Critical Thinking with Joshua Bienstock

QUEENS CHAMBER NEWS & EVENTS THINKING CRITICALLY: CHAMBER HOSTS NYIT PROF

BY BENJAMIN FANG

Business leaders throughout the borough got a lesson on critical thinking in the 21st century.

On February 21, Joshua Bienstock, an employment and labor attorney for 30 years, hosted a presentation on the importance of critical thinking at the Queens Chamber of Commerce.

A college professor for over three decades, Bienstock is now an assistant professor at New York Institute of Technology, where he teaches courses in human resources, business and conflict management.

He defined critical thinking as a “self-directed process” by which a person takes deliberate steps to think at the highest level of quality.

There are many benefits to practicing critical thinking, including improved cognitive skills, becoming a better team player, less stress and trusting in one’s instincts.

“That is really the critical step,” Bienstock said, “trusting ourselves to assess facts and not stress out when we’re under the gun.”

Bienstock differentiated critical thinking from problem solving, which involves identifying the cause of a problem, coming up with a solution and reviewing the effectiveness of that solution.

While problem solving is also important, Bienstock noted that waiting for a problem to “come to you” can sometimes lead to a crisis.

“We don’t think well in crises,” he said. “If we look ahead, there are many crises we can avoid.”

Critical thinking requires not only persistence, but also imagination and unrelenting questioning.

Joshua Bienstock leads a session on learning to think critically for Chamber members at Bulova Corporate Center.

It requires an open and curious mind, Bienstock said, and thinking “beyond the envelope.”

He encouraged those who wish to engage in critical thinking to take educated risks.

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March is here! The year’s third month is known for melting snow, increasing sunlight, and marching Irish pride. It’s also when the Zodiac’s first fire sign Aries meets Pisces, the quintessential water sign.

In Queens 2020, it’s time for jazz, new cinema, stand-up comedy, step-dancing, and Phagwah.

March 7-8, Trinity Irish Dance Company. Celebrate an early St. Patrick’s Day with a fusion of vibrant and longstanding Irish dance mixed with elements of modern American innovation. Shows: March 7, 2 pm and 8 pm; March 8, 3 pm. Queens Theatre, 14 United Nations Ave. S., Flushing Meadows Corona Park, queenstheatre.org.

March 11-15, First Look 2020. This ninth-annual series screens 16 new features, documentaries, and shorts from around the world. Some directors and producers hold Q&A sessions. Museum of the Moving Image, 36-01 35th Ave., Astoria’s Kaufman Arts District, movingimage.us.

March 14, The Cave, 2:40 pm.

The Queens Historical Society presents a free screening of this National Geographic documentary on the current fighting in Syria. The Cave is an underground hospital where female and male doctors treat locals. Kingsland Homestead, 143-35 37th Ave., Flushing, queenshistoricalsociety.org.

March 14-22, The Envelope, Please. Maggie’s Little Theater presents a musical revue of Academy-winning songs and some that almost won. Shows: Saturdays, 8 pm; Sundays, 2:30 pm; and Friday, 8 pm. St. Margaret Parish Hall, 66-05 79th Pl., Middle Village, maggieslittletheater.org.

March 21, C h i l d r e n ’ s Garden Family Day, 1 pm. Youngsters watch worms wiggle, create trail mix, plant seedlings, and do a scavenger hunt. Queens Botanical Garden, 43-50 Main St., Flushing, queensbotanical.org.

March 22, Phagwah Parade, noon. To celebrate the Hindu festival of Holi, floats with dancers and well-wishers kick off from 133rd Street and Liberty Avenue and proceed to Phil Rizutto Park

PHAGWAH

(formerly Smokey Oval Park) for a cultural program with music, chanting, dancing, incense, and food. Richmond Hill, phagwahparade.us.

March 24- May 19, Jazz 101: History & Listening. With Tuesday sessions at 7 pm, this eightweek course looks at the his

TRINITY IRISH DANCE COMPANY

tory of a purely American art form. Designed for beginners, the relaxed classes involve listening to sounds and stories. No class on April 14. Flushing Town Hall, 137-35 Northern Blvd., flushingtownhall.org.

March 29, The Early Bird Comedy Special, 3 pm. Cory Kahaney, who was voted Best Comedian in NYC by Backstage and Best Female Comedian NYC by the Manhattan Association of Cabarets, does stand-up. Harrison Greenbaum, who was the warmup comic for Katie Couric’s daytime talk show on ABC, tickles the funny bone, too. St. John’s University, Marillac Hall, 80-00 Utopia Pkwy., Jamaica, visitqpac. org.

March 29, Explore the Amazon Basin (in Queens), 11 am. Jack Eichenbaum, the official Queens historian as per the borough president, leads a walking tour of the Long Island City area where Amazon wanted to build HQ2. Meet at the northeast corner of 21st Street and 44th Drive, geognyc.com.

The monthly “It’s In Queens” column is produced by the Queens Tourism Council. More info at itsinqueens.com.