DISCUSS WORKSHOPS AND PEER EDITING How to get the most out of your Peer Review

The Purpose of Peer Editing: Praise – Always mention what they are doing right Suggestions - This is discussing the problems in the paper, give suggestions on how to improve. Corrections – This proofreading for grammar, spelling, etc.

Give Praise! Tell the author WHAT they are doing right and WHY it works. Help each other brainstorm ways to do more of what works.

Give Suggestions: All About the Content Try to get at the IDEAS behind the paper. What are they trying to say? How can they say it more clearly? Give suggestions on: Things that might make the point come across more clearly or make the paper more engaging. If you wish that there had been more detail here or if the point of the essay had been clearer sooner, point it out! If you are confused, tell them! We are all inside our own heads—so we aren’t always aware that we haven’t explained something enough.

Making Corrections and Proofreading: It is not just about looking for grammar errors or fixing typos. In fact, it is not your job to proofread your classmates papers for them. If you notice something, make a note, but don’t focus entirely on proofreading.

How to Give Constructive Criticism: Emphasis on the word “constructive” Constructive means “to build” Many of us cringe when we hear the word ‘criticism’ applied to our writing. However, constructive criticism has the purpose of building us up as writers, making us better. Getting advice from writers who are at the same level and encountering some of the same challenges can be a valuable experience.

1. Be kind, yet honest. Never tear down another writer, but don’t hesitate to point out passages that don’t make sense, logical fallacies, and other mistakes. The author may not have caught them, and they’ll be grateful to you for pointing them out!

2. Give every essay in your peer group your focus and attention This is one of the reasons I put you in groups of three—small enough to get to everyone. Come to class prepared to read and think analytically about your classmates’ essays. Remember, your classmates are going to give their attention to your essay; it’s only fair that you return the favor.

3. Everyone has something to offer. Don’t be intimidated if you feel that you’re being asked to comment on a ‘better’ writer. You don’t have to be a great writer to be a great reader and give excellent feedback! Don’t forget, we comment on professional writers all the time!

4. Actually write on the paper! If you think of something as you read, it’s always a good idea to make a little note of it. This doesn’t mean you have to fill all the margins as you peer edit, but even if you make a small note, it will draw the authors attention to that part of the paper, which almost always results in better writing.

TIPS FOR TAKING CRITICISM GRATEFULLY:

1. Remember that your group is offering you criticism in order to help you. Try not to be defensive, and be open to suggestions. 2. Ask questions about your group members’ comments.  If you don’t understand why a group member is saying something, ask them to explain.

3. If a group member is being too vague… Ask them to point to specific places in your essay where they see problems. 4. Propose solutions to the problems your group members see in your essay.  Ask if these solutions would solve the problems.

Reminders for Tuesdays Come on-time and prepared. Rough Draft should be at least 2-3 pages. Print 4 copies. You will be in groups of 4 and should have copies for all 3 of your peers and yourself.

Create an Outline Preparing to Write Your Rough Draft

Handy Tips Readers often pay the most attention to the points presented at the beginning of the text. BUT they also remember more easily what they read last. This is why introductions and conclusions are so important. Think of the outline as your writing plan.

Types of Outlines Scratch Chunking Topic and Sentence Outlines

How do I develop an outline? First, Think! Determine the purpose of the paper – what are your trying to SAY about the connection between a specific culture/subculture and identity? Determine the audience you are writing for – a semi-academic audience of people who are somewhat familiar with the cultures/subcultures you are talking about, but might not have as much detail or perspective as you do. Develop the thesis of your paper – If you could compress the main point of your paper into one carefully crafted sentence, what would it be?

Then, Get to Work! Brainstorm List all the ideas or points you want to include in your paper. Organize Group related ideas together Order Arrange material in subsections based around the points you are making Label Create main headings and subheadings. Labeling your paragraphs can help you to FOCUS them.

For the Remainder of Class: Work on creating an outline for your essay You can change or improve this outline when you get home, but do as much as you can now.