Dan Kelly
read a lot; write a little
Location London
Activity
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Dan Kelly made a comment
From my perspective, each criteria element is like a critical frame to place around each stage of your work - source collection, application to question, and editing.
(I don't have an assignment to apply this to, but I've taken notes!)
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Dan Kelly made a comment
Knowing that your initial actions become second nature is very reassuring. & a lot of quotes / data but not much of your own thought not equalling critical thought - spot on, useful tidbit. Thank you!
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Dan Kelly made a comment
I think the preparation is key, and I've done the bit where you jot down questions beforehand and it really does work - you feel far more confident with it, and you grow to ask them off the top of your head in future. This is an excellent list - I've copied it. :)
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Dan Kelly made a comment
I currently decide on whether a source is appropriate by scanning the title and source, and if it sounds about right then I read the abstract and conclusion through once. Only question I would have I suppose is what is defined as reputable? Obviously I wouldn't get any info from The Sun or Daily Mail, but surely journals exist that are a little questionable..?
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Dan Kelly made a comment
My experiences of finding and evaluating appropriate sources of information have been from a BSc and MSc, as well as working for a few years in marketing - that's not to say I'm excellent at it, but the correct sources and knowing where to look, who to ask, I'm ok with. (It's once I have the material in front of me, I struggle a little - I have ADD, but I try...
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Dan Kelly made a comment
If you haven't tossed the thing you're reading from hand to hand, spun it round, had a look at it from different angles and asked some Qs you can subsequently follow up, it makes sense that you wouldn't get a whole lot from it at all. (This is what I would normally have done, so this is great to have seen and to know why it hasn't worked in the past.)
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Dan Kelly made a comment
I read widely, but probably not in-depth enough. I speak (or spoke - this is a while back) with tutors, and I like to think I could do everything else listed here if given the chance to get back to uni! This was exciting to read through. :)
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Dan Kelly made a comment
I'm not too bad on the confidence part (though I used to be), and I know generally where to look, which sources are reputable, and so on. But I'm very critical of whatever knowledge I may have, to the point I think I know... nothing. It's the 'correct answer' conundrum again - I don't have a full understanding of everything, therefore I never know enough.
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I made a couple of suggestions that were subsequently used, and then a handful more - seems promising for some self-guided advice at the end I think!
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Dan Kelly made a comment
The challenges sound very familiar - particularly seeking the “correct” answer - and you mentioned a lot of others I hadn't realised I would face, too! I'm hoping some suggestions are made on the confidence part, but my approach tends to just be: the more you read reputable sources on a subject, the more you'll feel prepared enough to keep a steady pace rolling.
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Dan Kelly made a comment
I'm hoping for some practical advice, similar to the tripartite approach from last week - I'll be looking for my own reading to supplement, too. :)
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@EuniceAzu No problem! :)
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Dan Kelly made a comment
I'll be writing up my notes in full next, but I'd say the main takeaway would be the critical thinking model. I certainly appreciate seeing the varied levels of response, if not simply because I think I have my own improvements to make, but to know *how* to do that rather than encouraging something of an epiphany is incredibly promising. Thank you!
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Dan Kelly made a comment
BUT I did find this article from Five Books about critical thinking, which may be helpful for some people in terms of additional places to read a little more about critical thinking as a subject.
https://fivebooks.com/best-books/critical-thinking-nigel-warburton/
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Dan Kelly made a comment
I scored 16 - to be as critical of myself as possible, within that spectrum of honesty we work in, I acknowledged that I question basically *everything* I'm told, but the subsequent effort to back up my skepticism or confusion is not always there. I lack the confidence of knowing where to look, I think.
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Dan Kelly made a comment
My view of critical thinking has changed, yes. To hear history prioritise the scrutiny of secondary source 'selling' before looking at primary sources makes total sense - which I can apply to my own reading of literary critics - and the psychology student's focus on analysing a paper's research method is an approach I wish I'd been shown to consider my own MA...
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Dan Kelly made a comment
Critical thinking, from this document in particular, reads as a device that carves new paths: once an answer is found, or we discover that someone else has already written one generally agreed with, you then have subsequent new paths to explore, and critical thinking - while taking in the sights along the way - seems to be an approach where we keep on walking.
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I wasn't surprised by the video, nor has my view changed, but it was interesting to hear specific examples from different fields. :)
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Dan Kelly made a comment
Rather than just enjoying the subject I love most, dystopian literature and film, I'm most excited to use a critical approach because it enables me to engage with and *contribute towards* the subject - from mega-fan to teacher!
I'm least looking forward to, in all honesty, discovering limitations to my own abilities; not being able to find new paths or...
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Dan Kelly made a comment
It's difficult splitting these Qs up! But think I got the hang of it...
*Description*
How big is a portion?
