1. sophisticated transitions
a mini lesson for research

2. why transitions? clarify the logic of your argument
bring your reader along as you develop ideas between sentences and paragraphs
create flow in your writing

3. transition words/phrases
Addition: use when presenting multiple ideas that flow in the same direction, under the same heading/ idea
also, another, finally, first, first of all, for one thing, furthermore, in addition, last of all, likewise, moreover, next, and, second, the third reason
Sequence/ Order: use to suggest a temporal relationship between ideas; places evidence in sequence
first, second (etc.), next, last, finally, first of all, concurrently, immediately, prior to, then, at that time, at this point, previously, subsequently, and then, at this time, thereafter, previously, soon, before, after, followed by, after that, next, before, after, meanwhile, formerly, finally, during
Contrast: use to demonstrate differences between ideas or change in argument direction
but, however, in contrast, on the other hand, on the contrary, yet, differ, difference, balanced against, differing from, variation, still, on the contrary, unlike, conversely, otherwise, on the other hand, however
Exception: use to introduce an opposing idea
however, whereas, on the other hand, while, instead, in spite of, yet, despite, still, nevertheless, even though, in contrast, but, but one could also say…
Comparison: use to demonstrate similarities between ideas that may not be under the same subject heading or within the same paragraph
like, likewise, just, in a different way / sense, whereas, like, equally, in like manner, by comparison, similar to, in the same way, alike, similarity, similarly, just as, as in a similar fashion, conversely
Illustration: use to develop or clarify an idea, to introduce examples, or to show that the second idea is
subordinate to the first for example, to illustrate, on this occasion, this can be seen, in this case, specifically, once, to illustrate, when/where, for instance, such as, to demonstrate, take the case of, in this case
Cause and Effect: use to show that one idea causes, or results from, the idea that follows or precedes it
because, therefore, so that, cause, reason, effect, thus, consequently, since, as a result, if…then, result in
Emphasis: use to suggest that an idea is particularly important to your argument
important to note, most of all, a significant factor, a primary concern, a key feature, remember that, pay particular attention to, a central issue, the most substantial issue, the main value, a major event, the chief factor, a distinctive quality, especially valuable, the chief outcome, a vital force, especially relevant, most noteworthy, the principal item, above all, should be noted
Summary or Conclusion: use to signal that what follows is summarizing or concluding the previous ideas; in humanities papers, use these phrases sparingly
to summarize, in short, in brief, in sum, in summary, to sum up, in conclusion, to conclude, finally

4. transition signals
words or phrases that indicate the logic connecting sets of information or ideas
signals like therefore, on the other hand, for example, because, then, and afterwards can be good transition tools at the sentence and paragraph level
pay attention to the actual meaning of the transition words so they reflect the actual relationship between ideas

5. ima goodwriter's subtopic 1 paragraphs
Standards-based education (SBE), while well intentioned, has in essence taken over educational decision-making in the 21st century. The philosophy itself is sound in theory, and grounded in some important ideas in education. According to Herbert Kohl, educational philosopher from Columbia University and veteran teacher, there are two central ideas at the heart of SBE: students have the capability to meet high standards but they must have enough time and opportunity to do it(1). Giving students the support and time to reach a common set of clear goals would not only give them the skills to succeed but also the confidence to do so. Embedded in "high" standards that Kohl discusses is another idea, the idea of “high expectations” and “rigor” (Eisner 1). It is a noble and valid ideal to focus on when considering all students succeeding because the United States has historically decreased their international status in educational excellence (Kohl 2). Standards seem like the logical answer to reverse that decline. Without expectations for students it is difficult to outline objectives to actually measure if the students can do the skills or if they are deficient, as Eliot Eisner, Professor Emeritus at Stanford's School of Education asserts, so by creating clear standards, lawmakers were sound in their thinking (1). It seems logical, then, that standards do create a solid foundation of expectations for students that can be followed and measured. However, when people use “units of measure that make it possible to quantify the performance of students, teachers, and schools” (Eisner 1)--in other words turn student success into a test score--they take away personalization in both learning and teaching.
While the philosophy behind SBE is practical in theory, in reality, there are significant drawbacks besides the depersonalization. For example, John Merrow of the educational organization Phi Delta Kappa outlines, high-stakes testing may "1) lead to an even more arid curriculum, 2) drive away talented teachers, 3) tempt states to lower the bar in order not to lose federal money, 4) increase pressure to cheat, and 5) alienate educated parents” (1). This list of drawbacks highlights just how far-reaching the consequences of SBE and its subsequent high-stakes testing can be. Not only does it affect the curriculum, but also the people involved on all levels. In addition, Merrow argues that SBE is not "reform with results" that supporters of public education would want(1) because what people in education truly wish for is what is best for the students and the future of their country. Opposite of positive reform, Eisner further argues that SBE actually distracts teachers from the deeper problems in schools asserting " It distracts us from paying attention to the importance of building a culture of schooling that is genuinely intellectual in character, that values questions and ideas at least as much as getting right answers” (1). To implement an educational movement that “detracts” from true education seems ineffective. In the end, while the argument for standards seems like the answer, with them come significant drawbacks.

