| I just reviewed an excellent paper by MAJ David | | | | synthesis |
| S. Johnston, Ph.D. entitled "Reading, Writing and | | | | 3. op-ed pieces |
| Strategic Thinking: Service Schools Fail to Develop | | | | 4. culturally sensitive strat comm messages |
| Critical Reading Skills of Rising Leaders". | | | | 5. opords & oplans, policies, regulations |
| Just as there are many forms of writing that our | | | | 6. book reviews for popular & professional |
| officers will perform in their career, so too are | | | | magazines |
| there forms & methods of reading. MAJ | | | | 7. argumentative essays & information |
| Johnston makes the case for critical reading skills | | | | papers |
| in this excellent paper, and asserts we are missing | | | | 8. copywriting for sales |
| a critical component in college curriculum. | | | | 9. executive summary paragraphs |
| We have collectively been looking formally at our | | | | 10. speeches |
| writing program at our college, but my sense is | | | | 11. blogging & web commentary (This IS an |
| that this has been driven more from a writing | | | | art form with its own pace, rhythm and |
| improvement approach than from a holistic | | | | technique) |
| review of writing as a requirement for effective | | | | Consider the following different reading styles and |
| communication. In the same way we probably | | | | the different purposes they serve (and the |
| consider reading from a "fix the first, worst | | | | techniques & skills that apply) |
| problem" too. This may be a part of our nature | | | | 1. websearching & blogscanning |
| and culture. | | | | 2. speedreading |
| Off the top of my head I can think of the | | | | 3. scanning, reviewing, reading |
| following styles/purposes/modes of writing that | | | | 4. purposeful searching reading (scanning for |
| require a specific set of techniques to be | | | | answers to specific questions) |
| effective. I think 1-size-fits-all doesn't work for | | | | 5. critical, analytical reading |
| writing or for reading. | | | | It seems to me that we should be looking at our |
| Consider at a minimum the following demonstrably | | | | reading and writing programs holistically and |
| different, but each useful, writing styles: | | | | ensure we are addressing all required skills over |
| 1. formal academic | | | | the course of the year that we are privileged to |
| 2. an expert practitioner's accessible, professional | | | | share a classroom with our students. |