Who made this suggestion?
Who does it apply to? Everyone?
When was this statement made?
Who decides what is considered 'healthy'?*Analysis*
Why five?
Could you have five of one / none of the other?
What are the metrics of 'healthy... -
Dan Kelly made a comment
The model seems simple as a framework, but each being mosaic with lots of bits to explore within them - I imagine this will be incredibly helpful when writing and researching in future!
I've not heard of or worked with other methods previously, apart from the who / what / where / why / when / how of journalism.
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Dan Kelly made a comment
I got one wrong - the first response sounded entirely feasible, but I forgot to notice a distinct lack of evidence to back it up. How easily convinced of things we are when we're just nodding and smiling!
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Dan Kelly made a comment
Noted elements of critical thinking: evidence-led, no forced answer or decision but encouraging patience for more evidence, multiple perspectives, alternative / additional suggestions.
Adding criticality to life experiences / observations: I suppose for both this might refer to a person's emotional intelligence? So, rather than reacting to something,...
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Dan Kelly made a comment
This explanation matches my thinking, but seems far broader - it doesn't simply look to spot the 'good and bad bits' but trains an inquisitive way of thinking. I'm excited to read more about improving the skill (and tame it - I'm naturally very inquisitive out, often, it comes out as combative).
From my own life, the most recent example I can recall of...
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Dan Kelly made a comment
My current understanding is that thinking critically about a subject or piece of work is to note, as objectively as possible, the merits and flaws with the intention of setting a scene for future work. (I've been bullet journalling since mid-2019, and this was an exercise in reflecting critically, I think, on how I could live better and get 'life stuff', like...
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Dan Kelly made a comment
Hello! I'm interested in pursuing freelance literary / film criticism, but also hoping to attend an (undecided university) MA, then PhD, in creative writing or literature. I'm blogging for a little practice in research in the meantime, and this looks tremendously helpful as a skill to hone! (I will most likely binge due to coronavirus lockdown, but talk to me...
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Dan Kelly made a comment
When I'm out and about, I always search the word I've read and don't understand / want to read more about its origins on my Oxford Dictionary & Thesaurus app, but I have recently - having seen Nick Cave and a number of other creatives do so - started to use a hard copy dictionary (the massive chunky one created by Collins) to check the word's background,...
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Dan Kelly made a comment
London, UK - though I regularly visit my family on the Isle of Wight.
I have just started writing literary criticism for publication, and am interested in studying a master's degree in something along the lines of theory or creative writing - I find myself constantly jotting down words I love, and have started compiling together a personal little dictionary...
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Dan Kelly made a comment
If we take this to mean all dictionaries, physical and digital, then of course: words that lost grip of their meaning would no longer hold a use and slip, lost, into history. Or, if we take this to mean losing just our *physical* dictionaries, then still yes: I think it threatens a certain way of working (which I consider to matter) where one paces themselves...
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Dan Kelly made a comment
Hello, everyone! Systematic, to me, suggests both a quantifiable approach to analysing literature, or perhaps a set method of reviewing from the critic's side - not too sure at this point.
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Dan Kelly made a comment
I find this one a little difficult to understand. I don't see any difference between harnessing the wind for energy with windmills, and harnessing the water for energy with a dam. Why is the former okay and the latter a misunderstanding and insult to Tao?
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I for one have learned some helpful bits about Tao, as an absolute beginner, and can see a whole lot of "Western" response to how the course "should" be taught...
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Absolutely, and I don't necessarily know whether it would be the right way of doing it - it's probably quite a sweeping statement, but face-to-face surely offers far more in the way of support, but social media could be that gateway if executed properly. I'd almost suggest removing the online conversation as much as possible, providing resources and maybe a...
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Dan Kelly made a comment
I think social media and mental health COULD have a fantastic partnership, in the way of communicating and providing a safe space to speak. Personally, I don't feel like this has been achieved. Viral videos talk about things incredibly well, and pages exist, yet funding is still painfully low or non-existent for face-to-face, long-term discussions between...
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Dan Kelly made a comment
My Twitter account - @themoderndan - is to share blog posts I've written on exercise, nutrition, modern definitions of masculinity and, more generally, working through goals and resolutions I have set myself to, essentially, make myself more publicly accountable in the hope I will achieve more things (rather than simply suggesting I have anyway to an audience...
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Dan Kelly made a comment
Listening to this is like the polar opposite of being a mid-20s individual living in central London, so your point about place-to-place across a country and generalising is spot on. However, that being said, I've heard a number of my friends say they want to still have the ability to be a little nosey and look at people's lives without the necessity of...
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Dan Kelly made a comment
Everyone watch the video at the end - OH MY GOD LOOK AT THE PUGS. Also, I like how the lovely gent in that video seemed to own all 3 properties...
