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The Thinker’s Guide to How to Write a Paragraph
Writing is essential to learning. One cannot be educated and yet unable to communicate one's ideas in written form. But, learning to write can occur only through a process of cultivation requiring intellectual discipline. As with any set of complex skills, there are fundamentals of writing that must be internalized and then applied using one's thinking. This guide focuses on the most important of those fundamentals.
In this guide, authors Paul and Elder point out that skilled writers do not write blindly, but purposely. They have an agenda, goal, or objective. Their purpose, together with the nature of what they are writing (and their situation), determines how they write. They write in different ways in different situations for different purposes. There is also a nearly universal purpose for writing, and that is to say something worth saying about something worth saying something about.
In general, then, when we write, we translate inner meanings into public words. We put our ideas and experiences into written form. Accurately translating intended meanings into written words is an analytic, evaluative, and creative set of acts. Unfortunately, few people are skilled in this work of translation. Few are able to select and combine words that, so combined, convey an intended meaning to an audience of readers.
At present students are poor writers, not because they are incapable of learning to write well, but because they have never been taught the foundations of substantive writing. They lack intellectual discipline as well as strategies for improving their writing. This guide provides techniques that enhance student learning and foster the ability to communicate clearly and logically what one is learning.
The development of writing abilities, as well as all other intellectual abilities, occurs only through sound theory and routine practice. When students understand the relationship between learning and writing, and are engaged in routine writing practice using the tools of critical thinking, they are able to learn content at deeper and deeper levels, and gradually improve their ability to communicate important ideas.
In this guide, authors Paul and Elder point out that skilled writers do not write blindly, but purposely. They have an agenda, goal, or objective. Their purpose, together with the nature of what they are writing (and their situation), determines how they write. They write in different ways in different situations for different purposes. There is also a nearly universal purpose for writing, and that is to say something worth saying about something worth saying something about.
In general, then, when we write, we translate inner meanings into public words. We put our ideas and experiences into written form. Accurately translating intended meanings into written words is an analytic, evaluative, and creative set of acts. Unfortunately, few people are skilled in this work of translation. Few are able to select and combine words that, so combined, convey an intended meaning to an audience of readers.
At present students are poor writers, not because they are incapable of learning to write well, but because they have never been taught the foundations of substantive writing. They lack intellectual discipline as well as strategies for improving their writing. This guide provides techniques that enhance student learning and foster the ability to communicate clearly and logically what one is learning.
The development of writing abilities, as well as all other intellectual abilities, occurs only through sound theory and routine practice. When students understand the relationship between learning and writing, and are engaged in routine writing practice using the tools of critical thinking, they are able to learn content at deeper and deeper levels, and gradually improve their ability to communicate important ideas.
- GenresWritingPhilosophy
76 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2003
33 people are currently reading
141 people want to read
About the author
Richard Paul
73 books70 followersLibrarian note:
There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name
There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
August 30, 2020
احتمالا کتاب خوبیه، ولی به درد من نمی‌خورد.
January 2, 2025
دلیل امتیاز پایین بد بودنش نیست؛ انتظار زیادمه.
به‌هرحال پل و الدر از کله‌گنده‌های حوزهٔ تفکر نقادن و انتظار می‌ره ازشون کلی یاد بگیری؛ ولی این تقریباً تکرار مطالب کتاب تفکر انتقادی بود.
اگه دنبال یه کتاب جمع‌وجور برای نکات اصلی نوشتن هستید، احتمالاً مناسبتون خواهد بود.
می‌شه مطالبش رو هم برای نوشتن (متن غیرداستانی/غیرادبی) و هم برای خوندن دقیق و نقادانه به‌کار برد.
کتاب دو بخش نظری و عملی داره. همون‌طوری که پیداست، بخش دوم تمرین‌هاییه برای تثبیت یادگیری. بخش نظری هم خیلی کوتاهه. تقریباً سی‌صفحه‌ست. (البته کل کتاب کمتر از صدصفحه‌ست.)
نکات کلیش اینه که مفاهیم اساسی رشته‌تون رو یادبگیرید؛ اگه توش نظرهای متضاد دارید، نقطه‌های اختلاف نظر رو پیدا کنید. به علوم دیگه ربطش بدید. موقع نوشتن به وضوح توجه کنید؛ دید خواننده رو فراموش نکنید و باهاش در گفتگو باشید. اون‌قدری به مطالب مسلط باشید که بتونید توی یه جملهٔ ساده خلاصه‌ش کنید و به‌شکل‌های دیگه بیانش کنید.
خلاصه برای منی که عشق نوشتن دارم و تفکر نقاد برام جالبه، خوندنش خوب بود؛ ولی چیزی هم دستمو نگرفت.
ممنون که خوندید.💙
۱۳ دی ۱۴۰۳، خونه.
به‌هرحال پل و الدر از کله‌گنده‌های حوزهٔ تفکر نقادن و انتظار می‌ره ازشون کلی یاد بگیری؛ ولی این تقریباً تکرار مطالب کتاب تفکر انتقادی بود.
اگه دنبال یه کتاب جمع‌وجور برای نکات اصلی نوشتن هستید، احتمالاً مناسبتون خواهد بود.
می‌شه مطالبش رو هم برای نوشتن (متن غیرداستانی/غیرادبی) و هم برای خوندن دقیق و نقادانه به‌کار برد.
کتاب دو بخش نظری و عملی داره. همون‌طوری که پیداست، بخش دوم تمرین‌هاییه برای تثبیت یادگیری. بخش نظری هم خیلی کوتاهه. تقریباً سی‌صفحه‌ست. (البته کل کتاب کمتر از صدصفحه‌ست.)
نکات کلیش اینه که مفاهیم اساسی رشته‌تون رو یادبگیرید؛ اگه توش نظرهای متضاد دارید، نقطه‌های اختلاف نظر رو پیدا کنید. به علوم دیگه ربطش بدید. موقع نوشتن به وضوح توجه کنید؛ دید خواننده رو فراموش نکنید و باهاش در گفتگو باشید. اون‌قدری به مطالب مسلط باشید که بتونید توی یه جملهٔ ساده خلاصه‌ش کنید و به‌شکل‌های دیگه بیانش کنید.
خلاصه برای منی که عشق نوشتن دارم و تفکر نقاد برام جالبه، خوندنش خوب بود؛ ولی چیزی هم دستمو نگرفت.
ممنون که خوندید.💙
۱۳ دی ۱۴۰۳، خونه.
April 17, 2016
Satisfying for what it tries to accomplish.
I really liked the exercises and the analysis in various subjects. I will keep it to read again in College!
I really liked the exercises and the analysis in various subjects. I will keep it to read again in College!
February 29, 2020
Warning. Another short 'book.' Further, the first ten pages are strong and useful. The remaining 34 pages provide writing exercises and examples. There were too many of these. While there were some teachable ideas in this book, the concepts and ideas are straight forward.
September 23, 2017
It is a very good book. I would recommend it to my buddies.
December 15, 2013
I really enjoyed this book. It has given me some great ideas to use with my students. My department head is reading it right now and we should be able to collaborate on new lesson plans which use this information.
October 1, 2015
very clear and helpful!
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews