Disciplinary Ways of Thinking Nosich chapter 3 WHAT

Disciplinary Ways of Thinking Nosich, chapter 3

WHAT DO THE FOLLOWING IMAGES HAVE IN COMMON?

http: //media. scout. com/Media/Image/26/260692. gif

http: //www. forshang. org/images/025/Image 1. gif

http: //www. bized. ac. uk/virtual/economy/policy/tools/income/inctaxth 5. gif

http: //sparklingallison. com/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/Office. Floor. Plan. jpg

http: //www. biologie. uni-hamburg. de/b-online/ge 08/01. gif

http: //www. ultimateguitar. com/tabs/d/deep_purple/smoke_on_the_water_intro_tab. htm

http: //www. wfu. edu/~mccoy/cdex/lessonplan. jpg

http: //www. cotf. edu/ete/images/teacher/elnino/saffir_small. jpg

http: //chess. about. com/library/openings/images/blob 2000. gif

http: //math-equation. net/solutions. html

OK. How many did you get?

Did you know the answers? 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. Football—running play Biology—photosynthesis Economics—the Laffer Curve for tax returns Interior design—alternate floorplans Botany—Mendelian genetics Music—guitar tablature for “Smoke on the Water” Education—lesson plan for a science class Meteorology—the Saffir/Simpson Scale for measuring hurricanes Chess—the Sicilian Defense (very common opening) Algebra—a simple equation. (Can you solve for x? )

Now think about HOW you knew the answers…. n To recognize these acts of thinking, you had to understand the SYMBOL SYSTEM of a discipline n You had to recognize important CONCEPTS and INFORMATION n You had to make ASSUMPTIONS and draw CONCLUSIONS. In other words,

YOU HAD TO THINK CRITICALLY FROM A DISCIPLINE’S POINT OF VIEW

What does it mean to “think in a discipline”? n n n Know what ideas are central to that discipline— its f & p concepts Understand the logic of the field and its point of view Know and use the symbol system(s) of that discipline (terms, jargon, shorthand, forms) Understand what you bring to the field (point of view, impediments, filters, etc. ) Move from outsider (apprentice) to insider (professional)

How do you learn to think in a discipline? Enculturation through n Instruction testing (classes, textbooks, etc. ) & n Observation and practice (fieldwork, internships, labs, practicums, etc. ) n Experience (actually doing it) n Engagement (journals, conferences, talking to other practitioners)

How do you think in your disciplines?

Here’s what I want you to do for Tuesday…. n n n Re-read and heavily annotate chapter 3 of Nosich. Then look at the example on pp. 100 -101 (“The logic of Earth Sciences”) and see how it uses the elements. Now, go on our Facebook Discussion Board and start a topic for the logic of YOUR discipline (be it Interior Design or Sports Mgmt. ) or whatever. Write out how you see—at this stage of your career—the logic of the field you’ve chosen. If someone else with the same major starts a thread for it first, then post your answer as a reply to that thread so that you can play off each other. We will talk about these in class on Tuesday.