Peer Conferencing

Robert C Burkhart

Rationale

Purpose:

The purpose of this mini-lesson is to illustrate to the student the importance of and how to participate in a peer conference. In a workshop environment peer response to writing is critical.

Goals and Objectives:

By conferencing with peers students reflect on writing and create more writing. Students use spoken, written, and visual language to express the writing and share it with a peer. During peer conferences students develop understanding of written and spoken expression and the learner will edit errors in their writing.

North Carolina sixth grade competency goals five and six will both be enhanced by peer conferencing. And NCTE Standards eleven and twelve will both be recognized by use of peer conferencing in the Language Arts Classroom.

Resources:

A copy of the peer writing conference record will be needed by each student.

Procedure:

Time Needed:

Approximately five minutes will be needed for this lesson.

Script:

Teacher: During today’s mini-lesson will discuss Peer Conferencing. The peer conference is an important step in the writing process. Peer conferencing is a valuable technique writers use to perfect their writing in preparation for publishing.

Why is peer conferencing important?

Students: Various answers.

Teacher: That’s right. By peer conferencing we have the opportunity for many different people to review our writing before we complete it. Every time we conference it opens up the opportunity to improve what we are trying to say. During the process of writing in this class we have at least two peer conferences before we publish. So this is important for each of you to understand the procedures to follow to have an effective peer conference. When would a writer want to have a peer conference?

Students: Various answers.

Teacher: Very good. Generally we will have a peer conference after our first and second draft. During the first conference you will want to look at content. Is what you are trying to say being said in the piece? The focus of the first conference is not so much on small details but on the larger issues of writing the paper. Is the idea you are trying to express being illustrated well in your writing? Some may need help narrowing the focus of their paper. Others may need help generating ideas to write about more clearly. Again that first conference can be centered around ideas, organization, a sense of where the paper is going.

The second conference centers itself around the writing in more technical terms. Is the paper properly written? What grammatical errors are there in the piece? Is the paper organized well and is it coherent? This conference should enable the writer to fine tune the paper and get it ready for the final teacher conference. To review, the second conference should address grammatical errors, organization of the paper, and if the paper is understandable. Did you the writer produce a paper that can be read and understood by your peers.

Teacher: Where do we have conferences?

Class: Various answers will be given. I am looking for something that will help me to point out the area in the room that contains the conferencing area. In my room I hope to have more than one area that can be separated out for conferencing.

Teacher: Okay, That’s right, those are the areas where we conference with each other. Now, while we are in those areas it is important that we whisper to one another while we conference. The room must be quiet so that writing can occur in here. I know that all of you respect your classmates and want them to do well Is there any record kept of this peer conference?

Class: Various answers. Yes there is.

Teacher: (Hands out the conference record sheet) This form is a peer conference record form. Please take a look at this form it will help you get through the peer conference. It has your name and the name of the peer you have chosen on it, the date, topic, and of course the record of the conference. In order for this sheet to be an effective tool you must fill it out. If the areas are blank you can get them mixed up with other peer sheets as you progress and they will be of no use to you. Looking at the form how can one use it?

Class: Various answers. Looking for ideas to express during the conference.

Teacher: Good, let’s look at the handout and see what it has to say. (the teacher then goes over the record sheet with the class. Heavy emphasis is placed on the writers job and the responders job. It is important that the students understand what is expected of them during a peer conference).

Are there any questions?

Class: again varying answers.

Teacher: (Answers the questions as needed) to sum up this mini lesson we have discussed peer conferencing. The procedures we follow in doing conferences and the benefits of having peer input on our writing. Peer conferences are vital in the writing process. Enable writers to more clearly express their ideas and edit their works in progress.