Friday, September 25, 2009

Peer reveiw session


Hello, class,

For today, we're going to have a peer review session, which means you give feedback to your classmate's paper and get comments about your paper at the same time. It's not scary at all like the picture above shows. :D Peer reviews are very helpful and constructive since you can share different perspectives about the same article with your peers, and in so doing you can reflect your own writing based on what you and your peer discussed.

Students from some cultures do not seem comfortable when they give feedback to peers and get comment from others. However, to peer review is totally different from criticism, which is not healthy and constructive. Also, here are some tips that you keep in mind when peer reviewing, so please take a look. Let's talk about them more in class. See you soon.

For yourself:

1. Think of your reviewer as your partner. Be grateful to their help!

2. Tell your reviewer about the purpose and audience. Don't simply ask reviewers to "look it over".

3. Tell your reviewers what you want them to do. Direct their attention to the particular features you want to have advice about.

4. Stifle your tendency to be defensive. (à It’s quite important because we tend to view suggestions as criticisms. This may halt the willingness of reviewers to give feedback.)

5. Ask your reviewers to explain the reasons for their suggestions.

6. Take notes on your reviewers' suggestions. Don't just let them go!

For reviewers:

1. Think of yourself as a coach, not a judge.

2. Consider all writing by your peer as “works in progress.”

3. After hearing or reading a peer’s writing, briefly summarize it to check that you and your peer are clear about what the peer said or meant to say.

4. Start with what you think is well done. No one likes to hear only negative comments.

5. Be honest in your suggestions for improvement.

6. Based your responses on an understanding of the writing process, and remember that you’re reading drafts, not finished products. All writing can be revised.

7. Give concrete and specific responses. General comments such as “This is good” or “This is weak” don’t offer much help. Describe specifically what is good or weak.


Joy

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

Writing conclusions


Hi class,

For today, we talked about a concluding paragraph. Compared to introductions and body paragraphs, it is bit of simple to write a conclusion as long as you keep some guidelines. In class, we looked at several tips for a concluding paragraph as follows:
  1. Restate your thesis statement (normally in the first sentence),
  2. Summarize your topic/central ideas and why they are important,
  3. Provide a sense of closure or “wrapping up.” (e.g. by using transitional expressions)
  4. Call for action or overview future research possibilities.
  5. Briefly state a forecast or warning based on facts developed in the paper.

You do not always have to provide possibilities or forecasts in your paper, and it depends on kinds of your paper. However, if you just follow the tips for 1, 2, and 3, it would be a good start to practice writing a conclusion.

Next class, we're going to have a peer review session, so be sure to finish revising paper at least by body paragraphs. Keep working on it!

Joy


Monday, September 21, 2009

Keep in mind



"There is no great writing, only great re-writing."
Justice Brandeis

"By writing much, one learns to write well."
Robert Southey

"The only way to learn to write is to write."
Peggy Teeters

Please bear in mind that you are the only one who is in charge of improving your writing skill.

Joy