1. Facilitating Meaningful Feedback Utilizing Multiple Methods of Direct Instruction to Prepare Students for Successful Peer Review

2. Think about it! "Talent is helpful in writing, but guts are absolutely essential." -Jessamyn West "Successful writers are not the ones who write the best sentences. They are the ones who keep writing. They are the ones who discover what is most important and strangest and most pleasurable in themselves, and keep believing in the value of their work, despite the difficulties.“ -Bonnie Friedman

3. Rationale Teacher Inquiry Focus: Collaborative Learning Demo focus: Meaningful Peer Review Define it: What is peer review?

4. Consider the Context Research suggests: Students have misconception of purpose of peer review (correction rather than collaboration) and distrust of their “peers” Instructors need to thoroughly prepare students to be successful (specifically train students for peer review and invest class time for practice)

5. Re-visioning Revision Establish purpose for peer review (demonstrate commitment through specific training and regular practice) Build a sense of shared community (“safe place”) Avoid lists of peer review questions (i.e. rubrics and checklists that lead to more writing than interaction) Emphasize the value of peer review as a critical element of writing process (place it in the ongoing literacy curriculum)

6. Creating a Sense of Community Quaker Share Goal: “To help limit students’ fears about peer reactions”/create a “safe place” Process: Write your name on paper bag Select at least a line or two of your writing to share with group (DO NOT raise hands/wait and listen for appropriate time to share) Share your writing While classmates share, write down words and phrases you like on note cards Walk around and place note cards in classmates’ paper bags Benefits: Low stakes opportunity for students to hear their written words out loud/have “air time” free of critique Builds student confidence Fosters authentic responses to writing

7. Interacting with a text by interacting with each other Think Aloud Strategy Goal: To facilitate “interactions grounded in inquiry and filled with observations, questions, clarifications, and responses.” Process: Find partner Read partner’s writing to him/her by “thinking out loud” Writer will record “thinking out loud” comments quietly while partner reads his/her writing Writer has time to clarify and ask for suggestions Switch Benefits: Allows writer to hear his/her words read out loud by another voice Writer is active observer, asking frequent follow-up questions and taking notes (encourages ownership) Focuses on “making sense of the writing” rather than “fixing” Integrates writing and reading instruction Moves external speech to internal thought processes (develops the inner eye/critic)

8. Think Aloud Expectations Teacher will observe: How does reader use questions to understand writing? Where does reader make reference to specific passages? How does reader share his or her experience of reading the piece? How does writer take notes on reader’s comments? How does writer ask questions for reader to clarify? How does writer keep focus on his or her goals and purposes while asking for feedback?

9. Think Aloud Sentence Starters I think she’s saying… This means… I expect the next thing to be… I’m confused by… I don’t know… The main point of this seems to be… At this point, I understand… It sounds like… Where is…

10. Examples of Responses for Peer Review Reader to Writer: I like the sensory detail in this section, especially where you write XYZ This part really grabs my interest because… I wonder what else made this character act this way I wonder how your essay would flow if you moved this section earlier Writer to Reader: I am trying to make it suspenseful here—how can I do it better? I want this to flow more smoothly between topics. Any suggestions?

11. Revision Memo: Creating a Plan of Action Revision Memo Goal: “To engage [students] in authentic writing to master the complex decisions authors must confront when they compose for real audiences.” Process: Review note cards from Quaker Share Skim notes and comments recorded during Think Aloud Compile ideas and create a plan of attack for revision Write ideas in memo format (follow printed directions) Benefits: Requires students to synthesize ideas and transform them into a plan of action for revision Exposes students’ thought processes (teacher can assess sophistication of thought) Creates an occasion to write formally about their writing

12. Review Establish purpose for peer review Build a sense of shared community (“safe place”) Avoid lists of peer review questions Emphasize the value of peer review as a critical element of writing process (place it in the ongoing literacy curriculum)

13. Sources Bardine, Bryan Anthony and Fulton, Anthony. “Analyzing the Benefits of Revision Memos during the Writing and Revision Process.” The Clearing House Mar./Apr. 2008: 149-155. Brammer, Charlotte and Rees, Mary. “Peer Review from the Students’ Perspective: Invaluable or Invalid?” Composition Studies Fall 2007: 71-86. Dawson, Christine M. “Beyond Checklists and Rubrics: Engaging Students in Authentic Conversations about Their Writing.” English Journal May 2009: 66-71. Graff, Nelson. “Approaching Authentic Peer Review.” English Journal May 2009: 81- 87. Heard, Georgia. The Revision Toolbox. Portsmouth: Heinemann, 2002. Muschla, Gary R. Writing Workshop Survival Kit. New York: The Center for Applied Research in Education, 1993.