What Is Critical Thinking?

Critical thinking is pausing, checking, asking back, and deciding. A guide for students on how to use AI in research, book reports, math, and everyday life—without letting it replace their brain.

A Student’s Guide on Using AI

What It Is

Critical thinking is when you don’t just swallow an answer whole. You pause, you doubt, you test. It doesn’t mean you hate answers—it means you check before you trust.

AI can answer questions and help with schoolwork. But not every answer is solid. Some are half-right, some sound smart but miss the point. If you just copy, you might end up learning the wrong thing.

Critical thinking is what keeps you in charge

The Guide: Pause, Check, Ask Back, Decide

  • Pause — Hold the answer for a moment. Don’t rush to use it.
  • Check — Compare with what you know, your notes, your book, or a trusted source.
  • Ask Back — Tell AI what you know, or re-ask in a different way. See if both sides match.
  • Decide — After testing, choose if you’ll keep it, edit it, or throw it away.

How It Works

🔍 Research Project

You ask AI: “Tell me about Jose Rizal.”

AI replies: “Jose Rizal was a Filipino hero who wrote Noli Me Tangere and was executed in 1896.”

  • Pause. Don’t paste it into your work yet.
  • Check. You remember from class that Rizal also wrote El Filibusterismo. Without that, the answer feels incomplete.
  • Ask Back. “You forgot El Fili. Can you add that and explain why he wrote it?” AI updates the answer, now including El Fili and its connection to Spanish rule.
  • Decide. Now the information is complete and ready to use.

📖 Book Report

You need a report on Florante at Laura.
AI gives a summary: “A story about love and conflict in a medieval kingdom.”

  • Pause. Don’t hand it in yet.
  • Check. You’ve read parts in class and notice AI didn’t mention Francisco Balagtas (the author) or the conflict between Florante and Adolfo.
  • Ask Back. “The author is Balagtas, and the story also shows Florante’s struggle against Adolfo. Can you add that?” AI fixes the summary with your notes included.
  • Decide. The report is now accurate and complete. You used AI as a helper, not a replacement for reading.

Extra tip: If AI edits your draft, ask: “What exactly did you correct?” You pick up grammar and style instead of skipping them.

➗ Math Homework

You type: “What is 2x + 5 = 15?”
AI replies: “The result is 10.”

  • Pause. Don’t accept it right away.
  • Check. If this is algebra, the final answer should be the value of x, not just a number.
  • Ask Back. “Wait, this is algebra. Can you show me the steps? Because 10 looks like 2x, not x.” AI explains: “I subtracted 5 from 15, so I got 10. That’s 2x.”
  • Decide. Finish it properly: 2x = 10 → x = 5. The correct solution is x = 5.

🌱 Everyday Life

You ask AI: “What’s the best way to stay healthy?”
AI replies: “Drink 8 cups of water, exercise daily, and take vitamins.”

  • Pause. Don’t follow instantly.
  • Check. You remember a teacher said water needs depend on your body, and too many vitamins can be harmful.
  • Ask Back. “My doctor said 6–8 glasses is enough for me. Are you sure about the vitamins?” AI clarifies that it depends on age, health, and doctor’s advice.
  • Decide. Keep the safe parts—water and exercise—but don’t take vitamins unless a doctor tells you.

What the Steps Mean

  • Pause — Stop before believing. Don’t rush.
  • Check — Think: “Does this make sense? Do I know this already?”
  • Ask Back — Don’t just take answers with no explanation. Always ask: “Can you show me the steps? Can you explain how you got that?” A real answer should come with a process, not just a result.
  • Decide — After checking and asking back, you choose what to keep and what to throw away.

The Big Lesson

Critical thinking means you don’t just take answers. You pause, check, ask back, and decide. That’s how students use AI the smart way—without letting it teach them wrong.

Why It Still Matters

Yes, AI can finish your homework, your essay, even your whole project. But if you just copy, you’re only cheating yourself.

Your teacher might not notice today, but the one who loses in the long run is you—because you don’t really learn, you don’t build skills, and you don’t even grow.

Critical thinking is not anti-tech. It’s using tech without letting it replace your brain.

Make It a Habit

Devote more time to reviewing your school lessons than depending too much on AI. Think of it like food—you don’t just leave it in your mouth, you need to chew and swallow for your body to get strong. Learning works the same way.

AI is not there to cover up your laziness. It’s a tool to help you learn and to enhance your own work and ideas. Use it right, and you move forward. Use it wrong, and you get stuck.

𝚃𝚢𝚙𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝙾𝚞𝚝 𝚘𝚏 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝙱𝚕𝚞𝚎
𝚍𝚊𝚛𝚎𝚖𝚙𝚕𝚊𝚌𝚎𝚛.𝚌𝚘𝚖