andrew's critical thinking

Critical thinking is the development of cohesive and logical reasoning patterns. Stahl and Stahl, 1991.
Critical thinking to me is using consistent reasoning to support your topic. With consistent reasoning you are able to further strengthen your beliefs and maybe even coerce others to believe that as well.

"The purpose of critical thinking is, therefore, to achieve understanding, evaluate view points, and solve problems. Since all three areas involve the asking of questions, we can say that critical thinking is the questioning or inquiry we engage in when we seek to understand, evaluate, or resolve."
Maiorana, Victor P. Critical Thinking Across the Curriculum: Building the Analytical Classroom. 1992.
Critical thinking is also the ability to understand meanings, the ability to explain yours and others view points, and the ability to solve the issues that are at hand.

Critical thinking is "reasonably and reflectively deciding what to believe or do."
Ennis (1985)
Critical thinking is thinking about issues at hand and deciding where you stand on those issues.

Critical thinking is "the art of thinking about your thinking while you are thinking in order to make your thinking better: more clear, more accurate, or more defensible."
Paul, Binker, Adamson, and Martin (1989)
Critical thinking is thinking about thinking, basically saying to think to make yourself clearer, to make yourself more understandable, and make yourself a defense.