responses due in class Wednesday, February 25
This article highlights the differences between, and the value of, both peer response groups and tutoring based in a writing center. Both are examples of collaborative learning, which is "dialogue and negotiation" between a reader and a writer. In both, the author retains control and makes all final decisions regarding his or her work, but uses either review process to strengthen the writing and to get a real sense of having an audience.
A peer response group is a group of students centered around a certain class or teacher and focusing on a particular assignment that all members share. Writers take turns reading their own work and then receive commentary from classmates, either verbally, or through written forms or free-write. This experience is closer to what an author might find in the "real world", in which relatively equal working peers review each others' work in academia, or in the scientific or business spheres. This process benefits students because they get practice looking at writing critically and articulating their thoughts, along with the enrichment they get on the particular assignment. Pitfalls include that students are often not skilled or trained enough to give appropriate, helpful criticism, or they are bound by peer protection to keep silent. Class time devoted to appropriate methods of critique and group citizenship is essential.
The tutoring experience, however, is a highly personal activity in which the tutor, who is a "hybrid" of authoritative, knowledgeable teacher and sympathetic, plain-speaking peer, helps the tutee to focus on the underlying weaknesses in his or her writing, and helps him or her to improve confidently over time. Although a student may often just want help on a particular assignment, the tutor must steer away from telling them what to write or "fix" in a certain paper, intead guiding him or her to self-help and discovery by asking meaningful questions. This interaction is often frustrating for both parties, with the student simply wanting to finish the assignment and receive a good grade, and the tutor wanting to promote long lasting improvement on the part of the writer.
This article does not take a diffinitive stance on the useful-ness of either method. Studies provide conflicting views on their benefits. This author, as a writing center proponent and employee, did suggest that collaboration could be very helpful, provided that peer-responders and tutor are appropriately trained and organized.
I found this article interesting in that it looked into the psychology of the relationship between tutor and tutee. It described the delicate balance one often has to walk: not wanting to DO someone's work for them, while knowing that the student mainly wants the assignment done and sees the tutor as the central source of "answers". This is something I have often encountered when tutoring, not just in English.
What do you think about peer response and tutoring? Have you utilized one of these resources; have you been a tutor or a peer respondent? Do you think these services are valuable and should be promoted on campus? If you were a teacher, how would you integrate them into your classroom?
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11 comments:
I really enjoyed this article because as a future teacher I am commited to helping the writer find his or her own way. I really like the idea of peer response groups. The writer should not feel as if they are being attacked by the peers but led in a better direction. I have been a part of many peer response groups. There have been times that I have found their comments to be useful and have changed contents of my paper. There have also been times that I did not agree with the peer responses and felt that it only lead me away from my main point. The author must realize that they do not have to change anything they do not agree with. However, peer response groups are a great tool to use in an English class room. I feel that peer response groups also help the student to not feel so alone in the assignment. Peer response groups can be encouraging and fun. I will use peer response groups in my classroom to get ideas flowing throughout the papers. The peers can be an essential part of a great paper.
Being a future teacher I found this article very interesting to read. I am familiar with both forms of peer response groups and tutors. However, I find that sometimes peer response groups do not always work for the benefit of the student. Some students are afraid to speak up and say what they think is wrong. This is a huge problem because nobody is benefitting from this group. Also, most of the peer response groups I have encountered involved students who did not really know enough material to sufficiently help another student. I find that tutoring however, is a reliable source of help for students. Being on a one- on –one level helps students feel more comfortable, and can really ask questions without feeling scared or embarrassed.
As a student I have found peer resonses to be useful in most cases. I like the workshop days in class where you trade papers and give feedback. I've never gone to a one-on-one tutor for any subject. The only reason I can think of it not having enough time. As a future teacher it's good to know the students are looking at the tutor as the one with the answers. I agree most students aren't going for help and only for answers. As a teacher I don't know how or if I can change that, but I hope to make my class and the writing assignments interesting so my students will want to do them. Then they will workshop the paper to get a different perspective on their work.