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Great response, and what a delightful and fascinating profile you have! I imagine you've got an incredibly interesting life story to tell. I also use these channels to keep connected with my family, most of whom aren't the "biggest" social media users in the world - but it means we touch base on a daily basis.
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Dan Kelly made a comment
I work in social media and digital communications, so that's one way the two have joined hands! However, as someone with high-performing anxiety, it often helps to know that I can send a message to my parents, friends or even simply watch a video at lunch on YouTube that, say, I may watch at home usually. It reminds me that time doesn't trap me in place, and...
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Dan Kelly made a comment
I carried out an enthographic study for my masters dissertation a couple of years ago and found it fascinating - you're spot on when you suggest that not ALL reliable information needs to be in a quantitative measurement. That's not how culture works. My question would be this - how important do you believe it would be to, after perhaps 5 years or so, visit...
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Dan Kelly made a comment
I often find myself feeling isolated, living in London, and feeling that impending frustration and shame around loneliness. My way of dealing with this? I write, I read, I learn and I perhaps ignore the single thing I should be doing, which is engaging with other people in the first place. I assumed that researching my way out of everything was the way...
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Dan Kelly made a comment
Scalable sociability is spot on, but I would say all of these platforms have now adapted to provide ways to move in and out of the graph above, either less or more private. For example, Instagram is certainly the most open for me, but then it would be Twitter as an equal, then slightly more private for Facebook (as this is "me" far more so than the...
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Dan Kelly made a comment
I like to think of social media as a chance to look through someone else's window (could probably phrase that better, but you get what I mean!) - Instagram, then, is my favourite because of its clean, untainted focus on the visual - I believe it to be far more of an expression or diary-like platform than any of the others.
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Dan Kelly made a comment
I suggested that social media was a more efficient means of communication. Working in a social media role for another London university, we often see numerous international students and, indeed, even I have friends abroad who I wish to stay in contact with. Social media provides a service whereby we don't lose grip on connections we wish to maintain. When...
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Dan Kelly made a comment
Personally, I think it's quite funny and a perfect example of a Western response to a question like this, whereby people are seemingly infuriated by the fact they couldn't POSSIBLY answer the question perfectly... when, actually, they were simply asking for any thoughts you may have had at this point in learning, be they right or wrong. Chill, and enjoy. :)
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Dan Kelly made a comment
As someone who takes part in powerlifting, I'm often encouraged to eat around 180g of protein per day - as a man who weighs 90kg. This is, of course, to grow in size, therefore it is higher than the 1.5 ratio, however I do find the number a bit excessive and, despite rarely hitting that number, am in decent shape. It's a tricky one!
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Dan Kelly made a comment
If we define disease by something whereby we are infected and fall ill, then no: diabetes would not be a disease. Diabetes would be a cultural condition created by, as mentioned above, our environment, what is now available to us and ancient physiology.
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Dan Kelly made a comment
Stability
Fuel
Self-care -
Dan Kelly made a comment
Photography, diary entries, novels, music, family businesses... the list is endless!
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Dan Kelly made a comment
They would have their uses, but should and would not be considered as anything more than sub-human.
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Dan Kelly made a comment
It tries to indicate that their suffering wasn't 'meaningless' or without cause - they would be put to work as a result of their imprisonment.
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Dan Kelly made a comment
At home, I imagine it had something to do with a more deep-rooted confirmation of an ongoing set of narratives and promises made about what would happen. Abroad, perhaps it was striking fear merely by the thought of association with these people, regardless of the reason for their punishment.
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Dan Kelly made a comment
I would imagine because they would have been conscious of such variable societies they were invading - to enforce their ideologies upon so many different areas would have received a tremendous amount of resistance, far more so than would have been seen if they essentially offered some change in leadership (and not going in to the rest of the changes that would...
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Dan Kelly made a comment
Perhaps political systems, as seen today, made it very difficult to just up and leave for other countries because they were met with hostility and "we don't have room for you here" attitudes.
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Dan Kelly made a comment
I try to place myself into that situation mentally. Total and utter fear to speak out about how the world around you works, knowing that you'll either be discredited, ridiculed, harmed or imprisoned. This is not how the world works - one human being born, or multiple human beings, have no more right to other humans to live a free life full of choice, failure,...
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It also resonates today - refugees being compared to rats and cockroaches by people we provide an audible platform to. We also see Israel slaughtering Palestinians with such flippant remarks as justification for doing so.
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Dan Kelly made a comment
The words "bestiality" and "nature" stand out to me - this constant separation of Jews as not only, as Edward Said would say, the "other" but as an entirely different creature altogether, as well as an interrupting item to an otherwise "natural order." It's inferred that they are subhuman and a threat and, by comparing to a beast in nature, it smooths the...
