Growing as a Writer Through Peer Conferences

When I started getting more and more writing assignments in high school, I was not a strong or confident writer by any means. Writing just didn't come naturally to me. I didn't really get it. In my circle of friends, there were many strong writers, and I often consulted them for advice through peer review.

As with most students, we procrastinated on a lot of projects. We often read each other’s papers and provided comments and feedback. Many times these peer conferences would occur late at night via e-mail, instant messages, chat sessions, and even MySpace. If I was in high school today, we probably would be using Facebook or other social networking platforms for communication.

Today, my relationship with writing is much different. I am confident, and I enjoy writing. I don’t consider myself a great writer, but it is something I am passionate about. I contribute all the progress I've made over the years to one thing—peer reviewing and conferencing.

From his book, Teaching Writing Online: How & Why, Scott Warnock discusses the importance of peer review in the writing process. Warnock believes that peer review is not just for the seated class but also the online learning environment: “Peer review is a standard FYW practice that can operate in an enhanced way using the technologies of the OWcourse” (109). Peer review is important because it provides so many great benefits for students, and it allows them to grow as writers. Warnock asserts, “One of the obvious benefits is that the author of the project being review gets feedback” (109).

I completely agree with Warnock’s statement because talking about writing helps everyone involved in the process, the author and the reviewer. Going back to the introductory anecdote to this blog post, peer reviewing and conferencing is what helped me find the ability to write and to find the strength to grow as a writer. I wouldn't be a graduate writing student if it weren't for peer conferencing and the help of others. I truly believe that writing is a social activity that involves other individuals, not just the writer. Therefore, to become better writers, we must have our works looked at by others, and we must discuss where improvements are needed.

Thanks to technology, these discussions, or peer review sessions, can take place via a plethora of communication channels: Warnock mentions e-mail, message boards, blogs, wikis, and peer review software (110-112). All of these are great options, but I believe there are more, such as Skype and Google Hangouts. Video chat could serve as an excellence means of peer conferencing. With video chat, you not only get to hear the other person, but you also get to see them, which could make peer conferencing a paper, project, or piece of writing much easier. Sometimes it’s hard to talk about a document via telephone or written communication. In fact, I will do whatever it takes to peer conference my papers in person. If I can’t be physically with someone, the next best thing, I believe, is video chat. I've used Skype and Apple’s Face Time. Both of these options have allowed me to successfully discuss a paper with one of my friends, classmates, or peers and receive good and understandable feedback. 

With all of these tools offered to us in the realm of cyber space, online learning can be a place where successful peer conferences take place. As Warnock pointed out, peer conferencing is very important in the writing process, especially for young and developing writers, such as students. Who knows where I would be today if it weren't for some of the sentimental, fun, and oh-so-memorable peer conferences from my high school days. Now, five years later, I’m still a student, and I still participate in peer conferences. And, I will continue to do so for the rest of my writing career, which means for life.

So, what do you think? How important are peer conferences for students? Are they important to you as a writer?

Works Cited
Farias Jr, Francisco. "Typing Text." <a href="http://www.publicdomainpictures.net/view-image.php?image=23484&picture=typing-text">Typing Text</a> by Francisco Farias Jr

Warnock, Scott. Teaching Writing Online: How & Why. Urbana: National Council of Teachers of English, 2009. Print.

The Importance of Online Conversations

One of the main differences between seated classes and online classes is face-to-face interaction. In a seated course, students and the instructor have the luxury of being able to discuss writing and related topics as a whole class, in groups, or one-on-one. Personally, I think talking about writing in any format that isn't face-to-face is rather difficult, especially if it’s about a particular paper or draft. When it comes to writing, I've always been very visual. I like to see comments on physical paper and make marks or comments on physical paper with someone else actually there with me. I also like sitting across from someone with the draft or paper between us. There seriously is nothing better than that! 

So one question I think is important is how can we make our online conversations and discussions as effective—if not more—as our face-to face interactions? Just because members of an online class are separated by the digital divide doesn't mean that the quality of conversations and discussions must suffer. Warnock even asserts that online conversations can be better than face-to-face conversations in the classroom (68). How exactly do these conversations occur, and what are the advantages, according to Warnock? Why are these conversations so significant? 

Message Boards

One commonly used platform for online conversations to unfold is through message boards. Message boards allow instructors (or students) to pose questions and prompts to the other members of the class as a jumping off point for a discussion to begin about a particular topic. In my experience, message boards have provided a great outlet for conversations to unravel. I have never been a teacher, but as a student, I think they are extremely effective. Since I am very visual, I like that you can see the progression of the conversation through posts, comments, and replies. This structure of message boards allows me to see exactly what turns the conversation takes and at what points.

In online classes, I feel like I have more control over when I do my school work because I get to choose when to do my work, most of the time. Message boards are very similar. They’re considered asynchronous forms of communication because they don’t require all users to be active at the same time (69). This is definitely a major advantage since students are able to participate at their convenience and with much more preparation time compared to face-to-face classrooms. Warnock sites this as a benefit because when students are able to respond at their leisure with more time to prepare and reflect, the quality of the discussion increases: Warnock states, “I find that the natural delay helps conversations on the boards achieve a level of sophistication beyond many, if not most, onsite class discussions” (70).

The Great Equalizer

Another great aspect of message boards is that they allow all students to participate. This is not always the case in seated classrooms. Warnock declares, “Some students might be shy about speaking their minds in a classroom conversation or even a fast-paced chat setting, where by the time you respond, the rest of the group is on to another topic” (70). Message boards situate students on an equal playing field, allowing each participant to dive in on any given aspect of the discussion at any given time. For example, a student may check the message board and find that he or she really doesn't have much to add at the current time, or the student may need more time to reflect on his or her thoughts about the status of the discussion. The student is then able to go back to the message board at a later time to add his or her input, contributing to the conversation and furthering it.

Write, Write, Write!

Last and certainly not least, message boards encourage students to write more often. We've all heard that to get better at anything, especially writing, you must practice, practice, practice. That’s exactly what message boards do. They provide a platform for students to exhibit their writing in an actual conversation. Warnock says, “By using message boards, I provide students with many low-stakes opportunities to write, helping them practice and refine their thinking through writing. And they use their writing to develop a point, building authority while speaking not just to me but to their peers” (72). Overall, I’ve found the more writing I am able to do in a class, the better. Message boards can help students sort out their thoughts and better understand concepts so that they can later apply them in more formal papers and other academic situations. 

Now, we've only discussed message boards here today. There are definitely other outlets for conversations to develop in an online class, such as Twitter and blogs. It seems to me that these conversations are so very important in the online classroom because they preserve the sanctity of human interaction and communication. When I've taken online classes, my biggest complaint has always been that I don’t always feel like anyone else is in the class with me, almost like I’m alone. Message boards alleviate this feeling, allowing other students to make their individual and unique voices heard through their own writing. For me, writing is nothing if I have no one else to talk about it with, and I don't mean I just want to talk about my own writing. Sure, some people think you should write for yourself. I agree with this statement. I just so happen to thrive off the conversations that develop as a result of the writing, whether it’s mine or that of someone else.

So, what do you think? Why are conversations in writing classes so important? What do we as students (and instructors/professionals) gain from talking about writing?

Does anyone have a preference of a particular medium for online conversations? Why or why not?

Work Cited

Warnock, Scott. Teaching Writing Online: How & Why. Urbana: National Council of Teachers of English, 2009. Print