Part 1 of this blog talked about why I feel it's important to teach peer review skills to ESL, and Part 2 began dissecting my current methodology and practices for teaching peer review to advanced ESL writers. If you haven't checked those out, or my post on balancing feedback in ESL writing, do that, and then come back to this one... As I mentioned, my methodology for teaching peer review is not full proof. I can't promise it will work in your classroom or for all levels and ages. Even I have to tweak it (I teach the same course every semester), depending on the dynamics of the members of my class. With some variation, though, I generally go through these phases of teaching peer review, sometimes repeating and/or emphasizing some aspects more or less, depending on the group I have:
I've shared my thoughts on phases one and two, so let's jump into the third aspect of my teaching peer review to ESL students.
Even if I could, my students will go on to other classes, like freshman comp, where the teacher might not spend as much time explaining the types of suggestions they need to be writing on each other's papers. And, I've been there. I know what it's like to receive stink reviews from peers. For me, it's hit and miss. It'll be the same for my students. So, while they can't always control the kind of feedback they receive, they can control the kind of feedback they give. This phase in teaching peer review, then, is all about helping them give the right kinds of feedback. What this looks like in my teaching
4. PEER REVIEW TAKES TIME AND PRACTICE Before I break them into peer review partners, I tell them to share their contact details (phone, email, etc.). "You won't finish this activity in-class. If you do, you're doing it wrong." I remind them of this, again, at the end, just before letting them go, and encourage them to plan a time and place to continue the activity. The library? The tutoring center? I also tell my students that they will be graded on the peer review they give to the peer I assigned; however, they are more than welcome to set up additional peer review partners of their own choosing from our class. They just need to follow the guidelines/ steps I give them. I emphasize, again, the idea that it's better to give than receive, but also that peer review is a skill that needs to be practiced. The more they do it, the more comfortable and confident they'll be in it--- and their writing will improve because of their peer reviewing efforts. Believe it or not, some students take me up on this suggestion. They'll have two or three different peer review partners, and they'll do it at different stages of their process. Yes! *fist pump* What this looks like in my teaching
As I mentioned in part 1 in this blog, I believe teaching peer review skills to ESL is important--- essential. It needs to be part of their writing process. English is challenging. If they don't ever ask for help from a peer, tutor, or instructor, they may forever drown and/or think they are bad a writing, when it's really the process that they struggle with. I'm still tweaking my methodology, so don't think I'll forever teach it like this, but these are the aspects of peer review my ESL students need to learn and relearn.
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