and teaches at multiple colleges such as Conestoga and Sheridan college in Ontario, Canada.

(Introduction is taken from organiser of this workshop Dr. Dilip Barad sir's mail.)

This workshop gives us a new way of thinking. think critically, creatively and design your thinking 

Critical thinking is divided into three parts:

•  Logical 
• Rational 
• Scientific thinking

Easy definition of critical thinking :

Thinking about thinking in order to improve thinking.

Critical thinking give us a new way of thinking critical thinking means think beyond your thinking capacity and get new way of seeing world.

Context :

In critical thinking context is everything. Context is a base of critical thinking. If something is true what else has to be true within.

In lacture Many examples are given through some viral content, Which are as follows.

1. Advertisement of soap and Cosmetic products

So many advertisement super stars make add on soap and another cosmetic products and people blindly follow them and use those products but in reality those stars never use this products in their life but people think this and that heroine and hero use those products and we follow them but in reality they are just making advertisement as an economical activity.

According to this situation I got a thought in form of quote on this situation,

"Fame is not always followable"

2. Photo from popular Hindi serial

This thing is from Yeh Hai Mohabbatein serial when we think ordinarily at the time we find no issue in this photo but when we think critically and observe this photo in critical way we can see a female character hand is fracture so that's why she take help from his husband in make strip of saree But in opposite her hair is very neatly braided and very well makeup on his face how she is able to do hairstyle in makeup but could not able to worn strip of saree.

3. Tweet by Shraddha Kapoor

This tweet is not problematic but it reveals half truth this photo this was shared by so many people because this photo posted by well known person. Indian soldiers make too much effort for peace of country and their effort is really appreciatable but this particular picture is Russian soldiers picture.

4. Tweet by Kiran Bedi

This video is not real one but its edited video of a movie but when some well known person upload it on social media and people think it's undoubtable but always think critically and find truth by your own. Sometimes things are uploaded by mistake and as a part of Miss information.

5. Tweet by Satish Shah

At first sight everyone believe in this photo but when we recognise history of India and observe this photo at the time we understand the reality in 1942 India has different type of designed Tiranga we get this Tiranga after independence in 1947.

We can learn from this all pictures the importance of Creative Thinking.

We cultivate some important points from this exercise.

Fact:

Opinion changes,perspective changes but facts are not they didn't fact because you arebelieve. facts are always facts.

We are story telling animals so always believe things after thinking rationally.

When we respect someone, everything they say seems true to us. But always arrive at the truth by thinking objectively.

"The teacher might be wrong,

learn to think for yourself."

-Tao te ching,by Lao tzu 600 BC

Logic: 

Definition of logic is necessary to understand,

Man is not rational animal, he has capacity to increase rationalty.

No one is bone a critical thinker or genius we have to work on it and develop it.

6. This one is creative?

You tube video link

It's dangerous! this is The family bicycle combination of sewing machine and bicycle 

Whole family ride this bicycle.

Invented by Charles Steinlauf in 1939 so the whole family can get outside and enjoy some family exercise and mother can done some sewing with trip.

Something New + Worthy = Creative 

This creation is not creative one because of its new but it's not worthy But in opposite side is harmful and horrible to ride.

We had done very interesting activity it can be considered as a Mind exercise activity.

7

This image contains so many pictures first of all observed this image and divide this pictures in different types

Clothes,vehicles, Sports Equipment, flag, flower,musical instrument,vegetable, fruit, electrical equipment, study related material, fast-food, weapon etc…

These are some simple categories but we can think more about this and cultivate many different type of categories

We can make some proverbs, name of movie,songs, name of books, metaphor, quotes we can divide into so many categories. try to find some other category by yourself.

Example:

Proverb : hard work is key of success. 

Book : Hamlet, Macbeth ( by Shakespeare)

Metaphor in literature: Painting plate ,axe

Movie name : kati patang (1971,hindi movie)

Song : ye aankhe dekh kar hum sari duniya bhul jate hai… (old hindi song)

There are so many categories. this type of Mind exercise helps us to improve our thinking capacity. We can be able to cultivate things more effectively.

8. Think something new beyond your limits

Here the photos of those things that we use in our day to day life paper pin toothbrush and goggles.

Some unobvious uses like that,  brush for painting and cleaning haircomb, goggles for holding hair.

See the photos and try to think something different instead of its daily and common use.

9. Ethical dilemma

(Source of photo:Google)

This type of exercise haven't right or wrong answer but it is to difficult to get answer at that particular situation everyone has their own decision and there own perspective on this type of situation.

Now a days we have driverless cars and other vehicles scientist and engineer face this type of confusion when they design programs of driverless vehicle.

What is done ? is not more important but how it's done? it's more important. Extract things is not everyone's cup of tea but you can learn it with practice.

Good arguments from bad one it's also acceptable. learn right things from everywhere.

At last sir said, after attending the session you came go back to your normal world but if you want to learn creative and critical thinking then keep yourself busy with practice.

After the attending this workshop I got new eyes of thinking it's very wonderful and informative workshop done at department of English.

At the last part of workshop students gave feedback and vote for thanks speech and workshop and weekend completed with wonderful group photo with sir.