Friday, November 12, 2004
Peer review homework for the weekend
Read over your peers’ drafts. Print them out and write a letter on the back, as before.
1. Write ‘editor: your name’ at the tope of your partner’s draft.
2. Read through the draft carefully. In the margins, write (where appropriate) at least one point on which the author could elaborate, one point that wasn’t perfectly clear and one point that made you think. These marginal comments should be honest reactions to the piece you are reading.
3. Then at the end of the paper (on the back, where there is some space, etc.), write a short letter to your partner. This letter should start out with ‘Dear . . .,’ and answer at least three of the following questions:
a) How could the writer make his/her argument stronger?
b) How could the writer make his/her argument clearer, or better articulate the problem or proposal he/she is making about education?
c) What, if any, are the “intelligibility” issues here? Where could the author be clearer about terms s/he uses? Remember, people define “education” and “good” in many different ways. You should, after reading the paper, know how the author defines these terms or others that s/he uses.
d) And at what point did you have even the slightest confusion about what was happening in the paper? Be a generous peer-reviewer and try to figure out what the writer meant and how things could be clarified—perhaps by moving around paragraphs, revising a thesis statement, or clarifying some language. Remember, it’s the writer’s job to communicate, so if you are not getting something in the paper, you should let the writer know!
e) How has the draft improved in this round? What changes did the author make that helped clarify the argument, or do you find the argument less clear in this draft?
4. Sign your name to the letter.
1. Write ‘editor: your name’ at the tope of your partner’s draft.
2. Read through the draft carefully. In the margins, write (where appropriate) at least one point on which the author could elaborate, one point that wasn’t perfectly clear and one point that made you think. These marginal comments should be honest reactions to the piece you are reading.
3. Then at the end of the paper (on the back, where there is some space, etc.), write a short letter to your partner. This letter should start out with ‘Dear . . .,’ and answer at least three of the following questions:
a) How could the writer make his/her argument stronger?
b) How could the writer make his/her argument clearer, or better articulate the problem or proposal he/she is making about education?
c) What, if any, are the “intelligibility” issues here? Where could the author be clearer about terms s/he uses? Remember, people define “education” and “good” in many different ways. You should, after reading the paper, know how the author defines these terms or others that s/he uses.
d) And at what point did you have even the slightest confusion about what was happening in the paper? Be a generous peer-reviewer and try to figure out what the writer meant and how things could be clarified—perhaps by moving around paragraphs, revising a thesis statement, or clarifying some language. Remember, it’s the writer’s job to communicate, so if you are not getting something in the paper, you should let the writer know!
e) How has the draft improved in this round? What changes did the author make that helped clarify the argument, or do you find the argument less clear in this draft?
4. Sign your name to the letter.
// posted by advee @ 6:56 AM 
