Essay: Critical Thinking Is a Most Critical Skill

Essay: Critical Thinking Is a Most Critical Skill by Fred Wilcox

To become good writers — or even good citizens — students must first learn to question and explore issues fully.

Those who have never taught expository writing — which I consider the most challenging subject to teach — might assume that writing teachers require students to purchase a basic grammar primer before we drill our classes as one would a sports team or marching band, and before long even the most remedial writer will morph into a competent college-level essayist.

It’s certainly true that our students practice the rudiments of grammar and master the ability to write short, clear, sentences. But after more than 25 years of teaching English and writing on a college level, I am convinced that critical thinking — not rote learning or even incessant writing practice — is the key to turning insecure students into confident writers, professionals, and adults.

On the first day of classes I inform students that no one can teach them how to write; this surprises them. I tell them they will read difficult, challenging books and will be asked to determine whether the author is a reliable narrator. If students decide that a particular author is or is not trustworthy, they must explain why.

In short, students will spend the semester learning to think critically. Critical thinking compels them to examine their most cherished beliefs. It forces them to look closely at the fundamental difference between thinking and collective agreement, and to take responsibility for their own ideas.

I ask students to engage in constructive dialogue with other students, with friends and family. I encourage them to explore why our nation is fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan. We discuss and deconstruct what they may have learned in secondary schools about the environment, global warming, poverty, violence, and nonviolence. I urge them to conduct an honest inventory of their feelings about race, religion, capitalism, gender, and sexuality.

Most young men and women enter college believing it is not good form to challenge authority. They seem to feel that their survival (meaning good grades) depends upon high scores on standardized tests and upon writing essays designed not to provoke debate or dialogue, but to please their professors.

I urge students to question authority and to summon the courage to reexamine everything they believe to be inviolable. After seeing thousands of insecure students turn into competent writers, I am convinced that critical thinking is the key to good, sound, and even beautiful expository writing.  

Source:  http://www.ithaca.edu/icview/2400/

Image source: http://jmroziak.com/TL3_Artifacts/TL3_Examples/GEDIT525_Academic_Writing_Illustration.JPG

PROOFREADING AND EDITING CHECKLIST

Hello, all

Below is  an editing and proofreading checklist that you should use every time you write.

Editing and Proofreading Checklist

Ask yourself these questions:

1. Have I read the entire paper aloud, one word at a time?

2. Have I eliminated unnecessary words?

3. If quotations have been used, have they been smoothly integrated into the text with my

own sentence both before and after the quote?

4. Have I documented paraphrases and quotations appropriately?

5. If the paper is about a literary text, have I named the author and work in my introduction?

6. If the paper is about a literary text, do I refer to the writer by full name the first time and

by last name thereafter?

7. Does the paper have an original, meaningful title?

8. Have I maintained consistent use of verb tense?

9. Have I used strong verbs?

10. Have I minimized the use of passive voice?

11. Have I checked the grammar and punctuation of the paper thoroughly?

12. Have I checked for spelling errors and typos (Especially these words: to/too/two;

their/there/they’re; your/you’re; its/it’s; past/passed; except/accept; effect/affect)?

Check for varied sentence structure and length: With a pen in your hand, read your paper out

loud. At the end of each sentence, make a slash mark (/). Look at your sentences: are they very

long? very short? You may need to combine some very short sentences, and/or break up some

very long sentences.

Check for complete sentences: Starting from the last sentence in your paper, read it backwards,

one sentence at a time. This helps you focus on a single sentence. Double-underline the subject

and underline the verb for each independent clause. Make sure each subject has a verb. If the

sentence starts with for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so, or which, it isn’t a complete sentence. If it

starts with because, it probably isn’t a complete sentence. Be on the lookout for misplaced or

absent commas that result in run-on sentences or comma splices.

Check pronouns’ referents: Draw a small square around each pronoun. Draw an arrow to the

pronoun’s antecedent/referent. Check for clarity (does the reader know who they are? what do

you mean by it?) and singular/plural consistency (someone did his or her homework, not their

homework).

