"Papers, Papers, Papers"... An article by this name by Carol Jago really stirred up some opinion and emotion from me! It covered so many subjects related to commenting on papers, rather than correcting them. I'd like to just discuss two main points that really caught my eye.
First, Jago addressed the idea of free-writing. It can sometimes be
harmful to students because it becomes a matter of habit. We usually think of free-writing as being so beneficial because of the fact that students are able to get their thoughts down, but we rarely think of the skills that go into it. If a student is lacking writing skills, they will practice writing that way. As Jago said, "Practice doesn't make perfect when students are continually repeating their mistakes. It legitimizes and ingrains error". This completely set off a lightbulb in my head and reminded me of something my High School band teacher, Mr. Reppart, used to say to us:
"PRACTICE MAKES PERMANENT"
That's right. As Jago and Mr. Reppart said, Practice does not make perfect. When you practice a skill in a certain way, whether it be playing xylophone or writing, you'll retain those habits. That's why correctness really does count! If students get the idea that correctness only counts in some contexts, they will really get the wrong idea about writing. It's not just a skill used in schools. It's used when you write a letter, a resume, even a message on social media. Correctness always counts when you're refining a skill, and your skill can only be perfected when you work to make it perfect.
So, after addressing the way students write, it's also important to talk about the way we comment on papers (NOT correct them!). The question here is: Do we use red pen?! This article discusses a color psychologist who recommends using purple pen instead of red pen because it reflects a sense of authority and also serenity. The purple, the psychologist believes, "is linked to creativity and royalty" and "is more encouraging to students". However, what happened to writing being a craft?! It's not worth it if there aren't a few blood, sweat, and tears! As Jago said, "the paper should bleed". It's so important to show the hard work that's been done on your writing because that's just part of seeing it come alive. It shows you the progress you've made on this piece of work, and it's something to be proud of. We just need to make sure we can help our students see this red ink as progress instead of judgements.
I really enjoyed your thoughts on Papers, Papers, Papers. I do think its interesting that free-writes are something that almost all teachers think will be beneficial when really its the opposite since students are using the same grammar mistakes over and over again. I think its important to address that and something teachers should start thinking about. I also think its important to address the fact that correctness counts because it does in every part of the world outside school. You write for letters and emails for your job and you don't want to have any mistakes on that. The part of the different color pens was interesting to but I don't think the color pen makes a difference. For me in school the color of the pen wasn't something I was worried about, it was just the comments and how I could improve.
ReplyDeleteI liked the points you brought up - I think the whole idea of commenting rather than correcting is an important point we all need to remember! Also curious to hear if you would use red pen over another color with your own grading?
ReplyDeleteI honestly dont think the color matters, in my opinion! I think it's how you use the ink, rather than what ink you use.
DeleteGood points to ponder! Personally, I don't think the color matters so much, but it can be overwhelming for a student if a teacher "bleeds" all over a student's paper in any color. How can we help students through comments and also not overwhelm them with stuff to fix?
ReplyDeleteI think it's important to set a precedent of non-judgement with ink. We talked in class how Jago and Romano are sort of at opposite ends of the spectrum, and I think I lie somewhere in the middle of that spectrum! Having your paper bleed is a symbol of progress, but it's important to emphasize that progress and make my students feel comfortable at the same time.
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