Although I'm not planning on becoming a teacher, I do plan on writing quite a bit. I've gained most of my knowledge on my style of writing by being involved in peer response groups. It can be nervewracking if you've never experience that type of learning before, but I've found it to be the most beneficial in my line of education. It's helped me figure out what is necessary to my stories and by having an audience read it during various stages of my writing, it helps strengthen my story overall. I wouldn't say that this style of learning works for everyone though. It's very similar to whether you learn better with visuals or by doing things yourself.
Being a part of several peer response groups, I believe that groups can be a great way to get constructive feedback. Sometimes writers can get too close to their own work and it influences them in the wrong way. These response groups can act like a producer for a band; the band might know what music they want to construct, but a good producer will fine tune and act as a navigator for the sound being created.
But as a band must trust a producer, people involved in these response sessions must trust their classmates and what they have to offer. If the trust isn't there, the session will not be beneficial.
I have been required to review the papers of my peers in other English classes. I have found that this is not always a helpful tool to the writer. It is easier to tell your fellow classmate that their paper is great than to explain what corrections need to be made. I have also found it frustrating because teachers have told me that I am not allowed to point out certain mistakes in a student’s paper. When this happens, I feel as though I have nothing left to talk about because I don’t have a lot of knowledge about writing technique or underlying issues about writing. I usually end up saying nothing at all. In theory, this is a good idea, but I have found that it has no practical application.
I believe that Peer response groups are the most beneficial tool to use when constructing criticism. They can offer both sides of the spectrum; good and bad. Criticism, is in fact good from either side, as negative comments can be beneficial as well. I will use peer response exercises in my classroom once I am an established teacher because they offer a broad perspective of the target audience in which the writer is trying to speak to.
In my experiences of peer response groups in my English 101 and 102 classes here at SIU have been largely ineffective. This is due mainly to the fact that most students reading the work are unskilled to catch problems in their own writing, much less in the writing of others, as the article points out. Though in theory, peer response is closer to the "real world" review of writing, the tutoring method is usually much more useful, and very Aristotle.
I must admit that I am still somewhat on the fence about peer groups. One one hand, I feel they can be helpful in helping students improve their writing. However, I feel that in many cases the students do not gain anything from it because the students who are taking part in the peer groups are either A) too nice and don't want to hurt the writer's feelings so they don't give enough criticism, B) Simply don't care and don't take it seriously, or C) do not criticize in a contstructive manner. I think with some classes it could be an effective tool, but in others it would not work. So, like I said, I am still undecided about how much I will want to use peer groups in my classroom.
i enjoyed reading this article. I have had much experience with peer work shopping and tutors. All throughout elementary school I struggled with Math. I saw a tutor once a week to get help. This was very beneficial to me in the sense that my tutor did not just give me the answers. She helped me find a way to get the solutions. I have a friend who works in the writing center here on campus and she says that most of the time, students come in last minute for help on their papers. They expect the tutors to give them the answers to their problems, when in reality the tutors are there for advice not answers. As for peer workshops, I am unsure. Since I am minoring in English, I have taken many classes where we peer edit our papers. I find this somewhat helpful, but not always. I find that other students, along with myself, feel unsure about our writing. Feeling like this makes me believe that my peer editing responses are not strong enough because I do not feel strongly about my own paper. I see peer editng as helpful for grammar mistakes, but not for suggestions on extended writing. Also, I feel that sometimes students are embarassed when they peer review someone's paper that is better. I think the best way to handle this situation would be if you need help with something, seek a tutor. Peer editing can be beneficial, but I have yet to find it crucial to my writing experience.
by J. Glodich:
I feel that peer groups can be helpful, but only if you teach the students in the groups what they are to look for in correcting their classmates work. Most students are too nice or just don't care to make corrections and point out when things are false in an assignment. This can be helpful in many ways because kids like to work with other kids and may feel more comfortable working with their friends instead of the teacher.
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