Workshop 8

Tuesday, March 3rd, 2009 | Uncategorized

Meg Richardson

ENG 484

Dr. Nickoson-Massey

February 24, 2009

Workshop 8: Teaching the Power of Revision

Informal Response

This video was about the revision process and its key role in the writing process. Like the other videos we have viewed for this class this video took a look inside the classrooms of middle school teachers and it showed a variety of different revision techniques that teachers use in their classrooms. Each classroom that we looked into was working on different types of essays but they were all focusing on the same aspect of revision. I was surprised to find some themes that we have discussed in class reappear in this section. For example, we have talked about the importance of building a safe learning community several times in class and that idea was brought up once again as an important aspect of the revision process. Another strategy that was talked about was modeling. We have talked about modeling behavior, writing, and other habits and it was interesting to see that some of these ideas and practices are transparent through different aspects of the writing process.

One of the featured teachers in this video was Velvet McReynolds. Velvet was one of my favorite teachers shown in a previous video. In this section Velvet talked about how revision is at the heart of the writing process. She said revision is, “where the magic happens.” Velvet did a similar exercise to one she did in a previous video that I was very fond of. She created a “celebration circle” where the students went around and shared their work. In relation to the revision process she had the students share the before and after versions of their work. I think this is a great idea because it allows the students to see how their work has improved as a result of the revision process. I also believe that sharing the before and after with the class is helpful because it gives the work that the students do more meaning. If they are sharing it with the class and they feel comfortable they will be more compelled to improve their work. Violet has been my favorite teacher throughout these videos. I think she has the most creative ideas and her students seem to be so comfortable and they also have the most fun.

As I said before, one of the key themes talked about in the revision process was creating a positive environment. They stressed how important this was to the revision process. In this safe and positive learning environment trust, respect, and encouragement are all necessary for successful revision. The importance of feeling comfortable to write and share writing with others without the fear of rejection is key. A lot of revision activities include sharing one’s work with their peers or their teacher. It is crucial that the student feels safe and comfortable enough to share their work. Respect also plays a role in revision because in order to give or take advice from someone you must first value and respect their opinion. For example, Violet did a great job of creating a safe and comfortable learning environment in her classroom where the students were willing to share their work with the class. The “celebration circle” was a perfect example of this as well.

Another teacher, Mary Cathryn Ricker took another approach that I think is affective. As the students were working on revising their work Mary Cathryn worked her way around the room meeting with each of the students individually. She raised critical questions and helped them come up with details that would help them revise and expand on the ideas they already had. I think meeting with students one on one during the revision process is important. It gives them a sense of where to go and it also promotes ownership in their work. It also shows that the teacher cares about their work and is willing to help while still guiding the students to make their own revisions. This is the most effective when the students respect the comments and ideas of the teacher.