ESSENTIAL THINKING SKILLS
You can improve your thinking skills through strategically planned reading, writing and Internet researching! Your personal and career success depends upon the quality of your basic communication skills, including your reading, writing and speaking habits!
In order to be successful either personally or professionally you need to have a communication strategy, which includes knowledge about how your brain works, in order to survive in this rapidly changing complex fascinating world.
To help you develop your intellectual and emotional knowledge and enhance your professional communication skills and abilities -- especially reading and writing -- you may use the following diagram to VISUALIZE how your brain works. Doing more reading and writing can help you learn how to creatively reduce disstress in your life. You can learn how to use your time and energy more wisely in educational pursuits to increase your knowledge about your SELF starting with how your brain works!
YOUR BRAIN AREAS ACTIVATED DURING READING AND WRITING
What is going on inside your brain when you read and write? You can "SEE"
inside your brain by visiting the following link that depicts a microscopic view of the molecular action in your sensory cortex . It magnifies the intricate arrangement of neurons and other vital brain structures and cell tissues that make possible the dynamic action of your synapses, which makes possible your ability to study by reading and writing and speaking. The five steps shown in the diagram, above, are explained in the list in section one, below:
Sensory Cortex Image
The following list of abstracted summaries of books can help you improve your critical thinking skills instantly. The summaries focus your attention on essential factual ideas that explain how you can increase your study skills and abilities efficiently and effectively.
[1] LEARNING TO STUDY MORE EFFICIENTLY AND EFFECTIVELY
PART 1 --- Brain Areas activated when you study by reading and writing:
- Primary visual and "visual association" areas. These areas of your brain perceive
the sight of a word.
- Angular gyrus. The early stages of word interpretation occur here. This is where
your visual stimulus is converted into its linguistic meaning.
- Wernicke's area. The full meaning of a written word is understood in this part of
your brain. If you decide to write something, the words you use are conceived here.
- Broca's area. This area arranges the sequence of movements that you need
in order to write anything.
- Motor cortex. From here, electro-chemical neural commands
are sent to the muscles that you use for writing.
PART 2 --- Memory Tips
One of the best ways to efficiently think about how your memory works is to understand the
phenomena of "PLANNED REPETITION." First, assume that your brain has "Four Layers:"
- LAYER ONE is for "short-term" memory. If there is no
repetition, short-term memory is unreliable. Short-term memory is useful
for many routine daily activities such as making phone calls or following
directions immediately after they are given. It is used for activities that you don't need
to remember very long.
- LAYER TWO is for slightly longer retention. If there is some repetition, then there is longer retention. The repetition of the information forces it from Layer One to Layer Two of your memory. This level of information is not very reliable.
- LAYER THREE represents fairly good retention. If you repeat the
information several times and write it down, the act of writing
itself creates a "visual" image for your mind to remember. You will have forced
that information into Layer Three memory. Your muscles help you "remember"
as you write, and your mind "sees" the information on paper again and takes
another "picture" of it to "re-store" it in your mind or memory.
This provides much longer retention of information than the first two layers of
your memory.
- LAYER FOUR memory is used when you "force" the information
you want to remember into your mind by repeatedly thinking about the material
during a period of three to six days. Your conscious choice to repeatedly
visualize and write down the information several times over a period
of several days provides excellent retention.
Book source: (How to Study in High School)
[2] ACCELERATING LEARNING BY
UNDERSTANDING NEW FACTS ABOUT HOW YOUR BRAIN WORKS
You can accelerate your learning by creating a pleasant, relaxed receptive state of mind and by "chunking" the new information that you want to learn in new ways that actively involve both your LEFT BRAINand RIGHT BRAIN --- or the "left side" and "right side" of your brain.
Accelerated learning works by setting up memorable visual and aural associations in your mind that are simultaneously absorbed by BOTH the conscious and the unconscious parts of your brain! The amazing result and paradox is that you put in no more conscious effort than normal, but since you are relaxed, the new information is positioned so that it can be absorbed in a part of your brain that you can think of as being metaphorically like your "peripheral vision" when you see things with your eyes! This complex process will be explained in more detail in the future in "Your Amazing Brain Tutorial."
Also, by using short and rhythmical sentences to "package" the new ideas or concepts
that you want to learn, you can easily remember them.
You can use this accelerated learning process to create new interesting associations
among the “facts" that you want to learn in a calm relaxed study environment. This creative
"planned repetition" exercise of your brain "locks in" new information
in your brain’s long-term memory resources.
Book Source (Accelerated Learning)
[3] MEMORY BIBLE ---
AN INNOVATIVE STRATEGY FOR KEEPING YOUR BRAIN YOUNG
Memory training includes three basic skills: LOOK, SNAP, and CONNECT!
LOOK, SNAP, and CONNECT --- the three essential memory training skills
(1) LOOK --- Actively observe what you want to learn!
Slow down, take notice, and focus on what you want to remember. Consciously absorb details and meaning from a new face, event or conversation.
(2) SNAP --- Create mental "snapshots" of memories!
Create a "mental snapshot" of the visual information you wish to remember. Add details to give the
"snaps" personal meaning and make them easier to learn and recall later.
(3) CONNECT --- Link your mental snapshots together!
Associate the "images-to-be-remembered" in a chain, starting with the first image, which is associated with the second, the second with the third, and so forth. Be sure the first image helps you recall the reason for remembering the chain!
Book Source (Memory Bible)
[4] DOUBLING YOUR READING SPEED
BY INCREASING YOUR MEMORY SKILLS
Book Source: (Double Your Brain Power)
[5] USING WRITING AS A CRITICAL THINKING SKILL TO CHANGE YOUR SELF
Good clear writing is "thinking on paper!"
Regardless of the words you choose to use to refer to the reasoning part of the process of writing, such as "critical thinking" or "rational inquiry" or "reasoning for discovery" to describe the act of writing, it is still thinking directed toward the assessment and evaluation of things! In summary, thinking is analysis,
which can be done either well or badly!
Book Source: (Thinking on Paper)
[6] CREATING EXCELLENCE IN YOUR ORGANIZATION
1) An Overview of Strategic Thinking skills
(1) Foundation skills = INSIGHT (strategic thinking) + SENSITIVITY (culture building)
(2) Adaptive skills = VERSATILITY (strategic thinking) + FOCUS (culture building)
(3) Integrative skills = VISION (strategic thinking) + PATIENCE (culture building)
2) Becoming a "STRATEGIC THINKER" --- Strategic thinking viewpoints
(1) Satisfying customer needs!
(2) Sustaining competitive advantage
(3) Capitalizing on organizational strengths
3) Becoming a "CULTURE BUILDER" --- Culture Awareness Checklist
(1) Commitment to a common purpose!
(2) Competence to deliver superior performance!
(3) Consistency in perpetuating commitment and competence
Book Source: (Creating Excellence)
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