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Peer Feedback IdeasPage 1 (edit)
Having peer feedback can really help students to work on revising works in progress, but also to help with formulating ideas and working through places where a writer may be “stuck”. Below are some activities to do with students in their groups that will help with peer review. When and how you do these activities is up to do. You can do these workshops before or after you have had students turn in drafts to you and have been given feedback. I recommend creating groups prior to the meeting based on some type of questionnaire about how students feel about writing and their self as a writer. It is better to give out in writing what you want them to do so they have it right in front of them to refer to later if they need to. Keep in mind you may have to model what you would like the students to do in their peer review groups, not because they will say mean things to each other, but because they may not know what to say. You want them to be specific and talk about the writer’s piece of writing, what worked for them, what they found interesting, and what they would like to know more about. Tell them to keep in mind what the writer would like feedback on also. This can be an extremely effective tool in the writing process, but make sure that students know how to interact with each other’s writing and are able to give constructive responses. Another reason to do this activity is for students to see that the teacher is not the only one who can give comments, that helpful insight can come from any place. Other times this takes the pressure off of the student. Many times they feel that the teacher is the “authority” and has all the answers so they should do what the teacher tells them to do when feedback is given. When it comes from a classmate is seems more relaxed, as if they are just giving ideas in a friendly way to help the writer make some changes before they hand in their writing. Writing Workshop – Peer review response groups Now that you have several pieces in your Working Portfolio, and one that you have begun to extend/revise I would like you to meet with a writing response group. I have set these groups up with the purpose to balance your strengths and weaknesses as writers, as you indicated on your writer’s profiles. Step one—before you get together, each of you should:
Step two—meet with your response group Focus on one writer’s piece at a time. To focus your response:
---First, spend several minutes just “saying back: what you heard; what was the piece about? What seemed to be main thread in the piece? The focus? You should all take turns adding to your description. ---What detail or images stand out to you as especially interesting, powerful, unique? ---At what points did you get lost or were you confused? Make sure you give the writer specific places where clarification/additional details may be needed. ---What in the piece would you like to know more about? Make sure you give the writer several specific places to return to.
Plan on 10–15 minutes for each writer’s piece, depending on the length. Once you get through with this, please do the following: Return to the piece that you just received feedback on. Continue to work on that piece, revising or extending, as you need to. Begin drafting your author’s memo to me, due with your Working Portfolio at the end of class. (Only use this last part if you are collecting on that day, otherwise put in the day you will collect.) Writing Workshop – Peer review letter responses To guide your response letter:
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