Peer Review

            I like peer review. It’s one of those class exercises that everyone kind of dreads when the words come out of the teachers mouth but then we actually find it to be helpful and really not that bad at all. I would definitely say that it is beneficial, especially considering that our main audience is our peers and we are trying to write in a way that they would like to read. So if they give suggestions of how to improve then we know what our audience is looking for and we can conform to their style and interests, ultimately making our papers more effective. I wouldn’t say that it is necessarily fun but it’s not a drag either. I always think it will be a drag but in the end it always helps. It also helps when the group members realize that none of us are experts and they don’t make it seem that unless you write their way then your paper will suck: which could be a feeling coming out of the writing center or places like that.

            If I were to design a peer review session I would start with the rubric most likely. I would pull out the essential points to getting an A and that’s what I would base my questions around. Really we’re just learning to communicate more effectively so I wouldn’t feel bad just showing them how to get an A because if the students fulfilled those requirements that would mean that they are communicating more effectively. Then I would just give time for them to go over the questions in groups and then review as a class.