Grading & Peer editing

1. Grading&Peer editing • ENGLISH 112/ February 27th 2007 • dr. erika paterson

2. Grading Objectives: Write a summary which demonstrates: 1) your skills with using citation and reporting expressions in order to attribute, characterize, and position the sources you summarize. 3/5 2) your skills with positioning yourself in relation to the sources you are citing. 3/5 3) your ability to select and cite details and examples to ‘unpack’ abstractions. 3/5 4) your ability to compose a knowledge deficit. 2.5/5 Your Total: 11.5 /20

3. Who do you think you’re talking to? • Exercise 1: page 118 • What do you do and how do you feel when you get marked? • What do you consider typical marking commentary on essays? • Discuss these questions with your group, take notes.

4. What is the connection? • What are the connections between: • Your habits and attitudes - and your ideas of professors’ typical remarks? • What is the distance between student writer and marker? • In what sense do student writers ‘know’ those who mark their work?

5. Reader’s reading • HOW DO READERS EXPERIENCE YOUR TEXT? • How does the reader understand, anticipate, and make sense?

6. Thinking out louddoes not come naturallyyou have to learn how by doing • You are not a marker/evaluator • YOU ARE A PERSON USING A DOCUMENT • You make no judgments; you only report what’s going on in your head as you read.

7. The Knowledge Deficit of Friendships Vered Amit-Talai (1993) states that she is “frustrated by [the] tendency for anthropologists and sociologists to treat the construction of friendships and peer relations as a footnote to the problems of socialization” (233) despite research that exemplifies otherwise. Although the “intensity and importance of adolescent peer relations has often been observed,” (du Bois 1974: 23; Larson and Asmussen, 1991; Schegal and Barry 191: 68 cited in Amit-Talai, 233) Amit-Talai notes that “few studies focus on the structure of these relations” (233). Janet Giltrow (1992) comments that the terms “friend and friendship have been poor conceptualized [and] this knowledge gap has been papered over with clichés (Introduction, 231). Amit-Talai says that she wishes to “deconstruct” the assumptions that are commonly attributed to teenage friendships and peer relationships (Amit-Talai, 1993: 236).

8. The Knowledge Deficit of Friendships I am not sure what this title means? Does it mean that friendships are lacking in knowledge? But, what kind of friendships? We know that Amit-Talai is talking about adolescents, but another reader would not. Vered Amit-Talai (1993) states that she is “frustrated by [the] I am confused, why did you change the word ‘a’ to ‘the’ ?] tendency for anthropologists and sociologists to treat the construction of [friendships and] peer relations as a footnote to the problems of socialization” (233) O.K., I understand that she is frustrated with an attitude, but I am not sure what the problems of socialization are and how does this relate to friendship? I am also wondering about peer relations and friendships, are they being compared? Or, are they being considered as the same thing? I don’t see how? ] despite research that exemplifies otherwise Now, I am confused? On the one hand she is complaining because peer relations are not considered a part of the problems of socialization, o.k. -- and now she is saying that there is research that exemplifies otherwise - does this mean that there is research that shows that peer relations are part of the problems of socialization?]

9. Although the “intensity and importance of adolescent, O.K., so now we are talking about adolescents, are we comparing adolescents to adult peer relationships now?] peer relations, I guess peer relations and friendship are interchangable here? has [have] often been observed,” (du Bois 1974: 23; Larson and Asmussen, 1991; Schegal and Barry 191: 68 cited in Amit-Talai, 233) Amit-Talai notes that “few studies focus on the structure of these relations” wait a second, I can not figure out why she would cite all these sources that say these relationships are intense and important, and then say that these studies do not focus on the structure? What does she mean by structure? (233)

10. Janet Giltrow (1992) We know that Giltrow wrote the introduction to this article, but your other readers wont know this] comments that the terms “friend and friendship (is Giltrow talking about adolescent friendships? have been poor conceptualized [and] this knowledge gap, is this the same complaint that Amit-Talai has when she says she is frustrated? has been papered over with clichés, I am not sure what this means? what has been papered over? Is someone trying to cover up something? (Introduction, 231).

11. Amit-Talai says that she wishes to “deconstruct” the assumptions, I wish I had a better idea of what these assumptions are? that are commonly attributed to teenage friendships and peer relationships (Amit-Talai, 1993: 236). O.K. I think I begin to see a connection with the beginning of the passage, but I will have to go back and read.

12. Adolescence is associated with a shift in cognitive development, social roles, institutions, attachments, concerns and stress. Vered Amit-Talai: 1995, 233 In Vered Amit-Talai's article, The Waltz of Sociability Intimacy, Dislocation, and Friendship in a Quebec High School, Amit-Talai explores friendships amongst mainly young girls in Quebec high schools. The question Amit-Talai has in mind is "what are the cultural implications of the presumption of impermanence and intensity in youth peer relations?" (234). Amit-Talai surprisingly agrees with other scholarly applications; such as the research of Paine: 1974, and Bell: 1981, which examine teenage relationships and deem then as impermanent, however, she recognizes Goodwin's (1990) observation which draws attention to the lack of research that actually focus on the relationships themselves, as oppose to the mere proposed stage of "transition and impermanence" (233).

13. Guidelines for thinking out loud • Readers guidelines • Read and report moments when you are working inefficiently -- not understanding. • DO NOT suggest how to correct, just read and think aloud as you go along • report moments when you are working efficiently -- understanding, getting new ideas. • Offer frequent reports on the gist of what you are reading - comment as you make connections.

14. Guidelines for writers : out loud • You do not need to explain or justify your writing - this will only waste time and distract you. • Listen Carefully • Take notes • Take full advantage of this opportunity to learn how your writing ‘reads’

15. Although I agree that these elements will create constraints on the relationships formed during adolescence, I believe this research needs to be expanded. Amit-Talai focus on the working-class district needs to be expanded to cover a larger population. As well, this research was conducted in 1987/88 and the advances in technology and communication would challenge the "dislocation of peer relationships" (p.246). Telephones and written word could be argued as "old" forms of interaction, where as email and instant messaging has broken down borders of distance and time. Additionally, Amit-Talai has not fully addressed the student perspective of the "lost" relationships. Perhaps these relationships have ended not because of a change in environment and school structure, but a change in self-interest and social desire.

16. Amit-Talai curiously never defines when she considers the disjunction (termination of the friendship) occurs, it might be worth reconsidering and defining such period or process to provide or more ample study of friendship among adolescents.Therefore it is evident that more research is required such as studies should focused on characterizing whether these problems of ‘terminal’ friendships are gender biased. Futhermore, Amit-Talai research focused on one single middle classed high school with a rather intriguing background (i.e. “ Royal Haven’s had a reputation for “being a school with more than its fair share of violence, drugs and troublemakers”) it is under these conditions that it is evident that youth peer relation are ‘policed’ and a instutionalized social control more evident(240). Amit-Talai lacks to further research other highschool and see if these same cultural implications have the same effect in other sectors. In this period of rapid changes were technology revolutionizes are our every day life, newer methods of communication are present and I think it would be wise to examine the implication these new tools grant youth peer relations to have further and more depth understanding of friendship relationships during adolescence.

18. See you Thursday