The document outlines the creation of a multimedia tool aimed at educating healthcare consumers about Medicare and Medicaid, emphasizing critical writing skills within academic contexts. It illustrates how individual learning patterns influence writing processes, highlighting examples from various students and their challenges. The text suggests that successful writing combines understanding of one's learning style with effective communication tailored to the audience.

1. Power point presentation only need 2 slides with speaker notes
and worked cited as well with references
You are employed by the local government and you have been
assigned to work with a team in educating the health care
consumers of your community about Medicare or Medicaid. You
and your team have been tasked with creating a multimedia tool
that will be made available at any local government office with
this information.
· Focus on a level of government (Federal, State or local) and
the role and function it had in the process of implementing the
policy.
3.3 What Is Critical Writing?
The Role of the Author's Voice
Words mean more than what is set down on paper. It takes the
human voice to infuse them with deeper meaning.
Maya Angelou (2009, p. 95)
Critical writing, like critical reading, depends upon your
cognitive processes performing myriad tasks with remarkable
speed. The main task, simply stated, is to communicate from the
inside out by having the mind convert its internal thoughts to
external expression (Johnston, 2005). Needless to say, critical
writing is just as challenging a skill as critical reading. It
requires your language processing "muscles" to be "flexed"
regularly, so they are ready to do some "heavy lifting" to place
words in clear, logical, persuasive order—just like you need to
keep real muscles strong to be able to move and lift objects as
needed. It takes practice, and the more you do it, the better you
get.
For the college student, critical writing takes many forms (short
answers, paragraph responses, postings, essays, research

2. papers). Regardless of the required format, gathering your
thoughts from inside your mind and presenting them for public
view can be the most challenging and, in some cases, the most
agonizing of human acts.
The following depicts in words what the writing process
involves in terms of the brain-mind connection:
When you write you are
recording,
expressing,
articulating,
communicating your
thoughts
feelings
experiences
ideas in
symbolic representation by consistently using
lines scratched on paper or
symbols digitally relayed from a keyboard to a screen
that have the same meaning each time they are viewed by the
human eye and
translated by the brain's neuro-receptors and
interpreted, and either
immediately relayed to the recipient or
stored by the working memory for
retrieval and
expression
at the appropriate time. (Johnston, 2005)
Critical Writing and Your Learning Patterns
Just as in the case of critical reading, critical writing also
involves the intentional use of your Learning Patterns.
Remember Diana? The artist and poet in Chapter 2 who was
commissioned to write a book pairing her poetry and art (S25,
P28, TR16, C25)? While she was thrilled with the opportunity,
and ultimately produced a beautiful publication, the process for
her was both stressful and rewarding. Her Patterns of Use First
Precision and Sequence set off alarms in her head. How to

3. begin? How to get her paintings into a digital format? What will
it look like? Will anyone want to read it?
Stockbyte/Thinkstock
The act of writing is more than placing words on paper. It
requires at a minimum a synchronization of your brain, mind,
thought development, and language processing.
Once she had a clear plan of how to proceed and was confident
that it would evolve into something to be proud of, her
Confluence (25) took over and she paired her art with her
words. Along the way, she struggled to interact with her editor
and to consider what each comment's impact would have on her
work. In the end, Diana succeeded in using all four of her
Patterns because she recognized that establishing order and
accuracy allowed her to feel in control and allowed her
Confluence to guide her in her selections of art and poetry.
Just as Diana used her Patterns to write critically, so too will
you be required to use your Learning Patterns to write critically
in order to succeed in your online program. Remember, there is
no "perfect" Pattern or combination of Patterns, and in the end,
there are no excuses for not completing a task because of your
patterns.
As you look at Table 3.3, "Two Approaches to Writing," notice
the contrasts in the two writers' approaches. Do you identify
with either writer or with portions of what they've said? How do
you feel about deadlines? How do you plan when you need to
write something? Do you do everything you can to avoid putting
your thoughts into words? Or do you look forward to expressing
your thoughts in written form?
Table 3.3: Two Approaches to Writing: The Effect of Learning
Patterns on the Writing Process
Diana
Gary
S25, P28, TR16, C25

4. S26, P22, TR30, C14
Anticipation: "I had to make room in my life to gather the
poems [and paintings]."
Anticipation: "I can't believe I have to write what I'm thinking.
That's really nobody's business, is it? Is this what I'm going to
have to do for each course I take online?"
On compiling content: "I had no idea of how to make the
selections. I have piles of work in my studio. Should I go
through all my paintings? What should I do? I stalled for a few
months on that task, needing direction."
On compiling content: "I've revisited some of my notes and
research. Lots of good 'stuff.' Wish I could just submit it in this
form. Why do I have to put it into my own words, when the
experts say it so much better?"
Planning: "I broke up all the book tasks into smaller tasks and
goals such as:
· Today I will edit poems from the summer section.
· Tomorrow I will print them.
· The next day I will mail the hard copy to my
editor/publisher."
Planning: "I got the outline done. I'm good at structuring things,
at developing the logic behind my thoughts, but I just don't
want to put words to it all. It stresses me out. I can't get it from
my head to the screen. And even when I do, I don't think it's
very good."
Deadlines: "I juggle many things—family, gardening, house
duties, teaching classes, promoting my art shows, connecting to
my e-list by sending out e-newsletters, entering shows, staying
on top of emails, etc."
Deadlines: "I have more than one thing due at the same time. I
hate that. I don't juggle well. It takes me a long time to express
my thoughts in writing. It's painstaking. If I could do one thing

