Peer+Conferencing

= //**When Peer Conferencing, Remember to:**// =
 * = Stay Positive =
 * = Show Respect for the Author's Work =
 * = Answer the Author's Questions Thoughtfully and Thoroughly =
 * = Check Your Peer Conference Document for Errors =
 * = Read Your Feedback When You Receive it, and Use It in Your Writing =

** Before beginning a peer conference, select two-three questions you would like the reader to focus on in his/her feedback: **
 * 1) Do you see a clear purpose for what I have written? What is it?
 * 2) Have I chosen a topic that is too large to cover in a poem like this? If so, how should I narrow it?
 * 3) Are there places where you wish I had included more detail or imagery? If so, where?
 * 4) Are there parts that could be left out? If so, what are they?
 * 5) Are there places where I could have used more exact or appropriate words? If so, where and what words do you suggest as replacements?
 * 6) Does the opening line 'grab' you? Does it begin energetically, with plenty of active verbs? How else could it be improved?
 * 7) State the topic of this poem. Does it interest you? Why or why not?
 * 8) Do I vividly and clearly describe the situation in the poem, making it come alive for the reader? Explain.
 * 9) Does the end provide closure and offer an interesting final insight that helps you to understand the significance of the experience? How could the writer make it more effective?
 * 10) Finally, shut your eyes and think about the poem. What did you get out of it?
 * 11) Identify and describe in detail what you find to be the main problems with the poem. What do I need to do to revise this poem successfully in relation to the problems that you find?
 * 12) What are the poem’s weakest aspects?
 * 13) Is the focus clear? Do all the stanzas stay on target with the topic?
 * 14) If I used abstract or general terms, suggest ways to make them more concrete.
 * 15) Is the title appealing? Suggest an alternate that would make someone //want// to read this poem.
 * 16) To the best of your ability, check for and point out mechanical errors, wordiness, and incorrect spelling.

** When responding to a peer’s blog post consider using one of the following sentence starters: **
 * 1) I wonder what would happen if…
 * 2) What did you mean by…
 * 3) When I begin reading your essay, I am immediately interested because...
 * 4) I am not particularly interested at the beginning of the poem because…
 * 5) I think a real strength of this poem is…