Check transitional words and phrases: Draw a wavy line under each transitional word or

phrase (moreover, in addition, on the other hand, etc.). You should have some transitions but

not too many. Is each transitional word being used appropriately?

Source:  http://writingcenter.gmu.edu/resources/handouts/editingproofreading.pdf

Image credit:  http://www.monash.edu.au/lls/hdr/assets/images/3.6.2.jpg

 

MIDTERM BLUES? TREAT YOURSELF LIKE A FRIEND

Treat Yourself Like You Would a Good Friend (One Student's Advice)

The folks at lifehack.org have an interesting article titled “How to Be a Friend of Yourself” –

We often focus on building relationships with others that we forget the essential first step: being friends of ourselves. That is the crucial first step if we are to have good relationships with others. How can we have good relationships with others if we don’t even have good relationship with ourselves? (read the rest)

It’s a fantastic article — but I think in order to be a good friend of yourself, it doesn’t just mean being able to accept and embrace yourself. Rather, to be your own best friend, you need to start treating yourself like you would a best friend.

Would you demand as much from your good friend as you do of yourself?

1) Stop taking five classes.

I had to see my poor pre-med friend suffer going to bed at 3 am because he took five classes AND was involved with a lot of extracurricular activities.

Unless you have that smack of genius in you (alas, I do not), have little desire to do much outside of school work, or have to fulfill some sort of pressing requirement, you should not put yourself through the agony.

When you don’t have time to sit down and eat dinner with your friends, when you can’t make a movie date with someone, when you turn down that invitation to a birthday party — that is a sign that you’re doing too much.

2) It’s the weekend for goodness sakes!

Some people understandably have stressful weekends (upcoming midterms, sports team commitments, job), and that’s perfectly understandable. I think I spent the last few weekends hitting the books (much to my dismay!) for upcoming midterms and tests (but I still managed to find a way to sneak myself off to the Quad and MIT).

However, if you find yourself doing work every Friday night to the extent that dragging yourself to a party with a bunch of friends seems like pulling teeth. Please, reconsider your mental sanity. You don’t have to be partying, but you should at least give yourself a good solid evening to RELAX.

3) Don’t treat yourself like you might do to some  friends.

My roommate Ashlyn has voiced this particular frustration of hers to me numerous times. Plans for a birthday party on a Saturday night, and too many people wimp out on the excuse of a problem set, paper, or something or other.

In a school where the first thing you realize is the value of the time, excusing yourself out of a significant event particularly highlights how much you value someone.

4) YouTime, Not YouTube

Ask someone when was the last time they read something for pleasure, and they will wrinkle up their brow, ponder, and confess something like, “Last vacation…”

People get worn down here. Yes there are those impeccably cheery people — god bless them because it means that there is hope for the rest of us — but most seem to get dragged down at some point during their Harvard experience always doing something, but never doing anything for themselves.

Find whatever recharges you. It could be hanging with friends, curling up with a good book or watching a movie. Just make sure you slot some time for yourself. (And if this seems impossible and you’re calling ALL your weeks Hell Weeks, either you or something has got to go.)

5) It’s Okay to Take a Break

One of my classmates somehow suddenly disappeared off the face of the planet in the middle of last semester. I found out a bit later that she took a leave of absence and would be joining the previous class on her return.

I can’t speak for her, but from talking to one of her friends, it seems like she was dealing with some mental and emotional stress from a suicide that occurred on campus. Her friend paraphrased a conversation they had, which I will paraphrase yet again:

“I hope you don’t think I chickened out.”

“No, I think what you did was brave.”

I echo his sentiments exactly. While a few of us don’t know what’s best for ourselves, if something just isn’t working, it might be a good time to just take a break. Leave this high pressure crock pot, hike the alps or just relax at home, and come back with a better perspective on things and yourself.

Source:  http://survivingharvard.com/2008/03/30/treat-yourself-like-you-would-a-good-friend/