5. at a time, I could deal better with these deadlines."
Revisions: "After all the writing was submitted to the publisher,
and he returned each poem from each section with his
suggestions written all over with arrows, lines, etc., I had to
decipher what he had written, then make decisions about
whether or not to make the changes."
Revisions: "I 'get' what my instructor is saying. It's just, I got
the writing done and now you want me to re-do it? Why? I said
what I had to say, and now you say it wasn't clear. You want me
to use more precise words and clarify what I said. Well, at least
you thought it was logical."
Writing for Your Audience
Everything is written for an audience, and for a specific
purpose. The instructions that come with your iPad are written
for you, the owner, and their purpose is to explain to you how to
load it with your favorite applications and get the most out of
your new toy. Shakespeare wrote Hamlet for his Elizabethan-era
audience, and for future generations of playgoers, and his
purpose was to entertain his audience and expose it to profound
ideas about human nature. When you leave a note for someone,
you write it with the person in mind and for a specific purpose.
When you write an essay for a timed, standardized test, consider
the scorer of the test. Your purpose is to show that you can
successfully answer the question in the way the test reader
wants it to be answered. This goes for whatever writing task the
question requires—persuasion, analysis, and so on. Your
Learning Patterns can play a big role in what you write and in
how well you interpret the assignment.
Using Your Learning Patterns to Master Critical Writing
Critical writing, like critical reading, relies on the development
of intentional skills. What you write for college courses needs
to be accurate, logical, carefully reasoned, and thoughtfully
crafted. One way to learn the skill of critical writing is to read
the work of other writers and to use their methods as models to

6. follow. Understand how you learn and then read about the
experiences of others similar to yourself, so you can identify
how to deploy their strategies in order to improve your writing.
Armed with the knowledge that all four Patterns contribute to
excellent writing, and that you'll need to focus on those Patterns
you Avoid almost as strongly as those you Use First, carefully
read the following stories of writing "experiences." See to
whom you most relate. Identify how you can develop your
critical writing skills by learning from these writing models.
So Much to Do; So Little Time
You want me to fill out the inventory. Then you want me to do
this other form. Now you want me to write. Which is more
important? I can't get it all done.
Makayla (psychology major)
Sequence
Makayla is a quirky, funny, serious psychology student and an
identical twin (S29, P20, TR17, C14).
With her Use First Sequence, she did not often succeed on timed
tests, as she seemed mired in cement when she became stuck on
an answer. Where others would skip to the next question,
Makayla would linger. Where others might start in the middle
and jump around to answer questions, Makayla held steadfast to
answering in order. If she logged on to her online group site
expecting to find information or postings, she was stymied if
what she needed wasn't there at that particular moment. She
found it difficult to move on to another task and to check back
later.
Makayla was ruled by her Sequence, almost to the point of
paralysis. She frequently emailed her instructor (often as she
worked late into the night) for more instruction on assignments.
She'd send paragraphs to her to be sure she was on the right
track.
Makayla executed her papers well, but found that she received
lower grades for "lack of originality" and being "unable to
present any new or different" ideas.
Does this mean that people high in Sequence aren't creative?

7. Absolutely not! It means recognizing that it's okay to calm your
Sequence and to let your Confluence offer up ideas.
Hints for Writers Who Are Short on Confluence and Long on
Sequence
Here are a few tips to help Sequence users get started writing—
and keep going:
· Picture a hotel desk bell on your workstation. Now pick up
a pen and start brainstorming ideas for that project you're
avoiding. Every time you allow thoughts of "That will never
work," or "What will that look like?" or "We've done that
before," ding that bell. Write every idea down. Don't stifle your
creativity by censoring yourself. One idea leads to another. You
may not invent something, but you surely can tweak an existing
idea or concept.
· You must get past the idea that you need an opening
paragraph in order to begin. Essays and reports can be written
in sections, and not necessarily in order. Start in the middle.
Come back to the beginning and write an introduction once your
main points are down on paper. Eventually you will see your
argument or story as a whole, but for the time being, be willing
to develop sections as they unfold in your mind. Afterward you
can put them in the order that makes the story or the argument
flow and add the introduction and conclusion.
· Most important of all is to write free of the rules that keep
you grounded and plodding. Write. Get your thoughts down
first; then pay attention to spelling and punctuation, verb tense,
and exact wording.
When You Are Lieutenant Precision
Speaking of winning, I finally got my own room. It has spiders
and the AC is weak and is right across from the port-a-potty so
outside my door smells horrible, but it is a 6.5' x 6.5' space all
my own.
John (Army scout)
Precision
For families and friends with loved ones who are deployed,
letters or emails are priceless. The boxed quotation from John

