The reading summary is done by: Dakota Bowman (ENGL300-1) and Juvonna McGarry (ENGL300-2)
Due by class time on: Monday, March 7th, 2011
The responses by the whole class are due by class time on: Wed., March 9th, 2011
The text you need to read is here.
In the article, "Collaboration Is Not Collaboration Is Not Collaborating: Writing Center Tutorials vs. Peer-Response Groups", Harris talks about how writing centers and peer-response are the same, but different. Harris says that these two methods are a form of collaborative writing. He begins by stating, "collaboration, a process writers engage in and teachers facilitate, is firmly entrenched in our thinking about the teaching of writing". Harris main purpose is to examine the differences in the two form of collaboration, and show what tutoring can offer, being that he works in a writing center. Harris says that people tend to get collaborative learning and collaborative writing "entangled" so he's going to untangle it for us. "Collaborative writing is now identified as writing involving two or more writers working together to produce a product", states Harris. Harris goes onto say. "collaborative writing thus refers to product of multiple authors, while collaborative learning about writing involves interaction between the writer and the reader to help the writer improve her ow abilities and produce her own text-though, of course, her final product is influenced by collaboration with others.
ReplyDeleteHarris brings up the history of peer-response groups and writing tutorials. Harris states, "Response groups, as Anne Ruggles Gere noted in her extensive study, writing Groups: History, Theory, and Implications, have existed in various forms for over two hundred years, but have recently gained new status". Harris goes on describing that collaboration writing groups have widespread. Students support each other drafts and giving opinions. the tutors are more hands on than peer-response groups. tutors role ranges along a variety of tasks: offering readers responses, suggesting strategies to try, diagnosing possible underlying problems, and listening while the student struggles. Harris say's in order to do all these things they have to be a "hybrid creation-neither a teacher nor peer".
Each collaboration share the same set of goals for a students paper. "List its effectiveness in improving critical thinking, organization, and appropriateness of writing; improving usage; increasing the amount of revision; and reducing apprehension". In order to reach these goals their are a set of methods that should be followed. For the tutor he or she has more one on one time with the student, other than the "teacher who most often works alone at her desk using clues on the page". Tutors rely more so on questions more than evidence in the paper. Asking questions will get the writer to realizes his or her own mistakes, and most likely they won't repeat them again. Peer-responses really only gives unhelpful comments to the writer for example, "Okay write one more sentence" or "I like the part where..".
Even though both these methods seem helpful, they have their downfalls. Peer-responses for example has a track record of conflicting results, and that peers had trouble reading and understanding the essay. Tutors also have their share of issues too. One issue is the students go to a tutor to just get answers to fix hie or her paper, but the tutor makes the writer edit their own paper by constantly asking questions, also being that the tutor is an "hybrid" they can't drift to far on either side. This will not help the student.
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I really like this article! I agree with Harris when he says that peer editing doesn't allow the student to ask questions. I am not a fan of peer editing. I feel that most students rush through papers missing information and mistakes. I also think that some students feel embarrassed, and will risk making mistakes, instead of asking their peer to elaborate on a topic. Also, dependability and accuracy can be an issue. However, maybe my opinion will change after I receive a final grade for my essay. Harris goes on to talk about the difference between collaborative learning and collaborative writing. I haven't had much experience with collaborative writing so it would be interesting to combine two writing styles into one text
ReplyDeleteThe article was very interesting. It explained the differences between peer editing and the writing center. I kind of agree with what Harris, the author, stated in his article. I think peer editing is less concrete than what writing centers have to offer. Peer editing is more from a students perspective and what they know in regards to grammar errors and spelling mistakes. Peer editing does not let you ask questions. On the other hand, the writing center is usually made up of English majors who are more familiar with writing styles. In my opinion, I do not like peer editing. Students sometimes do not see what teachers, TA's, and those who are familiar with writing see. Sometimes they tend to rush through the essay leaving the important "stuff" behind. One thing that I have not experienced yet is the collaborative writing and learning. It would be interesting to see how that would work if the class was to incorporate this concept.
ReplyDeleteI found this article to be very interesting, because we have to peer-edit research papers in our own class. I agree with Harris that peer-editing is not helpful, because the peer-editor may not fully understand the essay or provide unhelpful comments. I think the problem with peer-editing is that students just want to get it done to get a grade, and not really care about how well they edit their peer's paper. Also, students have less experience than a teacher or tutor, and may not be providing the correct kind of feedback or comments. Also, Harris claims that a tutor is not a perfect way for a student to get help on his/her paper. I disagree with Harris, because a tutor is more focused on helping the student than a peer-editor is. A tutor, being a tutor, should have knowledge on the subject, and know how to provide proper feedback and tips.
