[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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