One model we might talk with students about looks like this:
Remember:
- This is not the model of the writing process, only a model that may help us understand how writing is made.
- The model will vary according to the writing task. For example, an assignment may cause the writer to plan, then collect, replan and develop.
- The model will vary according to the cognitive style of the writer. Some students will naturally write faster than others. There’s nothing wrong with fast or slow, as long as the deadline is met.
- The model will vary according to the experiences of the writer. Many beginning writers who have to free-write a first draft and develop it through many revisions will move towards more planning and less revision when they become experienced with a specific writing task.
- The process model remains helpful because it gives teacher and student common ways of looking at writing, a logical procedure which can be adapted to the needs of the student once it is understood.
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It is helpful to respond through a hierarchy of concerns from higher to lower order.
Global Re-vision: To engage a writer in deep revision, in actually re-thinking or re-seeing their work, we need to invite them to work at the macro level. Our comments should be aimed at ideas, whether the draft follows the assignment, whether the draft addresses the appropriate problem or question, quality of the argument, whether there is too much or not enough information.
Organizational Re-vision: This level of revision can be imagined as reshaping and reworking. Our comments should be directed at whether the draft is effectively organized at the macro level. As we comment we can ask such questions as can the draft be outlined or diagramed? What should be added? What should be eliminated? Does the reader have enough sign posts to follow? Are there gaps in logic, evidence, or information? Are there transitions where there need to be? We can also direct our comments at the micro-level. Are paragraphs coherent? Is the paragraph too long? Too short? Trying to cover too many points?
Polishing Re-vision: Under most circumstances you should be concerned with commenting on these in later drafts. Too often we have been asked to “revise” (the above operations) when what teachers really wanted was for students to polish and proofread. We often jump to this lower-level concern too quickly because these errors are easy to spot. Yes, grammatical errors, misspellings, etc. are an annoyance and important to “clean up.” When helping another student with polishing and proofing, look for the “patterns of errors” that they make and explain how to fix one or two of these. (While we have a tendency to count individual errors, writers are usually making one or two errors over and over again.)