ReplyDeleteThis article contained valid points on both the side of peer-editing and the side of getting help in the writing center. I think that peer editing is beneficial for both the student that is having their paper edited as well as the student doing the editing. Yes, more mistakes will be make in this process than having your paper reviewed in the writing center but I believe we learn from our mistakes. Teachers always say that you don't really know a subject well until you have taught it, so peer-editing gives students the opportunity to be in the position of critiquing others' work.
ReplyDeleteThis article was very interesting because it related to our lives, since we have to peer edit papers. The author discusses the differences between peer-editing and editing from a writing center. He goes on to say that peer-editing is not helpful. I agree with him partially, because while our peers normally do not catch as many mistakes as someone who is trained to that for a living would, they still do find some mistakes and offer a different view point on your writing. I think that it is important to get feedback from both a peer editor as well as seek advice from a writing center. Getting feedback from a variety of sources will make your work more well-rounded and thus a better paper.
ReplyDeleteThe article was very good.. It explained the differences between peer editing and the writing center. I agree with what Harris, stated in his article. I believe peer editing is concrete than what writing centers have to offer. Peer editing is more from a students perspective and what they know in regards to grammar errors and spelling mistakes. Peer editing does not let you ask questions. On the other hand, the writing center is usually made up of English majors who are more familiar with writing styles. In my opinion, I do not like peer editing. Students sometimes do not see what teachers, TA's, and those who are familiar with writing see. Sometimes they tend to rush through the essay leaving the important "stuff" behind. One thing that I have not experienced yet is the collaborative writing and learning. It would be interesting to see how that would work if the class was to incorporate this concept.
ReplyDeleteThis article “Collaboration is not collaboration is not collaboration: writing center tutorials vs. peer-response groups” by Muriel Harris sounds similar to an article which we have read in the previous blog. Anyway, Harris has explained the meaning of collaboration and compared the differences between tutorials and peer-responses. I think I can get the tutorial from the writing centers and peer-responses in this class. Both of them have their advantages and disadvantages as well. I get advanced comments from the service of writing center, and I also can be stimulated by my classmates from the peer-responses. Therefore, I think we can use both ways for improving.
ReplyDeleteI liked this article about collaboration. Mainly because I think that editing a paper can truly perfect it. I myself love getting my paper edited by peers but sometimes they do not catch all your mistakes. I prefer to have my writing looked over by a tutor or teacher. Although they can not ask questions one on one, they can still leave helpful comments to get you on track. The way I see it is, more comments the better. You always need other opinions, different eyes can catch mistakes you grazed over and tell you your weakest and strongest points. I don't like collaborative writing because most of the times it is hard to combine different styles of writing and make it coherent.
ReplyDeleteIn the article, "Collaboration is not Collaboration is not Collaborating: Writing Center Tutorials vs. Peer-Response Groups", by Muriel Harris explains the meaning of collaboration by comparing the differences between tutorials and peer-responses. I have mixed feelings regarding whether peer editing is more beneficial than writing centers. Writing centers have trained professionals to help students with specific needs. Peer editing is a fellow classmate's opinion on your work with no substantial proof their critique is beneficial. I agree that it's important to gain an outside opinion on your work but I think it's more important the opinion comes from an educated source.
ReplyDeleteI liked this article. Harris pointed out a lot of differences some that I noticed and some that I didn't about peer-editing and the writing center. I do agree with Harris when he says that peer-editing does have its restrictions, such as not allowing you to ask questions. I feel that when you go to the writing center you have the chance to ask specific questions as well as learn ways to fix problems within your paper. As far as peer-editing I feel as though a lot of students rush through comments and looking over your paper. Some peer-editors don't always have great suggestions either, they might put good job or few grammatical errors simple comments that don't necessarily help.
