For our last podcast, I really appreciated how Dr.Bezio didn’t tell us we now know how to think critically. Thinking critically has to do with so many different elements that it would be hard to sum up in one class. I did agree, however, that there are certain factors that go into everyday critical thinking. Asking questions and doing the research are two really big ones that I think were most important. Critical thinking also requires context, which helps us make thought out decisions.
Dr.Bezio also talked about what it means to be a leadership major, which I think is really important. A lot of my family members always ask me what a leadership major even is (my other major is journalism, and they say it’s much more straight-forward). I’ve tried to explain to them what I do in my Jepson classes, but to be honest, I have a hard time giving them a straight answer. I do agree, however, that those in Jepson are trying their best to make an impact on the world around them, and this is one of the first steps. Jepson isn’t training students to be leaders, but instead teaching students how to be conscious of the systems that influence our everyday lives. In doing this, we as students can begin to make a greater impact through well-informed decisions, and I can finally have an answer when someone asks me what a leadership studies major is.
I agree that it was nice to hear we do not have critical thinking mastered. I think it would be naive to think we have nothing else to learn about critical thinking. Critical thinking is a skill that one continues to learn throughout one’s life and is something that can never be mastered, only improved upon.
I also find it so hard to explain to others what being a Jepson major is! I think part of that problem is that Jepson forces us to constantly ask questions about the environment around us, making it an ever-changing answer. To be a Jepson major is to be open to new ways of thought.
I also really appreciate how Dr. Bezio didn’t focus on telling us “yay, you did it, you’re a critical thinker now!” but left us wanting to explore more and learn more. It wouldn’t be satisfactory to just tie it all up with a little bow and say that’s all; it’s better that she wants us to keep pursuing knowledge.
I agree with you because I have had the exact same problem when trying to describe my leadership major. I think this podcast resonated with a lot of people in that sense. For me, I kind of had an “ah ha” moment where I realized ‘oh yeah, this is what I’m doing.” I also agree that I liked that Dr. Bezio didn’t just say there you go, you did it. In fact it was more of an inspiring message to me and gave me a look into the future of what I can do with my knowledge.
One of my teammates who is a senior in Jepson right now told me when I was a freshman that in Jepson, you learn how to learn. And I thought that was so powerful. Learning is not just about memorizing facts and getting good grades, it is about understanding the world and looking at things from different perspectives, and that is exactly what Jepson does.