This week I learned about four concepts and one exercise. The exercise of freewriting is designed to shrink the gap between what you say verbally and what you write. There is no editing, correcting spelling or grammar and no going back. Limiting editing exposes what is truly important to you. You get rid of the lease that is keeping your mind from being more productive.
The first concept I learned about was from 'What You Alone Can Say' from 'Writing to Change the Worid' by Mary Pipher. Her discussion emphasizes the importance of having your own voice and how to find it.
The next two concepts, the importance of Closed Reading and why we should Stop Close Reading both have their merits. The concept, Closed Reading, emphasizes analyzing every word, every sentence and every paragraph to truly understand what the writer is trying to say and thereby becoming a better writer. It works but it is a slow and sometimes dull process. The second concept takes the approach of encouraging students to read more. There are two pluses in this method. The first is that the student might find an interest in reading. The second is the student might find an author he is truly interested in and he might explore the author's writing in greater detail.
The final concept is the most important to me. This concept is the basis of logic, argumentative reasoning and foundation of how we grow individually and collectively. The concept of Critical Thinking enables us to recognize problems, solutions to problems, the pro's and con's of those solutions and what is to be gained or lost by each individual stakeholder. Without gaining insights or viewpoints from all sides it is nearly impossible to defend a proposed course of action. Critical thinking and reasoning allows us to chose the best path.
