With an emphasis on process rather than final product, this might allow students to ponder and reflect that writing is the result of a process. The steps are not predetermined or formulated, but within the curriculum various writing strategies and methods are explored. In Berstein's Teaching Developmental Writing, she states in an introduction to "Adapting the Writing Process" that "good writing comes from continually asking questions such as:
- Why am I writing?
- For whom as I writing?
- What do I want to say?
- How can I clarify my meaning?
- How can I identify and avoid errors that confuse my meaning" (Bernstein 83).
The need for observation, research, and reflection is an informed pedagogy. So perhaps either assigning a written in-class reflection the day the papers are due, or circling up the chairs and really having students listen to other students' reflections about writing might be meaningful in a number of ways. 1.) Pondering and reflecting help them to realize what they have learned about writing, but also about themselves as a writer. 2.) It allows them to learn from each other and hear about a myriad of processes that others used for the same end result. 3.) The act of taking the time to evaluate, ponder, and observe the writing process shows students that we value their individual paths to writing success.
Leki states that "it is vital that writing instruction involve feedback in the intermediate steps rather than at the end" (Berstein 84). Rather than reading the rough drafts, try reading the opening paragraphs or have them write journals that build up the paper. Fluid feedback is crucial to the developmental writing student.
More to come on how to give quality and useful feedback to students.
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