Handout to accompany Facilitating "Expert" Peer Editing Groups presentation

1. Lehigh University TESOL Conference March 7, 2012
Facilitating “Expert” Peer Editing Groups Ms. Candice Quiñones
Organizing “Expert” Peer Editing Groups and Roles
Steps:
1. Decide what type of groups you will use. (Formal, Informal, Cooperative Base)
2. Determine how many students will go in each group (equal to # of roles needed).
3. Determine responsibilities for each role & relevant content that needs to be taught.
4. Determine how many assignments and what type of role rotation pattern you need.
5. Assign groups and teach/explain relevant content.
6. Assign or allow students to choose roles within their groups.
7. Explain the role rotation pattern.
8. Allow sufficient time for students to carry out their roles.
9. Once sufficient time has been given, ask students to take the comments made by
peers and revise their drafts.
10. Typically, it is helpful to have one-on-one teacher-student conferences after peer-
editing sessions to ensure the peer revisions were on target.
Other Things to Consider:
• It is helpful to compile a list of resources that students can use as reference for
each role.
o These could be websites, handouts, books or specific chapters or pages
in a book that the students have available to them.
o For my students, I put links on our online course management system to
help with this as well as referring them to specific parts of our textbook
that relate to their role.
o They are asked to read over these resources before coming to class for
peer editing.
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2. Lehigh University TESOL Conference March 7, 2012
Facilitating “Expert” Peer Editing Groups Ms. Candice Quiñones
Sample Group Set-Up and Rotation
Group Type: Cooperative Base (non-changing)
Total Number of Students: 16
Total Number of Groups: 4
Number of Students per Group: 4
Responsibilities: Organization, Content, Flow, Grammar & Punctuation
Role Names: Organization Guru, Content Editor, Flow Master, Mechanic
Content to be taught:
• What goes into a good essay?
• What makes up good organization and content?
• What elements are involved in an essay’s flow?
• What are key grammar and punctuation rules?
Number of Assignments: 4
Sample Rotation Pattern:
Student Essay 1 Role Essay 2 Role Essay 3 Role Essay 4 Role
Group 1
Student 1 Organization Guru Content Editor Flow Master Mechanic
Student 2 Content Editor Flow Master Mechanic Organization Guru
Student 3 Flow Master Mechanic Organization Guru Content Editor
Student 4 Mechanic Organization Guru Content Editor Flow Master
Group 2
Student 5 Organization Guru Content Editor Flow Master Mechanic
Student 6 Content Editor Flow Master Mechanic Organization Guru
Student 7 Flow Master Mechanic Organization Guru Content Editor
Student 8 Mechanic Organization Guru Content Editor Flow Master
Group 3
Student 9 Organization Guru Content Editor Flow Master Mechanic
Student 10 Content Editor Flow Master Mechanic Organization Guru
Student 11 Flow Master Mechanic Organization Guru Content Editor
Student 12 Mechanic Organization Guru Content Editor Flow Master
Group 4
Student 13 Organization Guru Content Editor Flow Master Mechanic
Student 14 Content Editor Flow Master Mechanic Organization Guru
Student 15 Flow Master Mechanic Organization Guru Content Editor
Student 16 Mechanic Organization Guru Content Editor Flow Master
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3. Lehigh University TESOL Conference March 7, 2012
Facilitating “Expert” Peer Editing Groups Ms. Candice Quiñones
Description of Expert Editing Roles
Organization Guru
• The key question here relates to structure:
o Does the essay have a recognizable structure that is logically organized?
o Is there a recognizable introduction?
o Does the essay have a thesis?
o Are the body paragraphs organized in the order specified by the thesis?
o Do the sentences within the paragraphs have a logical arrangement?
o Is there a conclusion?
Content Editor
• Does the essay fulfill the prescribed requirements for that type of writing? Is it on
topic? (Tip: Check the assignment.)
o I.E. If the assignment was to write an analysis, does it analyze something?
o If the assignment required you to do research and use references, are
references included?
• Once you have determined that the essay is on topic, ask these questions:
o Does the introduction have a good hook and thesis?
o Are the body paragraphs limited to just one topic?
o Are there enough details in the body paragraphs?
o Does the author revisit the main points from the thesis in the conclusion?
Flow Master
• The main things to consider with flow or fluency are:
o Does the writer transition well between sentences, paragraphs and ideas?
o Do they use proper transition words where necessary?
o Can you read smoothly without having to stop or go back for clarification?
o Do they tie their ideas together smoothly?
Mechanic (in general)
• The key to this is knowing proper grammar and punctuation rules:
o Read sentence by sentence.
o Check individually for:
§ Spelling, capitalization, punctuation, verb tenses, subject-verb
agreement, parallelism, article use, pronoun references, ambiguous or
incorrect word choice and word order (among other things)
• You will also be in charge of checking citations to see that they are done properly
When the role is divided:
Mechanic 1
• Check for grammar issues like article use, verb tense, subject-verb agreement,
pronoun referents, parallelism, word order, etc.
Mechanic 2
• Check for spelling, capitalization, punctuation, and correct citation style
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4. Lehigh University TESOL Conference March 7, 2012
Facilitating “Expert” Peer Editing Groups Ms. Candice Quiñones
Useful Online Resources for Editor Roles
Writing Considering Structure & Organization
http://www.dartmouth.edu/~writing/materials/student/ac_paper/write.shtml
The Writing Center: Improving and Refining Organization
http://writingcenter.pdx.edu/resources/guide/step08.php#top
How to Add Flow to Your Writing
http://menwithpens.ca/how-to-add-flow-to-writing/
English Rules (GrammarBook.com)
http://www.grammarbook.com/english_rules.asp
Purdue Owl Online Writing Lab: General Writing Resources
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/section/1/
English for the Utterly Confused (online book)
http://sliwww.slideshare.net/swamifox/english-grammar-for-the-utterly-confused
Grammar Revolution: Punctuation Rules
http://www.english-grammar-revolution.com/punctuation-rules.html
Grammarly Handbook
http://www.grammarly.com/handbook/
Guide to Grammar and Writing
http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/
Grammar Bytes
http://chompchomp.com/
English Club: Grammar
http://www.englishclub.com/grammar/
Grammar Girl: Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing
http://grammar.quickanddirtytips.com/
Recommended Texts
The Elements of Style by William Strunk and E.B. White
A Short Guide to College Writing by Sylvan Barnet, Pat Bellanca, and Marcia
Stubbs
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