Peer critiques are a valid form of audience feedback and key to receiving feedback about writing. While it is important that peer critiques are not the only form of feedback (instructor drafts are vital to improving writing), this does not mean that students are not capable of rhetorically analyzing student writing in addition to analyzing "professional writing."
Under less informed instructors, perhaps the peer critique process can degrade into "the blind leading the blind." However, just because a few instructors aren't managing the process appropriately does not mean that the experience cannot be valuable. Proper instructor preparation and guidance can lead to a valuable experience. My students usually start out hating peer critiques, but by the end of the quarter they appreciate the opportunity to learn from each other and receive additional feedback and perspective.
Without peer critiques, the instructor becames the dictator. Sharing writing and approaches to writing is vital to improvement.
I have taught freshman writing in a computer classroom, and while students are occassionally distracted and check their email or attempt to register for classes online, a combination of small class size, a well-designed classroom and focused prompt can make a ton of difference.
This is an ongoing debate and research on this issue in composition & rhetoric:
http://www.abacon.com/compsite/instructors/readi ng s.html http://www.rhetcomp.com/ http://english.t tu.edu/kairos/ http://english.ttu.edu/kairos/6.2/ coverweb.html http://www.ncte.org/journals/
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Peer critiques are a valid form of audience feedback and key to receiving feedback about writing. While it is important that peer critiques are not the only form of feedback (instructor drafts are vital to improving writing), this does not mean that students are not capable of rhetorically analyzing student writing in addition to analyzing "professional writing."
Under less informed instructors, perhaps the peer critique process can degrade into "the blind leading the blind." However, just because a few instructors aren't managing the process appropriately does not mean that the experience cannot be valuable. Proper instructor preparation and guidance can lead to a valuable experience. My students usually start out hating peer critiques, but by the end of the quarter they appreciate the opportunity to learn from each other and receive additional feedback and perspective.
Without peer critiques, the instructor becames the dictator. Sharing writing and approaches to writing is vital to improvement.
I have taught freshman writing in a computer classroom, and while students are occassionally distracted and check their email or attempt to register for classes online, a combination of small class size, a well-designed classroom and focused prompt can make a ton of difference.
i ng s.htmlt tu.edu/kairos// coverweb.html
This is an ongoing debate and research on this issue in composition & rhetoric:
http://www.abacon.com/compsite/instructors/read
http://www.rhetcomp.com/
http://english.
http://english.ttu.edu/kairos/6.2
http://www.ncte.org/journals/
Sure Shakespeare had a way with words... but he was also the *ultimate* plagarizer. Talk about being rewarded for stealing!