[ti:Writing Groups Can Help Students with Papers] [ar:Jeri Watson] [al:Education Report] [by:www.51voa.com] [00:00.00]This is the VOA Learning English Education Report. [00:04.86]Writing an essay or paper for school [00:09.54]can feel like ¨C and often is ¨C a big challenge. [00:14.33]But an expert from Duke University in North Carolina [00:19.86]has some ideas to make the process easier -- [00:23.56]and produce better results. [00:26.34]Jennifer Ahern-Dodson is an assistant writing professor. [00:32.02]She also helps organize writing groups [00:36.28]for both students and teachers. [00:38.76]She believes getting advice and suggestions [00:42.51]from others can help. [00:44.40]Ms. Ahern-Dodson says [00:48.44]that students usually share their writing [00:51.00]only when it is completed [00:53.53]and ready to give to the teacher. [00:55.58]Instead, she suggests that [00:58.76]you prepare an early draft version. [01:02.90]Then, ask yourself [01:05.65]who can give you helpful feedback, [01:08.63]or reaction, on what you have written. [01:11.58]"Who can I share it with? [01:13.27]Who can give me feedback? [01:14.53]What I like to describe that as, [01:17.07]is finding the right reader at the right time." [01:19.50]Or, Ms. Ahern-Dodson says [01:24.48]you may want more than one reader to comment. [01:28.02]You may want a writing group. [01:30.77]"A lot of my work with students [01:33.11]and faculty (teachers) is helping them [01:34.65]form writing communities [01:36.49]to share writing on a regular basis." [01:40.03]She says starting a group [01:43.21]takes "a little bit of cultivating." [01:46.05]One requirement is that everyone [01:49.44]taking part must offer their own work for comment. [01:53.87]"Like any community, [01:55.56]you don't build trust immediately. [01:57.60]Part of it is, [01:59.30]everyone has to be willing [02:00.84]to share their own writing. [02:02.74]And you have to establish ground rules. [02:05.59]Rules of the road, right?" [02:07.54]Ms. Ahern-Dodson says [02:10.91]these rules should include [02:12.70]what kind of feedback is needed. [02:15.10]"Usually folks don't want someone to be mean. [02:17.59]But you want your readers to be specific, [02:20.72]and give useful feedback." [02:22.57]She says that means [02:25.56]much more than saying "Good job!'" [02:28.11]or "Great!" without real thought. [02:31.64]She says sharing writing [02:34.18]can reduce the stress that many students feel [02:37.71]when they write a paper just before the deadline, [02:40.75]the time limit. [02:42.29]This is the idea of a student [02:45.53]who goes into a room alone and 12 hours later [02:50.16]comes out with a good paper. [02:52.40]She says some people call this "binge" writing. [02:56.83]"Yes, some people can do that successfully. [03:00.61]But it's not a positive experience [03:03.51]that you want to do again and again and again." [03:07.59]She has other ideas for what she called [03:12.32]"a sane and enjoyable writing life. [03:15.95]Ms. Ahern-Dodson says [03:19.39]some people form writing groups where they live. [03:22.72]Others establish groups with other students [03:27.05]from their classes. [03:28.70]"Some just meet in a coffee shop (store) [03:31.59]and bring whatever writing [03:32.68]that they're working on at the time. [03:34.53]You know, finding a community of writers [03:36.87]cannot only get your writing going [03:39.76]but it can keep your writing going." [03:41.90]And she says that is very valuable [03:45.43]for writing well. [03:47.36]And that's the VOA Learning English [03:51.94]Education Report for today. [03:54.33]I'm Jeri Watson.