 |
Does your students’ writing seem vague? As we approach the final weeks of the semester and brace ourselves for the onslaught of paper revisions, John Orlando offers a fresh perspective that might hold the key to addressing this issue. In his insightful article, Writing versus Thinking Skills: A False Dichotomy, he posits that writing problems extending beyond basic grammar and spelling errors are, in fact, manifestations of muddled thinking.
Orlando challenges the conventional perception held by many of his colleagues who still attribute unclear student writing solely to writing deficiencies rather than cognitive shortcomings. He notes:
When you pass around an article draft for review and a reviewer comments that they can’t understand what you are saying in a particular section, do you assume that the problem is (a) a lack of writing skills, in which case you need to go back to college writing 101, or (b) muddled thinking, in which case you need to clarify your thoughts?
Nobody believes their problems are due to a lack of writing skills, yet they can too readily assume that such a lack must be the culprit in others’ cases. We all intuitively know that our unclear writing is due to muddled thinking but often assume the opposite for others without any reason.
Please dive into this enlightening article and find out how you can help your students improve their writing by fostering clear and critical thinking skills. Don’t miss this opportunity to unlock your students’ potential!