That’s right – time to be a super hero; it’s peer workshop day!
Alright, hear me out. I know many of you groan when you hear the words “peer workshop” or that famous English teacher phrase, “now you get to respond to classmates’ writing.” I think this is because for most of us, writing has always been a very solitary, isolated act. Writing can a social process, a collaboration between, at the very least, audience and rhetor. Today you’ll practice engaging with the ideas and rhetoric of your peers and in turn gaining their insights about your thinking. Peer workshop days can be very productive, social, I dare say fun – if we all adopt the understanding that public response to our writing and thinking is always helpful in becoming better writers (and thinkers). Alright, so I’m going to break it down: here’s what you’ll need to keep in mind:
* You are NOT your peer’s copy editor; don’t worry about sentence-level “error” or grammatical “mistakes”. You are not expected to be an expert on mechanics and style of English writing. Neither is your buddy
*You ARE your peer’s reader – and as a reader you can certainly call your peer’s attention to moments where you are confused, entertained, wanting more detail, missing the point, etc.
*You ARE your peer’s colleague in a sense. You are working together to collaborate on how to build better, clearer writing. That being said, be helpful, not critical. Be supportive, but not patronizing. Above all – DO NOT be lazy. The comment “I like this intro, Bro,” is really nice, but also generic and disengaged. Be specific, substantive, and reflective. I promise this will pay off in the quality of feedback your own writing receives!
*This is a social activity! Feel free to dialogue on, discuss, and have fun with your ideas about one another’s work!
Now, here’s what you need to do:
*Read the RQI draft of you peer (or peers if there is time). Make notes on the specific moments in the piece that are enjoyable, clear, lack clarity, etc. These comments and notes can be simple reactions to, questions about, or compliments about the text.
You MUST address the following questions:
1) What is the gender identity or identities being examined? Is it clear what “text” being closely read?
2)Does the essay have a unifying purpose? What is is? Where does the writer reveal this? (introduction, conclusion, etc?)
3)How is the writer using direct quotations and details from the “text” to support the thesis and purpose of the essay? Are there enough quotations? Too many?
4)Are there any moments in the essay where, as a reader, you feel curious to know more or wish the writer had developed his/her ideas more fully? Any moments of confusion? If so, where are they and how might the writer help be more clear or thorough?
5)Finally, look at the prompt to which your peer is responding. Is the prompt fully addressed through the writing? What could be added, cut, re-structured to help answer the assignment or clarify the ideas?
Post your answers to the questions above along with your initial reaction comments and notes in Canvas. (RQI: Peer Workshop Notes).
English 104 