Musical Peer Edit
10-31-2009, 07:27 AM
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I tagged this LA, but I think social studies or science could use if you do a research report or any kind of major writing project (and your LA teachers would love you) and would like to have kids get some feedback on their draft for editing/revising and preparing the final copy. You start some rock and roll with a rhythm (Beach Boys worked great) and the kids pass papers from one to the next. When the music stops, they edit a certain part of the paper. Then you start the music again and they pass pass pass pass....until the music stops. Repeat for as many paragraphs or sections as are in the paper. The essay my kids were editing has six paragraphs and that filled up the 55 minute period nicely.
I got this idea from an 8th grade colleague in the hall, but didn't ask her specifics, thinking this sounded easy. It was chaos with two classes and wonderful with three of my 6th and 7th grade classes. So here it is with suggestions which I will implement next time.
Since I arranged the desks in a large rectangle, when the kids came in I said 'free seating.' Next time .... not. Too much socializing in my social classes. My higher level classes handled it and did a fine job. I don't think I'll actually do a seating chart, just popsicle sticks w/ numbers (my desks are numbered) and then change any potential problems I spot immediately. BTW, kids who didn't bring their drafts had to sit outside the circle in corner desks facing the wall and work.
You have to model the passing. Have five kids or so pass blank sheets of paper to show how you can't pass too fast and have to establish a rhythm. Even with this little demo, every time we passed someone ended up with two (maybe even three) and others with none. But the demo minimized this and it was easy to get the extras to those with none.
Check quickly to make sure the author's name is on the peer edit sheet and on the draft. Maybe they could be stapled, but I thought it was better to have them side by side. Even though I gave this instruction orally some got separated or mixed up (how? who knows....). You get the picture, especially with a class which seizes on any opportunity for chaos.
Fortunately I made my peer edit sheet very specific, with a few details to be checked for each of the six paragraphs according to the requirements we had been working on. I made some changes and am attaching it as an example. Next time I will make overhead models of a completed peer edit sheet and an edited draft to show.
For the first rotation, next time I will lead them through the 1st paragraph as a class, then let them do subsequent paragraphs independently while I monitor around the circle. How could I have forgotten that?
The majority of my students felt this worked well and that they gave/received more constructive criticism than when paired face to face with an entire piece. Please let me know if you have done this differently or see any suggestions for refining it further. Thanks!
Last edited by MiddlingAZ; 10-31-2009 at 08:33 PM..
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I like the sheet you created.
so 5th graders might do well if you can figure out a simplification. It was my 7th graders who were so difficult, but I want to try it again soon with the modifications. 
Yes, I was oggling him.
However, this was a pic I got online. 
Simple View
