1. The Art of Helping Your Students Help Themselves
Peer Editing:
The Art of Helping Your Students Help Themselves

2. Why Peer Edit?

3. Why Peer Edit?
Positive impact on editor’s writing

4. Why Peer Edit? Positive impact on editor’s writing
Positive impact on writer’s writing

5. Why Peer Edit? Positive impact on editor’s writing
Positive impact on writer’s writing
Positive impact on instructor

6. Varieties of Peer Editing Techniques

7. Classic Peer Editing Author reads text to group
Group comments orally or in writing

8. Silent Editing Students use editing guide to edit peer essays
Students give written comments to author

9. Booklet Editing Teacher collects “finished” essays and makes a booklet
Each student receives a copy of booklet
Students peer edit each essay
Students disassemble booklet and return essays to their authors

10. “Slice and Dice”
Instructor makes and distributes copies of each student’s essay
Students check papers at home
Next day, students form groups to discuss papers
Concurrently, instructor and writer have a conference in hall to discuss instructor comments

11. “Slice and Dice”
Teacher and author listen to the different groups’ observations
Author takes notes on comments and receives student’s annotated copies
Author revises text

12. Colored Pencils/Highlighters
Students are divided into groups
Each student is given a different colored pencil or highlighter to concentrate on some aspect of the paper
Student marks areas of concern
A key to the meaning of the different colors is given to the students
Marked essays are returned to author for revision

13. Post Teacher Check Instructor marks problem areas in essay
Students meet in small groups to identify problems and discuss solutions

14. Computer Editing Students work in pairs
They edit each other’s papers using a word processing program
This can also be done by

15. Teaching Students to Peer Edit

16. Modeling Peer Editing
Give students a model text - can be a student or teacher generated sample
Walk the students through the process
Make a transparency of a volunteer student’s paper and correct together

17. Peer editing in L2 Classroom and Applications to L1 Instruction

18. Must design peer editing process to further target language developmental goals

19. ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines - Writing
(See handout)

20. Examples of Peer Editing Worksheets

21. Use this list to check over your paper before your conference.
                                                        
Name of Writer______________________  Title of Project________________________
Peer Editor__________________________  Date______________________________
Use this list to check over your paper before your conference.
Mark the column for each item with a  after you have checked the paper carefully.
Writer
Peer Editor
Checked for:
I followed directions.
I read the paper to my partner for understanding.
I checked the paper for complete sentences.
I used correct grammar.
I have spelled all Word Wall Words correctly.
All sentences start with a capital letter.
Proper nouns are capitalized.
Each sentence ends with a proper end mark.
Commas and quotation marks are used correctly.
I indented the beginning of each paragraph.
I followed the writing process.
My name is on the paper.

22. Peer Group Response form
Writer’s Name ___________________
Thesis Statement:
(a.k.a. main idea, controlling statement) (Write in a complete sentence.)
What I like in this essay:
What questions I have about this essay:
(Discuss here areas that are confusing, that do not seem related, or that need further explanation.)
The suggestions I have for the writer of this essay:
Signature of Listener _____________________________
(Be as specific as possible, and write as clearly as you can. Use the back of this paper if you need more room. Give to writer after discussing the comments in your group.)

23. How to Evaluate Peer Editing

24. PEER EDITING EVALUATION
Score each of your editors from 0 to 4, 4 being highest
Name of editor:
Your name :
Quantity Quality
Written comments
Discussion in class
Additional comments you would like to make about the editor:
David Landis, U of Wisconsin

25. Rubric for Grading a Peer Editing Task
Absent Barely Fair Good Great
The Editor:
______________________________________________________________
Supplies detailed comments
to help the author
Provides at least one
positive comment
Thoroughly checks
mechanical elements

26. Common Pitfalls and Solutions

27. Problem
Students feel that they should rely on the authority of the teacher, therefore they think their input is not valuable

28. Solution
Talk to students about the value of practice. Instructors learned to edit by editing.
Assure students that they will also receive instructor feedback

29. Problem
Some students may not offer adequate feedback to peers

30. Solution
Have multiple students review each composition so that there is a greater chance that each student will receive valuable feedback.
Grade peer editing process and be sure that students realize that their performance in this process will be evaluated

31. Problem
Students tend to mistrust peer comments

32. Solution
Assure students that it is relatively rare that a peer will propose a change to something that is right, making it wrong
Let students know that they are ultimately responsible for the text
Be available to consult with students who question peer comments

33. Problem
L2 students may try to not use target language while engaging in peer editing activities

34. Solution Use silent editing technique
If possible, create groups of students where they must use target language as a lingua franca

35. Conclusion
“These reviews offer students reactions from real readers who provide multiple, often mutually reinforcing, perspectives. Such reviews help student writers develop audience awareness.”
Robin C. Scarcella
Rebecca Oxford