ReplyDeleteI really liked the article. I like the way the author explained the difference between peer editing and writing centers. me personally I am not a big fan of peer editing for many reasons. I do not like the idea of having my class mate peer review my paper because I feel as though that individual would not give me an accurate account of the mistakes i have made throughout my writing. I feel as though we are on the same level so there may be may mistakes I have made in my paper that doesn't immediately catch your attention. Some people are just lazy and do not peer review the material correctly. i also feel as though if we are good friends, that individual might just tell me my writing is up to part instead of telling me the truth about my writing style. I do agree with the author that peer editing is less concrete than what writing centers have to offer. Peer editing is more so for the students and writing centers are more so for the more experienced individuals who have had experience in that field.
ReplyDeleteI found this article to be very interesting. I enjoyed learning about the many advantages offered my the writing center and comparing them to that of peer editing. In my personal opinion, I would rather have my material edited by a professional of the writing center for the simple fact that they have more experience to offer when critiquing my work. As oppose to a student who is on the same level as me for the most part. Also, some student do not necessarily take the time to actually read the information to properly fix the mistakes found. I feel that at a writing center they can provide a better insight into the direction you need to head with your paper and peer editing doesn't really help in that sense.
ReplyDeleteThis article was indeed very informative and important at the same time. There is suppose to be a difference between peer-editing and the writing center. I think that having peer-editing is a good way fixing your work. There are some limitations to this, one being if a student doesn't put in the time to actually peer-edit a person's work thoroughly then mistakes can be missed. I do think by having your peers evaluate your work, they have a certain feel for what is wrong and what is not. On the other hand, a writing center is also a great tool because there are English TA's or whatever there to help you. One limitation about this is that: not everyone knows what they're talking about, but there is a higher chance of them being correct at a writing center. Both methods are likewise important for English.
ReplyDeleteIn this article, author Muriel Harris talks about he difference between peer groups and writing centers. I found this article interesting because I didnt even know that the comparison was even an issue. I honestly thought that everybody knew the difference. I like how in this article even though the author told how the two vary she also stress the point that both of these resources can help you excel at english. This was a very informative article.
ReplyDeleteI loved this article. I do not like peer editing because I feel that it takes away from the essay. I believe that often times students don't want to work on their own essays let alone their peers so I feel like it they were supposed to peer edit it they would rush through it and not to a good job finding mistakes. Furthermore I believe that peer editing takes away from students asking questions because they will not want to appear "stupid." Personally, I find myself in this situation. Often times I wont ask questions to my peers because I don't feel comfortable in doing so. However, my opinion may change once I receive my essay back. I am hoping I am wrong =).
ReplyDeletePeer editing can be a good thing, but more often than not I have seen it go wrong. A student peer editor sees a paper and has a different vision or idea and therefore doesn't understand what the person writing the paper was going for. This has happened quite a bit. Also sometimes there are people who don't feel good passing down judgement on others papers, thus glossing over the mistakes. It is a great system, but like any other system it has its flaws.
ReplyDeleteMcGarry did an excellent job of summarizing the article--Kudos. I really enjoyed this article because it finally answered a question that I had for while, and that was difference between collaborative writing and collaborative learning. It is nice to know that what I have been doing in all my English classes is collaborating learning because it makes sense because I am not writing with the other person.
ReplyDeleteI thought Harris argued a valid point that we must see the difference in both, or students/teachers will never understand the power of collaborating learning.
When it comes to peer editing, in my eyes, there is only so much a fellow student can help you with for they do not know everything. Another problem that I have with the peer editing side of things its that if there are not multiple peers that read or edit your writings you are only getting one lok at you mistakes. The writing centers help students more thoroughly and allow for them to ask questions and see the solutions rather that just get a paper back with all of the simple mistakes found leaving it up to the writer to correct them.
ReplyDeleteLike many of the other commenters, I am not a fan of peer-editing. The effort level of some students is not the same as others. I don't like spending a lot of time editing and trying to help someone with a lot of mistakes in their paper, only to see the next time that they didn't attempt to fix anything that I pointed out. Meanwhile, I put effort into my paper so that the person doing the peer editing doesn't have to spend a lot of time on it. Also, many of the comments I get are more about personal preferences than actual grammatical problems.
ReplyDeleteI thought this was a fairly interesting article, and I thought the summary was well written. My take on this is I think collaborative learning is a huge help. The writing center here on campus can work some miracles when revising that paper. That is the reason I use that resource. When it talked about the tutor being a "hybrid," the people at the writing center are just that. They are peers, but also their to help you.
ReplyDeleteThe article, “Collaboration is not collaboration is not collaboration: writing center tutorials vs. peer-response groups” by Muriel Harris discusses the difference between collaborative learning and writing. It was interested to understand how learning through others created a hybrid-like product. I think we're all capable of coming up with separate ideas for writing but the writing centers definitely help with being proper and organization.
