First assignments are always tough for many reasons. Finding out how the teacher grades the class and trying to not be harsh when reviewing your peer papers are usually some reasons. Overall, I got a general idea of what I need to do to write a good paper and established, to my classmates, if someone wants a critical review, they know where to come. :)! However, I felt like I could have used some of this constructive criticism myself because I know I'm not an A+ writer!
I think some people were hesitant to put down anything to help, either out of laziness or fear of hurting my feelings. The sole purpose of a peer review is to give the author advice on how to make the paper better. If that is your intention, how could you ever be mean? We are all in the same class together, and I know we all want good grades so a little criticism might be necessary. If people feel as if they are being mean, then they should do what I do. For every bad thing you say about a paper, find a good thing.
Besides that minor detail, I felt as if I took one step on the pathway to becoming a better writer with this paper. I remember many things about my past and how literacy has affected those things. Hopefully, as this class progresses, I will become an A+ writer. As for my grade, for now at least, I say high B or to a low A-. ( a stretch )
And no...Kobe Bryant is not overrated.
You have pinpointed some of the real and important issues surrounding peer review, Quenton. Sometimes it's hard to say what you really see or think, first because we don't want to be mean, and second because we're not sure how exactly to give critique. It think it's good to be aware of that and confront that in ourselves and in our critiquers as the semester continues. You all have knowledge, thoughts, reactions, and feedback to bring to the table and constructive criticism can be very helpful. Good for you for pointing this out!
ReplyDeleteAnd LOL on Kobe Bryant! ;-)
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