The Academic Multi-draft Writing Process

We have begun our training sessions in the formal academic writing process. After reading Patricia Polacco's delightful children's story The Bee Tree, we wrote an in-class "timed write" which we are now using to practice the
multi-draft, peer-editing technique that I've found so efficacious over the years. Each peer editor creates an “Editing Guide” (EG) for her author’s “Rough Draft” (RD) - in this case, the "timed write" we generated in class.
This EG, composed on a separate piece of paper, involves careful scrutiny of the RD in which the editor notes spelling, punctuation, grammatical and stylistic errors…LINE BY LINE! A multitude of reference materials stand at the ready to assist in this arduous task: dictionaries (online, electronic and hardbound), thesauri (i.e. more than one thesaurus!), and most notably, Diane Hacker’s A Writer’s Reference (henceforth referred to as Hacker – pretty much required equipment at most universities and even a few high schools I know.)

[Note: I will conduct further, intentional training sessions in the effective use of the Hacker after I've edited the class RRDs and have determined several writing issues we can use as examples! In the meantime, here's a direct quote from an alum email I received this past week: "I have been using my hacker a lot. I know exactly how to use it thanks to your guidance last year..."]

When all else fails, I even answer questions! Once the EG is complete, it is returned along with the RD to the author who then incorporates into her RD all the editorial suggestions that she deems valid, using a red pen so that my Gramma Sally eyes can discern the changes made. The author then creates a “Revised Rough Draft” (RRD) from her corrected RD. (Are you with me so far?) This draft, which is more often than not word-processed, is then submitted to me (along with the RD and EG) for further editing. At this point I scour the RRD for editorial issues, comparing my findings/impressions with both the RD and the EG. In this way, both the author and her editor are assessed in the writing/editing process. I, in turn, create my own EG for the RRD, which I submit to the author in a timely fashion. (My goal is always to have a 48-hour turn-over time, and I usually manage that.) The author then takes my EG and creates a “Final Draft,” (FD), incorporating my editorial corrections/suggestions. (The final draft packet consists of the RD, EG, RRD, my EG, and the FD – all of these drafts must be kept and submitted together for credit.) Thus, by the end of this rather intensive process, the author will have composed three drafts of her paper, as well as an editing guide for her partner’s paper. Each step along the way will be assessed for attention to detail as well as clarity and elegance of expression. If this sounds like a lot of work, IT IS … but it is also a failsafe way to improve both writing and editing skills.

At this point in the process, our "Bee Tree" RRDs will be discussed on Friday, and the Final Draft Packet will be due on Tuesday, October 23rd. As you might well imagine, there are two issues that make smooth sailing in the writing process rather problematical: frequent and/or extended absences and lack of preparation. Thus, I have encouraged our 8th graders to take good care of themselves AND to be sure that they have the appropriate draft(s) in hand at the beginning of a given core. I’ll let you know how it goes!

October Vocabulary Quiz

Sorry for my silence in the blogging realm! While things haven't been completely crazy, they have been active...we're "living in the now!" As a result, I find that I rarely find a good time to sit down and share all that's going on in "Sally's Core!" Here's to a renewed commitment to change and challenge the dearth of information!

Last week we experienced our first of monthly vocabulary quizzes. The twenty words for these exams are selected from the “Word-of-the-Day” offerings that students bring to class each day. Each student is responsible for defining the vocabulary words and using them in sentences that prove beyond a shadow of a wondering that she knows how to manipulate the terms. Together we agree on short, pithy definitions – often translated into “8th grade speak” so as to facilitate easy memorization and retention. Thus, the final definitions will necessarily be short, sweet and unsophisticated, yet quite functional when it comes to performing on a matching test!

As usual, the vocabulary words this month were impressively rich and evocative…terms like rancor, mundane, behoove, nascent, quintessential, succinct, esoteric, and my all-time favorite, sycophant!

8th graders continue to do a stellar job with their daily “WOD” activity. They are well on their way to becoming bona fide “Word Nerds.”

The Significant Adult Book Project

8th graders should have completed or be close to completing their Significant Adult books this weekend. Friday was the guideline date for completion with Monday being the drop-deadline! As a next step in the significant adult book project, students should make a firm date with their adults for the interview. Should you be your daughter’s significant adult, I highly recommend making a space in your busy schedules to accommodate a 60-90 minute uninterrupted session. In the past, students and significant adults have even taken an evening away from home, say at a favorite coffee shop or restaurant in order to have some quality one-on-one time. Speaking of quality, the quality of the interview session directly impacts the quality of the subsequent written reflection…so any help/support you can offer with facilitating the interviews is most appreciated. (The interview is due to be completed by Monday, October 29th.)

Math Test and Progress Reports

Today, we took a practice test in preparation for our first Math test of the year tomorrow. The girls have done a great job thus far solving systems of equations and teasing apart the word problems that illustrate the crossing of linear patterns. I am confident they will do well on the test.

In addition, I gave the girls a missing work sheet that shows all of their homework that I have not seen yet for Math and GAOC. They also were introduced last week to the online posting of my grade book, which shows an up-to-date progress report for all of their work including homework, quizzes, projects, and tests. I hope to have scores from the test back to the girls and posted by the end of the week, as well. This grade book is password protected and is accessible from either the Algebrains or Writing Herstory websites.

I encourage you all to check in with your daughter on how she’s doing so far this year.

Technology in the 8th Grade

I wanted to take the opportunity to give everyone an overview of the technical systems we are using with the girls to support learning and assessment in the 8th grade. In addition to the overall 8th grade blog, which you see here, there is a blog for each subject area that the girls use to remember assignment information, to track due dates, and to find additional resources related to their classes. As the girls have very busy lives, this allows an easy way for them to have one place to check if they are ever out sick, visiting schools, or whatever, in order to be up to date on what's happening in class. You'll find links to each of these blogs along the right side of our main blog page.

We have also asked the girls to set up their own blog to be used as a space for a running "journal" of their work across multiple classes. On the right side of each of our main class blogs, you will find a list of students and links to their school blogs. Their blog posts are often reflections on the day's classwork and provide us an invaluable window into each student's engagement with our class that day. The post themselves may be text entries, may include photos or pictures, or may be a videoblog entry. Each of their blog entries has a label at bottom indicating what subject it has been posted for.

If you peek into one of their blogs, you'll find debriefs from their weekly Mission to Mars (M2M) labs, reflections on their science cores, and screenshots of their scorecards on a world geography game we played last week. If you've ever wanted to get a glimpse of not only what's happening for all the 8th grade, but also what's happening for your daughter (because she may not be telling you!) this a great place to take a look. While this is far from all of her work, it does give some representation what she's up to.

Even as we encourage the girls to utilize and become facile with today's technological tools, we'd like to assure you that we are having the conversation and showing them how to be safe and private in the digital world. We have showed them how to enable "private" modes for their blogs and their video postings so that none of them are searchable by the general public. We have also reiterated general precautions like not using one's last name online and not representing oneself online, in word or image, in a way that would attract unwanted attention. We have reinforced that behavior online should conform to the same expectations and honor code that face-to-face behavior does at the school.

We are excited about our expanded use of these tools and have been quite pleased with the ease with which the girls have engaged with them and their rate of completion for the assignments. It appears that it has not only made things easier for us but it's fun for them, too. It's definitely a win-win. As always, if you have any questions about these tools or how we're using them, please feel free to email or call and we'd be happy to chat. Thanks.