I think first and foremost the document instructors in ICON are facilitators of grades. Our jobs are to help the progress of each student that participates in ICON. Document instructors are the first individuals who will view and critique a students’ paper, brief, or summary. That job in itself is a huge responsibility and a daunting task for any conscientious person. It is our responsibility to grade students’ papers to the best of our ability but also grade papers in a way that would be most helpful to the student.
In my opinion, we do this by constructive criticism not destructive criticism. Because our grades are the first ones that a student will view, I strongly believe that each and every critique that document instructors offer should be written in a way that will be receptive to the student. There is a constructive way that any facilitator in ICON can give a student a seventy, but still incorporate critiques for the student that is not dehumanizing, rude, or judgmental.
Many times, I have received the impression that many people believe they are better or more educated than others. These ideologies cultivate an elitist academic agenda. It is a perception that I believe is defeating, counter-productive, and leaks onto a student’s paper while document instructors are grading.
It is when the facilitators of ICON encourage constructive criticism, that the student may understand the difference between complex sentences versus compound sentences or all of the other grammar nuances that will allow the students to become an even more productive citizen and a competitive college student in the future. As document instructors, we have the influence to help transform a student’s writing into something the student will feel proud to represent. But first, as document instructors, we need to realize that once we too were undergrads in English classes. Struggling perhaps not with grammar or citing, but something else that at one time we may have found defeating. Therefore, it is only with patience and understanding, that all document instructors may become even more effective facilitators in ICON.
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2 comments:
I like your discussion of grading student papers in a positive manner. I doubt that talking down to a student has ever made that student strive to do better. It is an absolute must, in my mind, to make positive critical comments on student papers.
I also like what you have to say about elitism in academia. It would be quite easy for some graduate students to think that they are somehow "better" than undergraduate students who are struggling with writing. It is not our job to feel superior to these students, but to help them find a writing style that is intelligent and expressive. We cannot truly assist them if we feel superior, as our comments will appear stuffy and arrogant.
Hi Crystal,
I really think that your approach to document instructing is very welcoming. Document instructors are indeed a student's first and main point of entry to the academic writing arena and I agree with you that document instructor need to strive for objective criticism.
One question: does the lack of physical contact restrain/affect the notion of facilitation. How receptive will a student be to words given back to him/her by a machine? Dr. Rice mentioned this idea that camcorders could be used and document instructors would have the option of directly interacting with their student. Would that add another helpful level to the facilitation process?
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