Critique with Technique

Critical Thinking Skills (Analyze)
Introduction:
Prior to entering this class, I had developed poor analytical skills when it came to reading and writing. I usually want to see quick progress when it comes to schoolwork. Because of this, I tend to skim through the readings in order to grasp the important events that happened. I don’t have patience to read slowly and carefully analyze what’s really being said on a deeper level. I have always written without very much depth because I am not an analytical writer. I struggled to analyze readings, and dissect them to give a thorough response. Through repeated analysis of the readings in this class, I gradually became better at understanding and portraying ideas at a much deeper level.

I realized that the more freedom I had in an assignment, the easier it was for me to analyze the topic. Discussion boards were a great place for me to write freely because I wasn’t confined to many guidelines to follow. The piece of writing that I think demonstrated my critical thinking skills best was my first discussion board posting concerning identity. The assignment asked students to analyze the relationship between our experiences at school and the formation of our identity. The prompt entailed identifying and comparing the elements of two different essays. Then, students were assigned to explain how their personal experiences either affirm or challenge the essays. I believe I did an exceptional job of analyzing the two essays when I wrote, “Both authors explain the commonality of how we (sometimes) unknowingly cling to false identities because we are afraid to unveil our true identity which lies beneath.” This statement stands true for both the authors’ essays. It also remains true when I relate to my own personal experiences.