6. review words link groups of sentences or whole paragraphs
condense preceding discussion into a brief word or phrase
signal your own understanding of your work
think of review words as super-short summaries of key ideas or echoes of what you just wrote about

7. ima goodwriter's subtopic 1 paragraphs
Standards-based education (SBE), while well intentioned, has in essence taken over educational decision-making in the 21st century. The philosophy itself is sound in theory, and grounded in some important ideas in education. According to Herbert Kohl, educational philosopher from Columbia University and veteran teacher, there are two central ideas at the heart of SBE: students have the capability to meet high standards but they must have enough time and opportunity to do it(1). Giving students the support and time to reach a common set of clear goals would not only give them the skills to succeed but also the confidence to do so. Embedded in "high" standards that Kohl discusses is another idea, the idea of “high expectations” and “rigor” (Eisner 1). It is a noble and valid ideal to focus on when considering all students succeeding because the United States has historically decreased their international status in educational excellence (Kohl 2). Standards seem like the logical answer to reverse that decline. Without expectations for students it is difficult to outline objectives to actually measure if the students can do the skills or if they are deficient, as Eliot Eisner, Professor Emeritus at Stanford's School of Education asserts, so by creating clear standards, lawmakers were sound in their thinking (1). It seems logical, then, that standards do create a solid foundation of expectations for students that can be followed and measured. However, when people use “units of measure that make it possible to quantify the performance of students, teachers, and schools” (Eisner 1)--in other words turn student success into a test score--they take away personalization in both learning and teaching.
While the philosophy behind SBE is practical in theory, in reality, there are significant drawbacks besides the depersonalization. For example, John Merrow of the educational organization Phi Delta Kappa outlines, high-stakes testing may "1) lead to an even more arid curriculum, 2) drive away talented teachers, 3) tempt states to lower the bar in order not to lose federal money, 4) increase pressure to cheat, and 5) alienate educated parents” (1). This list of drawbacks highlights just how far-reaching the consequences of SBE and its subsequent high-stakes testing can be. Not only does it affect the curriculum, but also the people involved on all levels. In addition, Merrow argues that SBE is not "reform with results" that supporters of public education would want(1) because what people in education truly wish for is what is best for the students and the future of their country. Opposite of positive reform, Eisner further argues that SBE actually distracts teachers from the deeper problems in schools asserting " It distracts us from paying attention to the importance of building a culture of schooling that is genuinely intellectual in character, that values questions and ideas at least as much as getting right answers” (1). To implement an educational movement that “detracts” from true education seems ineffective. In the end, while the argument for standards seems like the answer, with them come significant drawbacks.

8. preview words
condense an upcoming discussion or main point into a brief word or phrase
prepares readers for what is to come
like a preview in a movie, give the reader a glimpse of what is to come

