Of course writing coaches are not the only ones who are going to offer help. Many students are told to give peer reviews to their fellow peers. I've always been conflicted on how this works. Some writers are better than others, some people are more interested in feedback than others, some people are better at giving feedback. Like I said earlier, no writer is the same. So who do you pair people up with? Personally, I believe that good writers and bad writers should work together. This philosophy comes from my childhood when I watched Malcolm in the Middle. In the Episode "Tutoring Reese", Malcolm helps his brother Reese by cheating on his test. After Malcolm, the smart one, fails the test, They realize that Reese's teacher does have a bias against him. Near the end of the episode, Malcolm's Mother Lois is having a conversation with a teacher.
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| "Malcolm in the Middle" (2000-2006) |
Lois says "Let me explain something to you. I would sell Malcolm down the river in a heartbeat to save Reese. Malcolm’s gonna be fine no matter what happens. Maybe he’ll go to have to junior college or start off Blue Collar or something but he'll do fine. Reese is the one who needs saving."
I find this scene really important because it realizes that the proficient can do well by themselves. Those struggling do need help. Sure, when you pit a good writer with a bad one, the bad one's revisions will be useless. But, the bad one will get very good tips from someone else. This is important because by having two bad writers peer review, they will get nothing out of it. This is especially tragic for the bad writer who wants to a good writer because they're getting nothing from other bad writers revisions.
What can help give the good students better revision is by offering teacher reviews as well. As a teacher, it is very important to give feedback. Teachers are the masters who are supposed to know everything. By the end of their check, nearly everything should have been corrected, or, at the very least, noted upon. It's important to keep a balance, however. In "Learning to Praise" by Donald Daiker, Daiker explores the importance of giving praise. Many teachers don't give much praise. Apparently, only 007% of in marginal comments were positive. (Daiker) This isn't good because like I said earlier, the teacher is the master. Without giving positive feedback, they're learning that their writing isn't good. It's only negative While it is only implied, it doesn't help that we're not giving comments. It does nothing other than to drain morale and love of writing.
Lastly, I just want to emphasize that there is a lot that goes into revision. You can't just stick one grade on all because they're all so different. Realization of this individuality is key to not only revision, but education, problem solving, and critically thinking.
You made some good points, Max. Personally, I think that teachers need to always remain positive when review their students' writing. It can be hard to give real constructive criticism because you want your students to do better, but you also don't want them to think that they're not doing anything right. That's why you should let them know how good they are doing and also how they can be better. Motivation is key, and they will be motivated ot keep writing if they know you will praise them.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the wonderful insight Jordan! Using positive wording is very important. Making someone feel bad about their writing will only make them feel worse about their wiring, making them want to write less.
DeleteI thought your comments on peer reviewing were interesting. I agree that struggling writers can really benefit from proficient writers, however I feel bad that those proficient writers aren't getting good peer reviews. I imagine something like a "round robin" approach or using groups of three or four could be beneficial to help those writers. I really love how you ended this post, "You can't just stick one grade on all because they're all so different. Realization of this individuality is key to not only revision, but education, problem solving, and critically thinking." This is so true and definitely a philosophy I want to have going into the classroom.
ReplyDeleteYou bring up some really great points! You knocked one sock clean off! (the other is still securely on, if that matters) I was just assuming that a child could learn for the teacher, but a round robin would also work very well. I thought about that, and as an avid conservationist, I thought it would be a waste of paper. But after all the papers we've graded, I realize that that worry is founded in the past. Thanks for the wake up call, friend!
DeleteRegarding peer review and editing: I know that in our class with Orozco on Tuesdays, one of the students said that she didn't like it because she rarely got useful feedback. While I certainly understand that, I think you make a good point here in that this isn't so much about being "equal" to all students, it's about being fair. Fairness, to me, means that every student gets what they need, not that every student gets the same thing.
ReplyDeleteYou've all started a very poignant discussion on the benefits and draw backs of peer feedback. It is important to keep in mind that more proficient writers may actually benefit greatly through the practice of helping the less proficient writers. So even though they may not be getting as many suggestions on their own writing, they are growing as writers in that they are having to become more aware of their own process through articulation to another.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the great discussion!