ReplyDeleteWhile peer editing may help improve the skills of the person editing, it is not a very effective way for the writer to improve his/her work. I agree that writing center editing is the best choice as they have a greater knowledge of what to look for, and will even help so that the writer doesn't make the same mistakes again. Peer editors only put as much effort and knowledge into edit as they want or know. evidence on the regional and social variants for some 125 items of grammar
ReplyDeleteIn Muriel Harris’s article, “Collaboration Is Not Collaboration Is Not Collaborating: Writing Center Tutorials vs. Peer-Response Groups", Harris discusses how writing centers and peer-response have both similarities and differences. Harris attempts to examine the differences between the the two form of collaboration, and show what tutoring, as well as, what peer- responses can offer. Harris argues peer editing doesn't allow the student to ask questions and I agree. Peer editing has drawback in that it is hard to know the accuracy and dependability of the editor. Writing centers and tutors have proven their accuracy and dependability as editors.
ReplyDeleteHarris talks about how writing centers and peer-response are the same, but different in the article, "Collaboration Is Not Collaboration Is Not Collaborating: Writing Center Tutorials vs. Peer-Response Groups". I really like this article! I agree with Harris when he says that peer editing doesn't allow the student to ask questions. . I think the problem with peer-editing is that students just want to get it done to get a grade, and not really care about how well they edit their peer's paper
ReplyDeleteIn Muriel Harris’s article, “Collaboration Is Not Collaboration Is Not Collaborating: Writing Center Tutorials vs. Peer-Response Groups", Harris talks about writing centers and peer-responses. Personally, I believe that peer-editors should also be graded on how well they peer review a paper. Otherwise, the student being peer-edited does not receive much helpful advice. Writing centers are much more helpful because the editors choose to be there to help.
ReplyDeleteThis article was helpful for someone who has never been to the writing center before, such as myself. I thought it was something very much the same as peer editing, and I have found out that this is not the case. I have always found peer editing to be one of the most useful things in any sort of English writing class, because whenever peer editing is not done, my papers tend to be as disorganized as my thought patterns. But I agree with Harris that in order to truly improve papers, the writer's techniques need to be improved upon first, which is where writing center tutors come in.
ReplyDeleteThis article was intriguing. The author, Harris, talks about the differences between writing centers and peer comments, indicating that they are similar but at the same time somewhat different. Harris identifies them both as collaborative writing; however there is a difference in collaborative writing and collaborative learning. Collaborative writing refers to multiple authors whereas collaborative learning engages the writer and reader to help improve the authors and improve his or her own abilities. However, there are downfalls to both, some people go to tutors just to get answers and sometimes students have trouble reading their peer-edits or reading an essay themselves to peer edit; often they get confused because they are so different.
ReplyDeleteIn his article, "Collaboration Is Not Collaboration Is Not Collaborating: Writing Center Tutorials vs. Peer-Response Groups", Harris begins by saying that writing centers and peer editors should be graded on how well they peer review a paper. Writing centers can help people develope more ideas even though they should be able to come up with them on their own.
ReplyDeleteWriting centers are important for students according to the article because of the helpful tips and advice that they can give.
This article was definitely very interesting for me. I agree with Harris that peer-editing is not helpful because a lot of people don’t take that kind of stuff seriously. They also might not understand what the essay is about, therefore their responses or comments might not be valid. I also agree with Harris that a tutor isn’t a good way for student to get help either. I know a tutor is usually more focused, but there is no way it’s a perfect way. A tutor should be experienced, but a lot of them are not. It was easy to relate this article to my own life because of the research paper we are finishing up with right now. It was nice to be able to really relate to an article.
ReplyDeletePersonally, I am one that feels that collaboration is not my work but others work. I do not care for people to change my work and I do not like changing the work of others. I did however go to the writing center and that changed my opinion on how things work. The writing center experience was, I was asking all the questions and the tutor was answering them. So in a way she really did not have a say in what I was doing rather than advise me on “yes” that was a good idea or “No, I think you could fix that error or if I could not pin-point the error than tutor would give me an example like the error I had made and we would correct that together. After we would correct the example then I could fix my own error. I am not a fan of peer responses or peer edits but I am becoming more open to the idea because I am stating to see that it can have positive effects.
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