Technology Strengthens a Simple Writing Revision Strategy

John McCarthy

One of the best ways to improve students’ writing skills is through self-revision and reflection. Yet getting students to self-revise and reflect can be a monumental challenge. For students, revision is something that is at best a ponderous process when a first draft seems sufficient and at worst a process that seems like magic that they do not understand how to replicate. Although revision structures can be successful, many teachers, especially those who do not teach English, view implementation as time-consuming. They may also believe that they lack the skills to teach protocols that enable students to reflect on and revise their writing.

With the one-foot voice strategy, any teacher can help students revise their writing. This simple strategy can be differentiated to meet individual needs. It easily becomes part of students’ writing repertoire and a mainstay for quality work.

The One-Foot Voice Strategy

Often if we can get students to read their writing aloud, they can more easily identify what to improve based on the skill chosen by the teacher; once students become adept, they can choose the focus, such as depth of details, sentence fluency, and word choice. The one-foot voice strategy follows three concrete steps:

1. Students read their pieces just loudly enough that they can hear the words, but no one else can. (In other words, you can only hear your voice within a one-foot radius. Hence, the name of the strategy.) I model this to groups, both facing them and then turning my back to them by facing a wall. As I read aloud, no one can hear what I'm reading. This modeling reassures students who are self-conscious about others hearing their writing.
2. While reading the draft, the student places check marks on passages that could be developed or have gaps based on the targeted skill. Give them a minimum number of check marks to place. I start with three to five check marks. Reading does not stop until they complete the entire draft, which helps students focus on the draft in its entirety.
3. After reading the draft completely, the student returns to the check marks to reflect on how to revise or refine each marked passage.

Once the process is completed, the student-author has specific check-marked passages to review and discuss possible revisions with peers or teacher coaches. Students can use talking stems when discussing the focus skills:

• "I like …": Note specific text that works well.
• "I wonder …": Note specific text that might need more details, without giving specific wording. Leave that to the author.
• "What if …": Note specific areas where the author might expand on a passage.

This process keeps the feedback constructive and supportive.

Technology Amplifies the Strategy

The challenge with one-foot voice for some students is that even when reading their writing aloud, they struggle to read for understanding and look for the targeted skill at the same time. The skill of reading or the weakness in writing may consume their concentration. In this instance, students have a better chance to revise for quality when they or a peer read the draft aloud and record it. The recording is played back so that the student or peer group can listen while following the text and placing check marks on passages.

Free Recording Tools

There are a variety of free tools for PC, Mac, and the various smartphone operating systems. Some examples include:

IOS: Voice Memos or QuickVoice Recorder by nFinity, Inc.

Android: Easy Voice Recorder or Smart Voice Recorder by Smartmob Development

PC: Sound Recorder or Audacity

Mac: eXtra Voice Recorder or Audacity

John McCarthy is a former teacher and current education consultant with expertise in project-based learning and differentiation. Follow him on Twitter @jmccarthyeds or visit his blog at http://openingpaths.org/blog/.

ASCD Express, Vol. 9, No. 18. Copyright 2014 by ASCD. All rights reserved. Visit www.ascd.org/ascdexpress.