Daniel Weisman - Böcker

Critical Thinking presents, defines and explains the intellectual skills and habits of mind that comprise critical thinking and its relationship to social justice. Each of the sequential chapters includes detailed examples and learning exercises that guide the reader step by step from intellectual competency, to critical thinking, to cultural cognition, and to critical awareness necessary for social justice.The book documents and explains the scope of multiple crises facing society today, including environmental destruction, income and wealth inequality, large-scale human migration, and the rise of autocratic governments. It shows how critical thinking, cultural cognition, and critical awareness lead to the possibility of solutions grounded in social justice.All college students, especially those in the social sciences and humanities, will develop the intellectual skills necessary for critically engaging information in order to become active learners and effective agents in the world. This book complements information in introductory, interdisciplinary, or discipline-specific courses. Every chapter contains examples and exercises that can be assigned as homework, adopted as in-class activities, or both. The Conclusion also contains exercises for developing writing and basic mathematical competency skills.

This invaluable guide helps social workers develop the writing skills necessary for a successful career. Actual examples drawn from all arenas of social work demonstrate strong and problematic writing. Organized around the core social work curriculum, the book’s examples are applicable to every foundation course. Each example begins with field notes and proceeds through drafts to the final version, with explanations about corrections. Readers learn by doing through exercises interspersed throughout. Written by a social work professor and an English professor, the book provides a fusion of writing and practice, covering all the tools necessary for developing professional social work writing skills.Key Features:Provides chapters for each of the BSW/MSW foundational courses (Human Behavior in the Social Environment, Practice, Policy, Research, and Fieldwork) to exemplify writing expectations in each area.Juxtaposes original drafts and corrected final versions with explanations about corrections made to highlight common mistakes.Includes writing samples used in actual practice such as research reports, court documentation, grant applications, intake forms, progress notes, press releases, and case assessments that exemplify everyday challenges.Provides self-assessments and exercises to help readers identify their strengths and challenges.Highlights typical writing challenges including sentence structure, punctuation, use of voice and excessive verbiage, and sample resumes and cover letters, providing a valuable lifetime resource.Encourages practice in writing in different contexts and with different audiences to prepare readers for working in any social work venue.Covers legal and ethical issues and writing to influence policy and transmit research findings.New to this edition:Emphasizes writing fundamentals (new chapter) by breaking the process into steps from note taking, to rough drafts, to editing the final version, to help students master most writing tasks.Connects critical thinking (new chapter) and cultural competency skills (new chapter) to writing and infuses this information throughout the book.Addresses the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) 2015 Educational Policy and Accreditation Standards and competencies to better prepare readers for writing professional documentation.Discusses the use of the APA style used in social work practice.Provides instructor’s resources including PowerPoints, a sample syllabus, and assignments, tips, and activities for using the book in writing and foundational courses.Designed for writing-specific social work courses such as interviewing and documentation, professional seminars, and writing modules in all BSW and MSW foundation courses, this book is ideal for anyone interested in strengthening their social work writing skills.

This user-friendly guide to effective writing for the justice system teaches readers to write cogently and accurately across the spectrum of criminal justice-related disciplines. With an examination of common writing problems that interfere with good reporting and documentation, the book's content underscores the importance of skilled written communication as a cornerstone of competent practice within criminology. It provides examples of strong writing that demonstrate communication of cultural competency and help students develop critical thinking/writing skills. Of outstanding value are numerous examples of real-world writing alongside discussion questions and explanations, enabling students to think critically and truly understand what constitutes good writing.Actual forms and records used in practice are included along with real-world writing examples drawn from all areas of practice: police, corrections, probation and parole services, social work, miscellaneous court documents, and victim advocate services requiring all kinds of writing, including case notes, incident reports, op-ed essays, press releases, grant applications, and more. A robust Glossary of Writing and Writing Errors concludes the book.Key Features:Addresses the increasingly common issue of criminal justice students and professionals deficiencies in cultural competency and critical thinking as they relate to writing skillsOffers an interactive approach based on real practice and tied to criminal justice students and professionals interestsIncludes examples of good and poor writing, with corrections and explanations for the bad examplesDisplays actual forms and records used by law enforcement agencies, correctional departments, and related organizationsFosters the development of critical and culturally competent writing skills