sarahsspeakeasy

Thursday, February 15, 2007

Useful Website

English Works!

http://depts.gallaudet.edu/englishworks

On this site students will find help with a variety of essays, grammar, and general editing skills. It is a very helpful site for both native speakers of English and ELL students. It would also be helpful for students who are struggling readers and writers. What needs to be revised in a paper is different depending on the student. This site would be helpful in tackling some of those writing revision problems!

Revision

Many students hate the idea of revision, but it an essential component in the writing process. When I was in school, there was not a lot of time for letting the process of writing unfold. However, I am happy to report from my latest volunteer experiences and student teaching, that many teachers are allowing more time for students to revise. In fact, teachers seem to be encouraging students to make the time to revise their papers. Peer editing is a valuable tool to use in the English classroom. I think that more teachers need to implement the idea of workshopping with research papers and creative writing pieces. Learning is a socio-cultural experience, and students would benefit from recieving constructive criticism from their peers. However, for this to work students need to understand the components of the workshop. Students need to understand that they will not aid each others learning by simply putting good at the top of their peers' essays. I think that students need to understand that the revision process is not about the pain, it is about clarifying your message to your audience. Students need to understand that revision will always be an essential component during the writing process, and that this skill will always be expected from them.