Thlog 6: Shout Out to Sandy

I am eternally grateful for the peer review we did on “Sandy’s Sample Essay.” I got tons of insight into what strategies and concepts I could use in my own paper. I also saw a lot of things I shouldn’t do in my paper, which was just as helpful. As I was reviewing Sandy’s Sample Essay, I realized that a lot of the things I felt that she could fix, could’ve also been fixed in my WP1. I found myself writing over and over to include more direct evidence from the sources she was discussing, and then it opened my eyes to the same problem in my own writing. I guess you always think your own paper is a lot better than it is. After reviewing my notes on Sandy’s paper, I saw that my paper needed a lot of the similar adjustments, which was extremely helpful. Not only did this activity show me how I could improve my own paper, but it also showed me how I can improve my peer reviewing. When we were discussing some of the harsher comments in the peer review exercise, I realized that some of my own comments might come off that way, although I didn’t realize. Going over those comments showed me that it’s extremely easy to say the exact same thing, just in a kinder way that sounds less like a teacher and more like, well, a peer. I never realized how much difference a little change in wording could make, and I will definitely be more conscious of how I word things. There’s no reason to be condescending to others when editing their writing when changing a few words can convey the same message, just in a friendlier way. I’ve definitely learned more from this class than I can put into words.