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Thinking about our Thinking.

June 1st 2010

As our minds grow, develop, and change, one of the most important skills we can ever learn is to contemplate the nature of our own thinking. That is, learn the art of metacognition. The better we comprehend the process by which we think, the better we can manipulate ourselves to learn efficiently and well. In the chemistry room, it's difficult to encounter an experiment or in-class lab that requires us to reflect upon our own thinking. However, it's when we devote outside time and energy to sit down an analyze or evaluate data that we begin to encounter this.

Take for example, an experiment conducted a few months back in general chemistry. We were asked to design our own method of testing for a substances comparative efficiency as an energy source, recording how much energy was released over a period of time. At first glance, the task seemed simple and straighforward-- yet at the same time, this assignment really sparked a sort of metacognition, especially after multiple trials were unsuccessful (See "Managing Impulsivity" for further details regarding this).

At this point in time, I began to ask myself questions regarding the thought process- how did I arrive at this conclusion? Why did I initially believe that this method would work? Why does my mind seem to make the same mistakes repeatedly? Such questions are similar to the kind you ask yourself after a test, or when evaluating a homework packet you did incorrectly. In this particular instance, metacognition allowed me to solve my predicament-- I determined that I was making the mistake of limiting myself to using only a certain type of material, and that I needed to think out of the box. In this case, thinking about my thinking saved the day.

Many of us go through this process of metacognition so quickly that we hardly acknowledge it. Certainly while I conducted this particular experiment, I did not actively think to myself, "Now I will contemplate over my thinking process". But in my opinion, the beauty of metacognition is how much of a habitual quality it can become. Thinking about our thinking is a skill that I feel comes more naturally to me, as I tend to reflect upon myself often. When reflecting, you often evaluate your actions, which leads to an analysis of how and why you arrived at that action. For me, as long as I remember to consider the past, I will find myself reviewing my thought process and consequently learning something about myself.

I hope this is a skill I can hold onto- especially as my life becomes more hectic. I understand that as time becomes less abundant, we tend to focus more on the moment and less upon the past. At the same time, it is important to constantly try to understand who we are and how our brains work. Only then can we manipulate our thinking process-- opening doors to do some amazing things in life.



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