Lesson Nine: Working with Returned Essays

Today I will return the students’ first in-class writing assignment (a single body paragraph). Once again, with the use of a detailed PowerPoint slideshow, my objective is to teach students how to work with the scores and comments on their returned compositions. The slides clearly explain the grading system, the annotations for grammar errors, and the types of comments for organization and development issues.

Next, I take the students to the class website (on screen) and walk them through two assignments that they will complete each time they have an essay returned to them. First, I show them how to complete the “Essay Feedback Form” and explain the crucial importance of this learning tool. Then I show them how to “Respond to a Student Essay.”

Last, the students will develop an outline for the topic that was distributed and brainstormed on Wednesday.

Note to Researchers: I have devised a set of basic questions that you may use to elicit useful responses from the students with whom you are paired. I suggest that you begin your session with the student by asking the following questions about the class meeting for that day. With each question, try to guide the student toward as full a response as possible:

1) What did you learn in class today?

2) How clear and useful were the instructions?

3) How difficult was the material covered in class?

4) What was your level of interest in the material?

5) Did the technology help you understand the material?

6) How can we improve the instruction?

Next, go to the first homework assignment at the class website. Allow the student to finish the assignment, and then ask these (very similar) questions:

1) What did you learn from the assignment?

2) How clear and useful were the instructions?

3) How difficult was the material covered in the assignment?

4) What was your level of interest in the assignment?

5) Did the technology help you understand the material?

6) How can we improve the assignment?

Follow through with the other online homework assignments.