tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1391724559179617204.post3246777894768033980..comments2024-01-26T14:28:14.820-05:00Comments on dirt and rocks: Giving FeedbackBrigindohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05499279435958916161noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1391724559179617204.post-88554043810833370192011-10-23T15:16:18.655-04:002011-10-23T15:16:18.655-04:00In the couple of writing courses I took, it was al...In the couple of writing courses I took, it was always frustrating when a number of people consistently gave little to no feedback, and were "off base" if they did. I found the most useful feedback came from the best writers, and it became a reciprocal process. <br /><br />Still, we were not taught how to give feedback. It was intuitive, and my philosophy was always to be thorough and kind, helping someone get to the next step, as you said. I felt it was my obligation to share what I knew about writing technique, and my opinion about what was working or needed review.<br /><br />With academic writing, it should be easier to judge if the concepts are valid, if the research is comprehensive enough, and if the issues are clearly described, so you'd think all professors could give constructive feedback. <br /><br />I understand your position that you want to give useful feedback, so it must be frustrating when your colleagues aren't addressing the quality, leaving a student to "sink or swim." The students are lucky to have you on their committees, and it really doesn't matter what the other professors are doing, if you want to feel good about your own contribution. Still, it gives you a big, self-imposed responsibility!Anniehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12588164536314320479noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1391724559179617204.post-28574379352301570232011-10-22T10:20:18.224-04:002011-10-22T10:20:18.224-04:00I agree completely and I'd add that it frustra...I agree completely and I'd add that it frustrated me consistently how difficult it was to start a conversation about developing these skills when I was a graduate student. Of all my professors, I only found one who actually thought seriously about his writing and how to do it and only one (a different one) who actually thought critically about pedagogy. In a huge department, this struck me as pretty amazing and I found it frustrating because I thought that's what we were there to learn. <br /><br />If academics are teachers and writers, how is it there are so many academics who are poor writers and worse teachers who still manage to be successful?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1391724559179617204.post-9133701208224433172011-10-21T09:55:20.346-04:002011-10-21T09:55:20.346-04:00So true. I have found that having one clueless wri...So true. I have found that having one clueless writer critique [the word used in my field] the work of another clueless writer can actually be damaging. Sometimes it's the strongest part of the writing that's dismissed as not up to par, which the writer, not knowing any better, then takes to heart.Joan Kane Nicholshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04802501163461996982noreply@blogger.com