LEARN TO READ CRITICAL

What is Critical Reading? When looking for the definition of "critical" I stumbled over this title which made me curious because when I read a book, I just find it good or bad. There is nothing in between.

The article started with an explanation : Critical reading means engaging in what you read by asking yourself questions such as, ‘what is the author trying to say?’ or ‘what is the main argument being presented?’ Honestly when I read, I read and I don't care what the author is trying to say, because if nobody understands what he tries to say, then I have my doubts about the book.

To read critically is to exercise your judgement about what you are reading – that is, not taking anything you read at face value. Of course not ! I love to read crime stories, but I would never give an advice, how the killer should proceed, or exercise judgements if he was right or wrong or if he should have used another method to make the crime perfect.

As a critical reader you should reflect on:

What the text says: after critically reading a book you should be able paraphrasing - in your own words - the key points. Of course I can,  if the book was good I can summarise  the whole story without any problem, and on demand I wouldn't say who was the killer.

Critical reading means being able to reflect on what a text says, what it describes and what it means by scrutinising the style and structure of the writing, the language used as well as the content.
Taking all this into consideration, I think I would rather go to see the film (if there is one)

In this description how you should read a book, I also learned that critical thinking is an extension of critical reading ! Who would have thought that ?

Thinking critically, involves being open-minded ??? If I think that my neighbor is too fat, and would tell it to her, I don't think she would appreciate very much my open minded critic.

Critical reading and critical thinking are therefore the very foundations of true learning and personal development. What a conclusion !!

This whole theory makes me think of a "Vernissage" where people stand in front of a painting and try to analyze the painting and what the painter has thought when he was painting his master piece. The painting consists of a white canvas on which is written "Landscape in snow" ! Nobody wants to be judged as stupid or not enough intellectual and tries to develop a philosophy about the white painting. The critics would find out what the painter had thought, while the painter stays in a corner and laughs his head off. He hadn't thought nothing. 








Linking to : SOCS - Critical

FRIDAY's FAVE FIVE

After my discovery that now I am not afraid of horses anymore, telling to everybody who did or did not want to hear my "adventure" I spent a quiet Monday at home, looking out into the sunshine,



together with my cats and bitched about the cold wind which held me back to go out. A stalker looked at me from the outside, sitting on the neighbor's garden shed.

Fortunately somebody invented computers to keep me busy  !

My cleaning lady had broken the tube of the vacuum cleaner and I thought I had to buy a new one, because often the repair costs are almost the same then a new one. My neighbor heard my complaints that again I had to spend money on a stupid thing, gave me the address of a little repair shop who also has spare parts and they had a tube which went perfectly on the machine ! Was I lucky, another money saved for my round trip through another part of Eastern countries, to complete the one I had done last year.

We had a very difficult Scrabble game, all letters were sitting in one corner ! We gave up before the last round.



Our game was accompagnied by the loud snoring of dog Tosca, which made us laugh. But when it came to coffee time, she suddenly joined us at the table. But well educated she didn't steal anything, but her eyes made us melt and of course she got a part. She is all black so it's difficult to take a picture of her face.

We were nearly all present in our painting class there were only 3 missing !



For the moment we are at least five, painting cats. In the past it was only me. Everybody has her own style so there is no confusion. One had started to paint a bear, but whatever she does and corrects again and again, the bear looks like her departed dog, a Golden Retriever. This is a case for Mr. Freud. As usual we tried to change the world and had a nice time.




We had returned to the Morrocan restaurant, this time with a Morrocan girl who is also in our painting class. So we could ask her if the kitchen is the real Morrocan or if it's adapted to the country. She was delighted, it was also delicious in her eyes and it was so funny when the cook and his wife came out and they talked together in Arabic and stated that they came all from Rabat the capital of Morrocco ! They talked about people and shops and we thought the world is really small. She is a very nice girl, grandma of 4 and perfectly integrated. Her sons had married Belgians and she had worked in a security company for years. She and her whole family are Belgians and a perfect example that not all Morrocans are terrorists ! I think we stayed 3 hours in the restaurant we nearly felt like on holidays !

