Rieman Spring 2012 Reading Response Sheet for Nancy Sommers Responding to Student Writing.

I wanted you to read this article in preparation for your first peer workshop session. After you read the article, take some time to think about the kinds of comments that readers (whether these are peers or teachers) have given you that have been most helpful to you and then answer the following questions: 1. Whats your experience with peer workshop been like? Where have you done it, how was it conducted? How did you feel about it? From past peer workshops, the first time was last semester in English 1101. I was new to it since back I high school, the teachers never put the students into workshops. So, last semester, my professor group students into groups of 3 or 4 and we would exchange our papers and get specific details to what should be revised or fixed or elaborated. Also my professor would walk around each group and spend 5 to 10 minutes and discuss about what we were talking about. I felt really great in my workshop group since my other 2 workshop partners have already experienced peer workshop. They helped me a lot and got a lot of great feedback.

2. What does Somers claim in her argument that resonates with you? Offer direct quotes from the article to support your point. In order to offer a useful revision strategy to a student, the teacher must anchor that strategy in the specifics of the student's text. (page 153). This quote here really caught my eye when I was reading this article. From my high school years, my English teachers were very vague like the examples Sommers used. Their comments never really helped me with my revisions and I had a hard time. But once I enter English 1101, revisions were easier since my professor offered ideas and how to revise certain parts of my papers. 3. In light of the two previous questions, develop some guidelines for what you hope will happen in peer workshop experiences in the class. Be an explicit and complete as you can by thinking about how you think we can get the most out of reading and responding to each others work. I just hope that these workshops in class will be similar to the one that I had in English 1101. Everyone shouldnt be scared to criticize each others paper and should accept them openly. Everyone should also provide specifics on where to improve something and give a reason. I think these are the main things that a workshop needs. Also to be nice and not to bash on someone elses paper, just be critical but not to the point of offending them.