[PRL] Fwd: TP Msg. #824 Eleven Things You Could Start Doing Today for the Benefit of Your Students' Writing

Matthias Felleisen matthias at ccs.neu.edu
Tue Oct 23 20:37:12 EDT 2007


On Oct 23, 2007, at 5:20 PM, Mitchell Wand wrote:

> I thought this much of this might be adaptable to the way we grade  
> programming and writing assignments, both as mentor/advisors and as  
> TAs.

I agree and I have commented on some of the points below, because 211  
does some of this already. What I also amazed about is that a lot of  
this advice was standard fare when I did my coaching license in  
swimming (1976-77). And of course, I learned some of this in IU's 311.

> 1. Give writing assignments in written form, not just word of mouth.

Obviously. Write new ones every semester/year and make sure to solve  
them first -- following the method you expect students to follow.

> 2. During classroom discussions of student writing, hand out copies  
> of the writing being discussed.

In our case: project the programs.

> 3. Insist on a classroom with seminar-style seating or moveable  
> desks, so that teacher and students can face each other in  
> discussions.

Involve your students from day one. Make at least the best of them  
understand why things have to be the way you teach them.

> 4. Get your students to write weekly in some form, whether it's a  
> draft, informal response, or free write.

Yeap. That's why there is an assignment per week. And turn-around  
time is four-six days.

> 5. In class, write when your students are writing.

Program when they are programming. Always make sure that you program  
as much as your students -- for homework assignments, too. If you  
can't do it, you're just a teacher. In Texas they say (here, too?),  
if you can't, you become a teacher.

> 6. Only grade finished products, not drafts or informal writing.

In 211 last year, we had students go thru three iterations of the  
same program -- giving them more power in design for each round. At  
Rice I managed four (mutation).

> 7. Give students' writing back within 1 week. Adjust level of  
> feedback to time available.

See above. [He could have written the 10 Commandments of Writing. I  
guess he is one of the usual academics instead.]

> 8. The first time you read a batch of student work, do so without a  
> pencil in hand. Just read to get a sense of it; make no comments.  
> Second time, read closely and make comments.

I want to do this every time I read a grad student draft paper. I  
can't. Why can't they write so that I don't feel forced to pick up a  
red pen after the first para? :-)

> 9. On each piece of writing you respond to, make at least 1 mark  
> per page. Easiest technique is to underline what's promising, worth  
> pursuing, well said.
>
> 10. Retire the red pen; stop copy-editing your students' work.  
> Point out no more than 2 patterns of error, and leave it to the  
> student to find a way to resolve the errors.
>
> 11. Commenting on the first draft of a full-fledged paper is your  
> best opportunity to bring about learning. On the draft, make no  
> more than 3 major suggestions.

Yeap. We should adapt this one, too. You can't correct more than one  
or two things per training session. If you go for 10K. -- Matthias





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