I feel compelled and compulsed at this time to remind folks about critical thinking skills. It is like I’m on the outside looking in at Americans caught up in something much larger than a presidential election.

It seems to be a yearning to transform from what has been to the possibility of what America can be, re-born with a positive vision. I'm all for that, been waiting for y'all for the longest time to cross over out of the desert of the past eight years.

But a yearning can deceive you. This collective yearning for re-unification is not the same as evaluating a candidate, a situation or a decision. The decisions and sacrifices we will have to endure require a clear understanding of what is happening and how best to correct it.

This is not stuff we are told in America that we ought to want to talk about. We are told that we are short-term thinkers, the world’s pleasure seekers. I’m straddling a wide fence here but this is a matter of education. If we do not have the ability to reason and understand the complex issues before us we will be in worse trouble than we are now and that is pretty dang bad.

I'm not the only one that feels this way. Gail Doby, who normally writes about Interior Design has a few words to say about political free thinking:

"I am not usually vocal about the elections and I have not made a decision about my vote at this point. However, I do feel strongly that people must become educated about the candidates and make their own decisions instead of using shortcuts of following other people in positions of influence."

I have respect for the theoretical and scientific aspects of critical thinking but we are in triage mode at the moment. So consider this the first aid kit of emergency critical thinking resources.

First up is a link to a video from the blog Think Like A Nurse

I'm not a nurse but I understand what she is saying. It is not rocket science, no offense to the Science bloggers among us.

Do you remember the Reporters 5W’s Who said it? When did they say it? What was the substance of what was said? Why is it important and How does this affect me?

Now, can you use that same process to explain the position a current political candidate has on the immigration issue? Without sneaking over to their website first? Have you done the research? Or are you going on past history or intuition? Or are you going on feelings?

I’m not anti-feelings. I’m anti-unwilling thinking.

Joy Tribant has a web page guide to lean about Critical Thinking.

“This site is a simplified introduction to critical thinking based on the definition of Wolcott and Lynch. That is, “applying a process to open-ended, unstructured problems.” Unstructured problems are defined as having many possible answers. Problem solving conversely is associated with a process for seeking the one best correct answer.”

I am not an Atheist or Agnostic. I understand there is contention between the Believers and the Science is All There Ever Was crowd. But if you are open to it over at About.com is a section that a good overview of What Critical Thinking Is and the first item mentioned is Open Mindedness.

Other Critical Thinking Resources:

Four Kinds of Questions for Any Position – an extract of Richard W. Paul’s Dialogical and Dialectical Thinking is a one page document that helps you to put your thinking in order.

Over at 21st Century Skills there is an article on Critical Thinking and Math Skills that present ideas and videos on how to develop those skills in 9 – 12th graders.

Wandering Kiwi has a good post on explaining critical thinking and the concept of fallacies.

If you really want to dive deep in the theory, philosophy and process you have to visit http://www.criticalthinking.org

CE Gena Haskett recognizes that compulsed is not a dictionary word as yet, but you gotta start somewhere. It's used a lot over on Out On The Stoop but not so much at PCCLibTech