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Rachel Littell's ePortfolio        


Graduate Competency 2

    
Critical Thinking
 
Critical thinking is the ability to think clearly and critically, using reason and experience to form considered judgments.
 
Attributes:
 
    *Distinguish among facts, opinions and inferences.
    *Analyze and summarize arguments.
    *Synthesize ideas from multiple sources.
    *Find connections among diverse ideas, facts and experience.
 
Critical thinking is essential in all communication fields because one must analyze situations in all possible means.  The two work samples I have chosen to represent critical thinking are a COM 400, Conflict Negotiation, essay and a COM 316, Gendered Communication, paper.  Both papers reflect my ability to analyze arguments from all perspectives and to find connections between diverse experiences among people involved as well as facts and ideas.
 
The COM 400 essay was an analysis of a conflict between my boyfriend and I titled it "The Missing Phone."  The argument consisted of me going out with a girlfriend while he was out of town and losing the phone he gave me.  I considered my strengths and weaknesses as well as my boyfriends' and synthesized my point of view as well as his point of view and gave a solution as to how we could both behave and solve the conflict.  Please read for further information about the conflict.
 
The COM 316 paper reflects "Gender Segregation in the Workplace."  My first step in writing the paper was gathering scholastic articles and finding a connection between ideas and themes about men entering female careers, women in management positions, and gendering in academic careers.   Salary was a focus in the paper referring to females being paid less in the same position as males and the fact that it is more difficult for females to enter higher level positions.  One study found that it is easier for men to enter "female careers" than it was for females to enter "male careers."  The essay also talks about appearance, especially in customer-related careers and how most managerial skills are male-oriented such as logic and independence.  I then looked at the family life factor which can help one understand why females are less likely to appear in higher position jobs.
 
Both artifacts exhibit my ability to think critically and rationally in my personal life along with the world around me.  I may not have been thinking rationally during the conflict between my boyfriend and I, but afterwards I analyzed my actions and his to come to a conclusion.  I have experienced gender discrimination in the workplace, which I am sure most people have.  This led me to research it and distinguish among facts and opinions.
 
Artifact 1:  The Missing Phone
 
                   
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