Content-type: text/html Downes.ca ~ Stephen's Web ~ How 'Spotlight Reading' Helps Students Learn to Trust Their Literary Instincts

Stephen Downes

Knowledge, Learning, Community

A key turning point in my education came when a young sessional instructor named Jonathon Bordo took the time to deeply analyze the first page or two of my essay. What he wanted to know was what exactly I was saying, and what I was saying wasn't being said very clearly. My writing dramatically improved overnight. I took this lesson to my own students when I taught critical thinking, this time armed with the fresh look at logical fallacies. I saw my own students' writing improve overnight, and it felt gratifying that I had given them the key that would unlock success in their studies. This sort of close attention to clarity and precision is incredibly valuable, but you can't force it on people. Making it a regular ungraded activity motivated by the students' own curiosity, as described in this article, is I think key.

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Stephen Downes Stephen Downes, Casselman, Canada
stephen@downes.ca

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Last Updated: Oct 12, 2024 03:07 a.m.

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