Learning Outcome #4

(Peer Review) – Be able to critique their own and others’ work by emphasizing global revision early in the writing process and local revision later in the process. (Word Count 425)

At the beginning of the semester, my understanding of a peer review was to read through a paper looking for spelling and grammar errors. I would usually read through it once and then present very limited feedback. Moreover, my classmates and I would only peer review if it was required by the teacher. Needless to say I didn’t find much value in this process, and I’m sure the peer whose work I was reviewing didn’t either.    

However, after learning more about what a good peer review looks like, I developed the skill to purposefully read and assess other’s writing. The two biggest tools that helped me improve this process were learning how to globally review a peer’s work, and the peer review guideline reference sheet. Furthermore, not only did I provided my peer with useful advice, but I actually found it improved my own writing as well. In fact, peer reviewing the work of others helped me more than the feedback I received on my own essays.   

By the end of the semester I found myself thoroughly engaging with my partner’s essay. I would read through it a few times, and then reference the peer review guidelines sheet to ensure I was addressing all the areas a good peer review would. These areas include the use of an author’s voice; their use and explanation of quotes; their essential argument including their thesis statement; and confusing passages that required more attention. In addition to assessing these areas of their essay, I would ensure they met all the requirements for the paper, and then I’d finish with a brief end-comment. In my final peer review, I felt as though the entire review was thoughtful and beneficial. Attached below is that peer review.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1CP4BEHawpWS6htATMr_2qql-a55b_BukkCuaCpi1RS4/edit?usp=sharing

Ultimately I was satisfied with the effort I put into peer reviewing this piece. I felt as though I identified areas that were strong, and addressed areas that needed more revision. In addition, I presented my classmate with specific examples of how they might change some areas. An example of this is my last comment on page four when I suggest Mya use a different quote to substantiate her argument of that paragraph.  

The reviews I received on my own work were also beneficial to my writing. Having Elena read my essays aloud helped me identify areas that sounded bogged down with long words. Additionally, having other people go over my essay and verify that my claims were relevant ensured that my writing made sense to others. An example of this was Tori’s comment about my thesis statement in my first paper.