Peer Interaction: Motivation to Revise Kelly Smith

Peer Interaction: Motivation to Revise
Kelly Smith
Redwood Writing Project 2010 Fellow
3rd Grade Teacher - Cutten Elementary School
smith.kj707@gmail.com
July 19, 2010

The beautiful part of writing is that you don’t have to get it right the first time, unlike, say, a brain surgeon.---Robert Cormier

Activity(7 minutes)
Introduction(3 minutes)
Quick Write1:Write down some ways that you use peer interaction in your classroom, all subjects. (4 minutes)
Quick Write 2:What obstacles have you encountered when trying to engage students to revise their writing? (4 minutes)
Whole Group Discussion and Charting of Quick Writes(10 minutes)
Reading, Reflecting and Note Taking (10 minutes)
(1) Four Principles Toward Teaching the Craft of Revision by Mark Farrington(
2) The Best Way to Teach Good Writing Is One Step at a Time by Randy Koch
Discuss highlights from each article(10 minutes)
Small Groups (12 minutes) Brainstorm lesson possibilities, practice or instructional, for using peer interactions (whole group, small group and/or partner work) to motivate and guide students in revising their writing. Prepare a chart paper to share with the class.
Share Ideas from Small Group Work (10 minutes)
Closing Reflections and Questions (4 minutes)