9. ima goodwriter's subtopic 1 paragraphs
Standards-based education (SBE), while well intentioned, has in essence taken over educational decision-making in the 21st century. The philosophy itself is sound in theory, and grounded in some important ideas in education. According to Herbert Kohl, educational philosopher from Columbia University and veteran teacher, there are two central ideas at the heart of SBE: students have the capability to meet high standards but they must have enough time and opportunity to do it(1). Giving students the support and time to reach a common set of clear goals would not only give them the skills to succeed but also the confidence to do so. Embedded in "high" standards that Kohl discusses is another idea, the idea of “high expectations” and “rigor” (Eisner 1). It is a noble and valid ideal to focus on when considering all students succeeding because the United States has historically decreased their international status in educational excellence (Kohl 2). Standards seem like the logical answer to reverse that decline. Without expectations for students it is difficult to outline objectives to actually measure if the students can do the skills or if they are deficient, as Eliot Eisner, Professor Emeritus at Stanford's School of Education asserts, so by creating clear standards, lawmakers were sound in their thinking (1). It seems logical, then, that standards do create a solid foundation of expectations for students that can be followed and measured. However, when people use “units of measure that make it possible to quantify the performance of students, teachers, and schools” (Eisner 1)--in other words turn student success into a test score--they take away personalization in both learning and teaching.
While the philosophy behind SBE is practical in theory, in reality, there are significant drawbacks besides the depersonalization. For example, John Merrow of the educational organization Phi Delta Kappa outlines, high-stakes testing may "1) lead to an even more arid curriculum, 2) drive away talented teachers, 3) tempt states to lower the bar in order not to lose federal money, 4) increase pressure to cheat, and 5) alienate educated parents” (1). This list of drawbacks highlights just how far-reaching the consequences of SBE and its subsequent high-stakes testing can be. Not only does it affect the curriculum, but also the people involved on all levels. In addition, Merrow argues that SBE is not "reform with results" that supporters of public education would want(1) because what people in education truly wish for is what is best for the students and the future of their country. Opposite of positive reform, Eisner further argues that SBE actually distracts teachers from the deeper problems in schools asserting " It distracts us from paying attention to the importance of building a culture of schooling that is genuinely intellectual in character, that values questions and ideas at least as much as getting right answers” (1). To implement an educational movement that “detracts” from true education seems ineffective. In the end, while the argument for standards seems like the answer, with them come significant drawbacks.

10. transition sentences
strong transition sentences indicate the connection between the preceding and upcoming pieces of your argument.
often contain one or more of the following transition tools:
transition signals
review words
preview words
this transition approach shows maturity as a writer
can be last sentence of previous paragraph or first sentence of paragraph

11. ima goodwriter's subtopic 1 paragraphs
Standards-based education (SBE), while well intentioned, has in essence taken over educational decision-making in the 21st century. The philosophy itself is sound in theory, and grounded in some important ideas in education. According to Herbert Kohl, educational philosopher from Columbia University and veteran teacher asserts there are two central ideas at the heart of SBE: students have the capability to meet high standards but they must have enough time and opportunity to do it(1). Giving students the support and time to reach a common set of clear goals would not only give them the skills to succeed but also the confidence to do so. Embedded in "high" standards that Kohl discusses is another idea, the idea of “high expectations” and “rigor” (Eisner 1). It is a noble and valid ideal to focus on when considering all students succeeding because the United States has historically decreased their international status in educational excellence (Kohl 2). Standards seem like the logical answer to reverse that decline. Without expectations for students it is difficult to outline objectives to actually measure if the students can do the skills or if they are deficient, as Eliot Eisner, Professor Emeritus at Stanford's School of Education asserts, so by creating clear standards, lawmakers were sound in their thinking (1). It seems logical, then, that standards do create a solid foundation of expectations for students that can be followed and measured. However, when people use “units of measure that make it possible to quantify the performance of students, teachers, and schools” (Eisner 1)--in other words turn student success into a test score--they take away personalization in both learning and teaching.
While the philosophy behind SBE is practical in theory, in reality, there are significant drawbacks besides the depersonalization. For example, John Merrow of the educational organization Phi Delta Kappa outlines, high-stakes testing may "1) lead to an even more arid curriculum, 2) drive away talented teachers, 3) tempt states to lower the bar in order not to lose federal money, 4) increase pressure to cheat, and 5) alienate educated parents” (1). This list of drawbacks highlights just how far-reaching the consequences of SBE and its subsequent high-stakes testing can be. Not only does it affect the curriculum, but also the people involved on all levels. In addition, Merrow argues that SBE is not "reform with results" that supporters of public education would want(1) because what people in education truly wish for is what is best for the students and the future of their country. Opposite of positive reform, Eisner further argues that SBE actually distracts teachers from the deeper problems in schools asserting " It distracts us from paying attention to the importance of building a culture of schooling that is genuinely intellectual in character, that values questions and ideas at least as much as getting right answers” (1). To implement an educational movement that “detracts” from true education seems ineffective. In the end, while the argument for standards seems like the answer, with them come significant drawbacks.

12. final thoughts
Transitions are more than just words or phrases; they are the thread that weaves your argument together
Can't find a way to write a logical, effective transition between sentences, ideas or paragraphs? You might have organizational problems in your writing; you might consider revising your work:)

13. work cited
Goodwriter, Ima. "Reimagining Education: Putting Imagination Back in the Classroom." Ed. Anne
Barnhart. :)
“Transitions.” Vanderbilt Writing Studio. Vanderbilt University. 16 Jul
Web. 5 May 2013.