Before I even got to the end of the reading the prompt for the Response I had the idea of revision in mind. When I saw it mention in the Activity I was pleasantly surprised. First, I will say that I am a proponent of revising writing, but before I go into that I would like to address the other points surrounding the Response.
To answer the first question of the prompt, I think the obvious answer is to saw that I hope students are better readers and writers by the end of the year. It is an obvious statement, but an important place to start because the next logical thought is what are the ways to get them there. Through assignments and practice, hopefully a student will become more confident and comfortable as a writer as they find their voice and how to use the writing process.
By using rubrics and feedback the student will know how he/she is assessed. Assessments are the key to viewing a students ability and progress. They must be designed so that the assignment reveals relevant results. The results I would like to see that would imply a student is a better writer is: refined use of grammar and syntax, the ability to explain share internal thoughts on paper, and reflective writing that shows critical thinking. Therefore, I have to teach this though practice and examples.
The idea is to get better at writing. Practice is a required component of lesson plans and assessments. By giving the students a chance to write, they will use those “mental muscles” and get better at it. Written or verbal feedback should be used to guide the student in the future. Once the student has feedback and practice, he/she can work and understand how to put their voice on paper.
As I said in the beginning, writing is all about getting better. The should always be the goal. No one is “perfect.” It is a perpetual process of growth. Therefore I stand behind the opportunity to revise papers to raise a grade. If a student receives a “B” on a paper, takes feedback, and works on it to make it an “A” paper, then they deserve that grade. The fact is they learned it, and therefore they deserve the grade. I do not want to badger the point, but the goal is to learn and use the material. If the student can do this, even after a revision, then they deserve the grade they worked for on that assignment.
I can understand someone who protests saying that revisions degrade the value of someone who got an “A” on the first try. That individual earned that grade, but they did not have to do the extra work of revising. If a “B” student wants to do the work to raise their grade, I will not deny them. At the end of the unit, semester, or year, what matters is if a student knows the material, and that is how I will grade.
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