Collaboration+in+Writing

Collaboration in Writing
Experienced writers always speak of their process of getting ideas to improve their writing. In elementary school, having students collaborate for the purpose of getting feedback that they can incorporate into their revisions is ideal, but often not accomplished. Instead, students often sit in their designated groups, exchanging comments that are generalized and forced. Or worse, they fuss about their assigned partner, definitely not displaying teamwork skills previously practiced. Most comments, shared orally, are forgotten, and the process of getting feedback to support revisions in writing is lost. And, since teachers can't listen in to all these conversations, students never get feedback about giving feedback. So the process never improves.

This year, I’m going to implement the use of WikiSpaces in my classroom to improve collaboration in the writing process for my students. Students will draft their writing on a WikiSpaces page that will be accessible to everyone in the class. When students are ready for peer feedback,
 * everyone will have access to the writing - no more sharing of one copy or deciphering handwriting
 * peers will have time to develop meaningful comments - without the distraction of the writer sitting and waiting for some type of response
 * multiple peers will be able to comment on each piece of writing - since no one will have to wait for another peer to finish with the original copy
 * comments will be recorded - allowing the writer to revisit ideas and consider how to use the feedback in their writing and the teacher to support students in providing constructive feedback

In creating this new structure for writing with my students, I will focus on the thinking skills that will make them successful writing collaborators:
 * how to describe successful writing elements
 * how to describe ideas for improving writing
 * how to use feedback to improve their own writing (e.g. evaluate ideas, extend ideas)

I believe this structure will result in students exchanging meaningful feedback with one another and learning that one element of successful collaboration is to provide relevant information for a collective goal. In addition, I believe this process will support students in being adaptable by using the feedback of their peers to change their writing. And while I intend to also provide feedback to students, I feel this structure will support student empowerment in their learning as most of the feedback will come from their peers. I hope that by the end of the year, students will learn to value the resources of their peers and begin to initiate getting feedback from one another.

Finally, WikiSpaces is versatile, and using it for writing will prompt both students and the teacher to be entrepreneurial and develop new purposes for using it in learning!

Artifacts

 * Artifact #1:** Writing on a Wiki is a quick presentation tutorial to give students directions for using their wiki page as their writing draft.


 * Artifact #2:** Giving Good Feedback is a draft of an anchor chart I will build at the beginning of the year with my students and add to throughout the year. The purpose of this anchor chart is to provide a structure for students to give meaningful feedback. Sentence starters will be brainstormed with the class and recorded on the anchor chart to give students additional structures for generating good feedback for their peers.


 * Artifact #3:** These [[file:Feedback Rubrics.docx]] are drafts; as students begin generating their feedback for one another, I'll revisit these and revise them so as to provide good feedback to my students about how to give and use feedback. Because I believe feedback is a critical component of good collaboration, I plan to use rubrics as a way to help students understand their progress in developing this skill.