Going back to the combination, what I found interesting was that I've noticed many references to Elbow in the Allyn and Bacon Guide. They discuss his doubting/believing game (which my students love), and they use his idea of thesis statements sticking their neck out (which was in a different chapter--not the one for this week). So, I noticed some fun cross-over. It's like the Allyn and Bacon Guide does the best hits of Elbow.
I wonder then, what are the best hits from this Elbow reading that could get smashed into "Composing and Revising Closed-Form Prose" or the chapter on "Writing as a Problem Solving Process"? I could go into a bunch of things, but the one that stands out to me the most is from the end of "The Music of Form." Elbow writes, "But there is a simple writing practice that good writers have used down through the ages--and it may be the most practical "moral" of my essay: we should revise by reading our late drafts aloud.... I think a good part of the power of reading aloud comes from the way it helps us experience the inherent temporal and even aural dimension of any text" (Elbow 656). I realize that this is a funny quote to pick since, at least for me, it seems like it has a bit of a different focus than the rest of the text. However, this is something I wish the Allyn and Bacon Guide would have provided more in its discussion of revision.
Out of the "ten expert habits to improve your writing processes," the Guide says nothing about reading your paper aloud. It says to revise with many printed copies. It says to exchange drafts. However, it doesn't say to read your paper aloud. The reason I take issue with this is that I've tried something new this semester. When my students peer review, they get into groups of 2 or 3, depending on the time, and the writers read their papers aloud to the group. After the writers read, the listeners discuss the essay with the writers and then the writers take their own notes. (I adapted this method from Rachel Patterson, BTW). And, when students conference with me, they bring 2 copies and read one aloud while I follow along on the other.
I've been shocked by how well this method works. And, what I love so much about it is that writers take ownership of their essays. They get to hear the rhythm, and then they often critique it themselves. And, readers have a discussion--they have to verbally respond to a text, and then they get to have a dialogue in return. I like that. (It's not just a bunch of quiet students sitting in a room with someone else's paper, awkwardly writing things in the margins. What's not to like?) However, because the Allyn and Bacon Guide is so focused on reviewing and revising on paper, I find that many of the exercises in the book don't really work with this method, and the students don't have examples or tips of advice from the book to back up this method. Fortunately, I can talk my way through this and explain the benefit. But, if this reading aloud method is as great as Elbow thinks it is, I'd like to see it in more textbooks. Maybe then it'd get into more classrooms. Who knows?!
I totally agree with this. I tell my students constantly to read their work aloud to themselves or, even better, to someone else before they turn it in. Why am I not making them do this in class? I'm going to start with the next peer review day. Those kids won't even know what hit them.
ReplyDeleteI like the title Jess.
ReplyDeleteBeth, it's super fun having them read aloud for peer review. If nothing else, it sure makes me happy to see 20 students making eye contact with other students, reading their papers aloud, and discussing them. It's a lot better than the crickets I used to hear on peer review day :) Let me know how it goes when you try it!
ReplyDeleteAnd Miranda, Thank God someone caught the pun!