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.
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