And this was another week towards spring and summer !!

more participants at Susanne at Living to tell the Story.

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY - I NEED TO GET OUT

more participants here
and Image-in-ing

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 I NEED TO GET OUT

The first 3 months of each year I really don't like. In January nothing happens because everybody recovers from the Christmas/New Year festivities. Usually there is nothing in the movies either.

In February it should be cold, but not this year, so in the morning you have winter temperatures while in the afternoon you can walk in a T-Shirt in the sunshine but put on a coat again in the shade. That's the season where lots of people are running around with a red running nose and coughing their souls out. You want to go out and think it's spring but it isn't and that is dangerous. Therefore I am locked in and look out into the sunshine just like my cats do.



We try to cut this boring months with visiting Expositions and try to find something to keep us occupied, I mean my friends and I. There would be a lot to do in my wardrobe, lots of old clothes to be sorted out, but as tomorrow is another day I follow this advice.

I would love to go somewhere and visit another city or go at the sea it's not far away, but then it's so cold that I think I should wait until it is a bit warmer.

I feel like being on "stand by" only waiting for the opportunity to escape !



Linking to Linda G. Hill One liner Wednesday

PARC DE LA SAUVAGERE - BRUSSELS/UCCLE

I was looking for a park not too far from my home, to have a little walk in a nice place. I discovered one I had never heard of and of course my friend and I went there to enjoy the early spring weather in February. It's a small park covering an area of 4.5 hectares (11 acres) , dated from the late nineteenth century.



Read more here

WEEKEND FEBRUARY 16

After having been locked in the last weeks, I was really happy when the weather suddenly changed and from winter we immediately went to spring, with the result that many people are coughing and have a red nose ! Cold is in the air. So far I escaped. On Saturday we had 16°C (61 F) !

Looking for another park to discover from the around 130 parks in Brussels,  I found one I had never been and which was very close to Waterloo. My friend and I drove through areas I had never been, with beautiful old mansions, and apparently not a municipality for the poors !



The park was quite hidden and we suddenly arrived, I got a parking space and off we went. In the wood it was of course cooler and that shortened our visit a bit, but I still could take photos.

Unfortunately we didn't find a café or Brasserie, for a drink, and had to return "thirsty". But Nicole had the good idea to stop at a riding school. It turned out that it was very close to where I live just on the other side of the big boulevard leading to Brussels, and just behind my English shop ! And I didn't know !

I had a whole bag of dry bread with me, for the geese and swans in the park, but feeding was forbidden. I thought horses like dry bred too. Since my childhood I was afraid of horses and never went close to them. I loved them as animals but they seemed so big and I thought if I am to close they will hurt me or bite or whatever. But this time a miracle happened ! I looked at all the horses who stretched their heads out of the boxes and I was not afraid at all anymore !! I took pieces of bread and fed the white horse which was standing in the first box. The bag with bread was eaten up in no time and  I had petted all their heads without any fear ! I really was proud of myself !



Now I think I will ask them if they let me ride for once in my life ! I mean it's never too late if 80 years old women jump with a parachute for the first time, I will manage to climb on an old horse and ride in a circle !! I have been several times on camels and that worked very well, so why not a horse !

The Bar was closed, no chance, so we returned home it was already late. Next time when it is such a nice weather I will go back and watch the riders.

Sunday I went to the market in the next little town, just to walk a bit outside, but it was cooler than I expected. Still I found a very nice red Italian rain jacket for Mr. G. and a pullover for me.




There was a mini piggy on the market which looked well fed and very friendly, it (or rather the owners) collected money for animals.

I didn't buy any fruits, I had enough I should have put on a warmer jacket.




I returned and found Arthur sunbathing in the garden.