Transcript Art of Teaching Writing

Art (“Techne”) of
Teaching Writing:
Responding to Students
Jim Dubinsky
Virginia Tech
USMA, West Point NY
August 15, 2002
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Keys to Responding
 Be specific. Point to particular places in the
paper where revision will be helpful.
 Respond as a reader, especially early in the
review process.
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I got confused here.
Your point here is clear.
Your example or analogy or argument was
convincing/effective.
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Evaluation
 Students need—
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Clear, written criteria
Models
Intervention and feedback
Praise & constructive criticism
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Student Input Up Front
 Use Writer’s Memo: Ask students to explain
the paper’s—
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Purpose
Audience
Style and Tone (illustrate with one or two
examples)
Organization
Problems and or questions
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Responding to “errors”
Assignment: Write about an unreasonable assignment made at
school or work.
 First Draft. I had a math teacher in junior high named Mr.
Douglass that I thought gave a lot of homework. Maybe it was
because I didn’t like math that much. I feel as you get older you
start to realize that you have to have some sort of responsibility. In
a way, I think homework is a form of responsibility. In my first year
of high school I hardly ever did any homework and barely passed.
In my junior year I did a little better because I started realizing that
homework was important. At the end of my junior year I told myself
that I was going to put homework first on my priority list as far as
school work went. I never really had any unreasonable
assignment made at school. I think I was blessed with some good
teachers in my first 12 years of school.
Source:
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Second Draft
I guess I never really had an unreasonable assignment made at
school, although sometimes they seemed unreasonable to me.
In junior high school I did think my ninth-grade math teacher
gave an awful lot of homework, but maybe it was because I
didn’t like math that much and didn’t understand the
importance of school work. Over the years I realized that
homework is important and should be put on the priority list
as far as school goes. It’s no coincidence that I started getting
better grades once I changed my attitude. Now that I’m older,
I can look back and say none of my assignments was
unreasonable. They helped teach me a sense of responsibility.
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Source:
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Compare
Storytelling is a true art. A good storyteller
can describe a moment so that his audience
will actually experience the event being
described. The storyteller will use descriptive
words to trigger memories in the audience.
When I was nine-years-old, I had a
memorable experience.
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Compare these two responses
 You should eliminate
the first paragraph and
move right into the
story. A good story
doesn’t need to explain
how stories work
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 Why do you start off by
saying that storytelling
is an art?
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Revision based on second response
Last Saturday as I watched “The Road
Runner Show,” I saw Wile E. Coyote get
cracked on top of his head with an anvil. This
happened when his well-planned scheme to
capture the elusive road runner backfired. As
I watched, I remembered a scheme that
backfired when I was about nine years old.
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Guidelines
 Use well-developed marginal or end
comments (appropriate to task)
 Focus on large conceptual issues early
 Respond at various stages (use peers)
 Focus on grammatical & mechanical issues
later
 Individualize comments
 Focus on only a few concerns
 Ask questions from a reader’s perspective
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Consider grids
Assignment is Summary/Annotated Bibliography of an
article for research paper
 Evaluate on 3 point scale (1 is low; 3 is high)
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Illustrates understanding of main argument
Evaluates reliability of the evidence in article
Raises sound objections to or support for argument
Evaluates whether further information is necessary
and, if so, specifies why
Offers evaluation as to value of piece to specific
audience/purpose
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Rubrics and Round Robins
 In groups of 4, share the four papers. Read each
and rank order them.
 Review teaching/learning goals
 Establish key areas for assessment
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Accuracy of information, comprehensiveness, evidence
of creativity, evidence of higher levels of thinking,
presentation style, mechanics, etc.
 List the features that mark the best ones
 List the features that mark the worst ones
 Work to develop a rubric
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Sample Rubric for Tech Writing
Course Assessment (on 1-5 scale)
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The organization matches the needs and interests of the audience.
The content matches the needs and interests of the audience.
The writer demonstrates a clear, concise, and appropriate style.
The writer has used language appropriate for the audience's knowledge
level.
The document exhibits control of Standard Written English.
The writer supports generalizations with explanations and evidence.
The writer demonstrates understanding of the subject by summarizing
information.
The writer makes appropriate opening and closing moves based on the
needs and interests of the audience.
The writer uses transitions effectively.
The writer uses appropriate visual strategies to make information
accessible.
The writer appropriately employs and adapts genre conventions.
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Sources
 Fleckinstein, Kristie. "An Appetite for
Coherence: Arousing and Fulfilling Desires."
College Composition and Communication 43
(1992): 81-7.
 Sommers, Nancy. “Responding to Student
Writing.” College Composition and
Communication 33 (1982): 148-56.
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