Blog #3

English has always been my favorite subject and I have had numerous teachers in the past who were huge advocates of peer editing, so I have a lot of experience with it. Since I am already very familiar with this, the videos and slideshow did not necessarily teach me anything new. They did, however, remind me of a few things to be mindful of when editing someone else's paper.

I have always been told that one of the most important things to remember while peer editing is to be kind with your criticism. The slideshow Peer Edit with Perfection reiterated this by expressing that giving compliments is one of the most important parts of peer editing. I always make sure to give a compliment with every critique that I make while editing someone's paper. If you strictly make negative comments and point out what is wrong, the recipient of the feedback will more than likely get their feelings hurt. The point of peer editing is to help, so not pointing out the good parts of the paper can be very discouraging. By saying something like "You make a very good point with this paragraph, but you may want to word the opening sentence a little differently," you are pointing out what needs work and giving a compliment all at the same time. It is also very important to be specific when giving feedback rather than making vague statements. If you were to simply say that some paragraphs need work, the author would have no clue how to improve his/her writing. You must use specific details about which sentences or paragraphs need improvement and why.

I think that using kind and encouraging words along with your criticism/suggestions and providing specific details on which areas need improvement makes for successful peer editing. I will definitely teach my future students to peer edit this way.