Yuanhui (Kim), Gao

Nov 14th, 2014

400-level Writing
1. A brief description of the artifact: what is it? How is it used?
This artifact is from an observation class, which is a 400 level writing. The
artifact is an editing checklist. The teacher told me that students just finished their
first opinion essay, and the teacher asked students get into groups. Then students
checked others essays by using this artifact. This artifact has six questions, and there
are questions about format and organization. Peer editors need to check all the
questions for the writers. All the questions are about the necessary factors for any
essay, not only for the opinion essay. The editor needs to make sure the essay has a
title, an introduction, a body and a conclusion. In addition, the editor needs to find the
topic and the main idea of the essay and need to make sure there is only one topic.
Then, the editor also should find the transition words and list them on this checklist.
Lastly, the editor has to identify the type of the conclusion, whether is a summary or a
restatement.
After finishing the checking, students had to give the checklist back to their partners.
Then students could read the checklist and ask questions to the editors or the teacher.
2.

Explanation of what new ideas, information, or awareness came from this

artifact.
I really like the idea of peer editing. By checking others essay, students can find
their own problems. According to Raimes (1989), checklists are valuable, because it

provides a chance for students to read others writing. For teachers, peer editing saves
their time for checking students writing. Using guidelines for peer check can reduce
teachers work since teachers are not able to always read and correct every students
writing. Based on Raimes (1989), if the students are able to know what they should
check or how they could check, it is also could be very helpful and useful for them.
The purpose of this activity is not just asking students to find out the errors or mark
the problems of others writing, but also to understand how to write an essay, and the
important factors that an essay should contain.
3.

Reflection on how this will impact your approach to teaching and learning.
The activity, which is using checklists to edit each other writing, is a very good

method for teaching writing. If I am going to teach writing class, I would like to
create a checklist for students to check each other writing before they hand in it to me.
Moreover, I will also add self-editing in addition to peer editing, because students
should practice to be able to find their own errors in writing. According to Raimes
(1989), the real need for students is to learn how to examine their own writing
critically, and to know how to improve it. Students need to practice editing in order to
incease the fluency and accuracy in their writing. In addition, it states that all
techniques in reading and writing require the skill of critical thinking. Overall, asking
students to check their own writing or others writing can improve their critical skills.

Referrences:

Raimes, Ann. (1989). Techniuqes in Responding to Students Writing. Techniques

in Teaching Writing. Oxford University Press.