8. (S27, P32, TR21, C23) helped his family picture his room in the
barracks when he was first deployed—but the one below
confused them as they planned their reunion with him in
Germany. It illustrates how his extremely high Precision made
it difficult for him to write a simple message. Someone low in
Precision would have written a much different, more direct
message, especially when pressed for time. That message might
have read: "Wait to hear from SSG Smith to buy ticket. I'm not
getting up to date info in transit." Our young lieutenant with
high Precision, on the other hand, writes the following:
Ok, at Shank finally. Sounds like Main Bodies 3 and 4 are being
put together to fly (meaning we wait for a few extra days for
them), so that date SSG Smith gave you is probably closer to
correct than what I was thinking. Everything has/will change, so
at this point don't trust anything from me and just buy the
tickets a day out from when he tells you. Sorry it's chaotic.
Took me an hour and change to fight my way to an MWR so I
still won't be online much longer than it takes to send this.
Basically just wait until the absolute last minute to buy any
tickets and late is better than early when it comes to arriving.
Who knows how long I'll be stuck somewhere beyond what
we've been told. (John, Army scout)
While he feels almost compelled to give details, including the
use of acronyms unfamiliar to the reader, he ends up writing a
convoluted message. Knowing your audience and purpose is
crucial for every writer, but most often for those who are highly
Precise.
Not surprisingly, Precision can get a writer into trouble in
academic situations. If asked to write a 1500-word essay, a
writer high in Precision feels frustrated. "How am I supposed to
fit all this into three pages? I didn't even get a chance to talk
about X, Y, and Z!" While others may struggle to fill a page, a
person high in Precision sees every detail as important and
doesn't want to cut what's been written.
On the other hand, those who Avoid Precision frequently feel
they have nothing to say and have trouble starting their first

9. draft. After they have finished a draft, it may lack details or
contain grammar or spelling errors. They feel lost or frustrated
as they worry that it's just not going to be good enough.
When You Are a Person of Few Words
In my mind, I see everything as a machine. When I look at
something, I see how it works but I struggle to explain to others
without pictures or physically moving or pointing. Usually I've
been the guy who tags along but contributes little to the
conversation.
Paul (physical science major)
Technical Reasoning
You may have asked yourself at some point, "What do scientists
need to know about writing? Why make them take a writing
course?" Interestingly, it's the scientist who can write that
employers seek. In order to get new business, science and
engineering companies need to write proposals for grants and
other funding. They need to publish their findings, and they
need employees who are able to communicate effectively with
both groups and individuals in writing. More and more, students
who graduate with competence in their majors and who possess
strong writing ability are the ones who get the jobs.
As you might suspect, many science majors are Use First
Technical Reasoning. Paul is a "grease monkey" and proud of it.
By his own admission, he never took class notes. He contended
that he kept everything "in his head." However, when he did not
use his Learning Patterns (S20, P16, TR33, C24) with intention,
he earned a failing grade because he did not follow
requirements for his papers—there were improper headings,
incorrect fonts, missing page numbers, and other formatting
gaps—and he did not provide enough support from research for
his ideas. He finally made an appointment to discuss things with
his writing instructor.
She advised him that he had to tone down some of his Technical
Reasoning and recognize that his avoidance of structure and
what he considered to be "lengthy" paragraphs could be what
was leading to his failing grades. His grades were a wake-up

10. call to him, and he sheepishly admitted that he hadn't bothered
thoroughly reading the research he'd found in the library's
databases but had skimmed through the abstracts. Paul blatantly
ignored the very skills central to being a critical reader and
writer.
By nature, Technical Reasoners like Paul would rather "show"
than "tell," but with an awareness of who you are as a learner
and how you approach writing, you'll be better able to express
yourself in writing. With practice in pre-writing, drafting, and
editing, your writing skills will improve.
When You Let Your Confluence Run Amuck
I can be easily annoyed, but I don't worry very much. That's
what makes me different. I plan to succeed by chance.
Raheem (sociology major)
Confluence
Raheem's quotation was what constituted his entire first
submission in his writing course. When questioned about its
length and its philosophy (his idea of succeeding by chance),
his response was, "It's worked so far."
"Why such a short essay?" his instructor inquired.
"Pretty much sums it up," he replied.
Unfortunately his decision to follow a devil-may-care attitude
was only bolstered by his Use First Confluence and his high
Technical Reasoning. Raheem was a "man of few words" who
decided to live by chance, which put him in jeopardy of
compromising his academic success.
A few weeks went by and he produced zero research. His score
of 11 in Sequence meant that when called on to research a topic,
he would need extra focus and concentration on the sequential
tasks of searching and taking notes. Group work was a
nightmare for his teammates. He was entertaining, but he rarely
contributed anything of substance. Raheem dismissed his
Patterns as "hocus pocus" (S11, P16, TR28, and C31) and
continued to rely on his idea of letting chance take care of him.
As more deadlines passed and the incompletes piled up, it
became clear that he was not going to pass the course. His

11. decision not to employ critical thinking caught up to him.
Critical thinking, critical reading, and critical writing require
scheduled, set-aside, focused time to think, read, study, and
write. Trying to achieve a degree without scheduling this time
and flexing your critical abilities regularly keeps you from
reaching your full potential.
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