Top 10 revision thoughts
I think that...
1. Writers need room to make mistakes and learn from them, but especially they need an opportunity that fosters such an environment of safe community and growth.
2. Revision means experiments in form, voice, and perspectives. This means being able to revise an idea to fit a form/genre.
3. Giving students the time and tools to brainstorm and pre-write is essential to scaffolding their skills and developing their ideas.
4. Revising has almost everything to do with asking the right questions.
5. Revising is being able to focus in critically, and then step away and write creatively.
6. Revision is paired with effective conferences. The writer, not the teacher, should lead Conferencing. BUT asking a student repeatedly “what do you think” is not ok. You are the teacher. It’s their writing so they should have a focus and goal, but you should be able to provide them with insights and tools about how they can improve. (Tisk tisk Barry Lane.)
7. Revision isn’t a concrete step in the writing process necessarily.. There is no perfect writing process. Equipping students with many approaches to the process of writing and revision is the key objective. Revision can be steps 1 through 500, but the focus needs to be that writing is in a constant state of revision.
8. REVISE.REVISE. REVISE. REVISE. REVISE. REVISE. REVISE.
9. Revision is not the same as editing. Grammar, punctuation and other mechanics are important but should be considered after you have the content “under control”.
10. Revision should help writers stay true to their purpose and their audience.
4. Revising has almost everything to do with asking the right questions.
5. Revising is being able to focus in critically, and then step away and write creatively.
6. Revision is paired with effective conferences. The writer, not the teacher, should lead Conferencing. BUT asking a student repeatedly “what do you think” is not ok. You are the teacher. It’s their writing so they should have a focus and goal, but you should be able to provide them with insights and tools about how they can improve. (Tisk tisk Barry Lane.)
7. Revision isn’t a concrete step in the writing process necessarily.. There is no perfect writing process. Equipping students with many approaches to the process of writing and revision is the key objective. Revision can be steps 1 through 500, but the focus needs to be that writing is in a constant state of revision.
8. REVISE.REVISE. REVISE. REVISE. REVISE. REVISE. REVISE.
9. Revision is not the same as editing. Grammar, punctuation and other mechanics are important but should be considered after you have the content “under control”.
10. Revision should help writers stay true to their purpose and their audience.
Number 9 is a good reminder--contrary to my memories of revision in the classroom as I was growing up.
ReplyDeletesounds like you have a good grasp of revision.
ReplyDelete