Shared Perspective: Family Strengths - "15 Positives"
Overview
Perspective, or how one looks at a situation or makes an assessment, is more or less based on his, her or their experiential knowledge to date. Shared perspectives can open up possibilities and expand one's awareness and understanding. This is the essence of critical thinking!
When students' perspectives are shared, and questions are allowed to challenge the biases or judgments that form their opinions, there are opportunities and possibilities to change, enhance, support the perspectives that are meaningful and positive.
Assessing Family Strengths - Critical Thinking exercise
This collaborative exercise in sharing perspectives is ideally suited to pairing students in teams of 2 or 3 members each. Sttudying the image and discussing their observations. Creating a listing of 15 "positives" or outcomes, and possibilities of the family strengths perceived and represented in the image.
Instructor creates full class discussion by asking each team to give one example from their observation list.
Perspective, or how one looks at a situation or makes an assessment, is more or less based on his, her or their experiential knowledge to date. Shared perspectives can open up possibilities and expand one's awareness and understanding. And is definitely an exercise in critical thinking!
Assignment Prompts:
1. Take a long look at this picture depicting a group living setting. What do you "see" as you study the drawing that shows family strengths and positives in process? What you "see" with your vision, or line of sight, is tangible and multidimensional. What you "see" conceptually, is abstract and limitless. One's perspective comes from both concrete and abstract thinking.
2. An example of looking at this setting with a positive perspective:
"Basic needs for survival are being met: examples of food (pizza), clothing (all are dressed), and shelter (housing)" Or: "Basic needs of food, clothing, shelter are necessary for survival"; all three elements are present in this setting.
3. Make a list of 15 POSITIVES/STRENGTHS that are shown or observed as meaningful and significant to family life and relationships. Look for conceptual strengths, like "togetherness", "adult supervision", "self-care, relaxing", child using his "imagination", "consumerism/thriving", "sense of home", "comforts of living", "safe", "sense of order, organized," "cleanliness", etc...
Perspective Note: Be aware of any biases, implicit or explicit, that might "cloud" your observations. Such judgmental thinking can lead to negative perspective, and is not allowing critical thinking to take place:-)