Week 8 Comments and Feedback

Hello again everyone!

So let's talk about feedback today... some people hate feedback whether it is good or bad and some people thrive when given feedback. I love it when I get feedback, because it makes me realize what I need to focus on as well learn not to make the same mistakes over. Feedback to me is really important since it gives me a different perspective to look at my paper from. As the writer, even taking a break and going back over some of my writings I tend not to catch my mistakes because I am only working with my knowledge, which by the way is very poor in English.

I have to say though my favorite type of feedback is both constructive and conversation ones. They both help me in different ways. Constructive feedback helps me improve my writings and work more towards what readers like. Conversation feedback allows me to build relationships and get to know more about the different people in my class that I would not get to otherwise. All of the feedback I have used has been very good and helpful in improving my writing.

I would like to think that I am leaving good feedback for others, especially my constructive feedback. It really varies from person to person on how her or she feels about getting feedback. I know I always try to include stuff that other students have not already mentioned and let the authors know what my thoughts were as the story went on. Though I have to admit I have come across some stories which are phenomenal and are amazing as is. My feedback strategy that I am using is working really well for me, I tend to read over the story/post twice and write what my thoughts were at certain parts and then go in for detailed remarks. While providing feedback, reading the various pieces has given me a few ideas that I would love to incorporate in my posts as well.

I love to read through people's introductions because each person is so unique and it is just fun! I mentioned it earlier but the blog comments (conversation feedback) is one of my favorite types of feedback because I essentially get to chat with others and also learn their thoughts.

I think I have a really good strategy going for my feedback posts, so at the moment I am not planning on changing anything. Although, I will say I might try other strategies later on. I have been playing around on blogger, but I like the style that I am using right now, what can I say?!


The image below describes me so well. I chose this image in particular, because without feedback my work would be raw and in order for it to be something good it needs feedback so that the errors are taken care of.

What I tell my teacher's all the time

Feedback Strategies

Well, We Are Working On Becoming Better Writers

In a post by Gravity Goldberg titled, "Be a Mirror: Give Readers Feedback That Fosters A Growth Mindset," she talks of very useful strategies on providing feedback. I honestly wish my previous teachers had used this approach as I was learning to become a better, stronger writer. I have always felt that my writing was never good, no matter how many hours I spent writing, revising, and proofreading, and having others revise, I was never able to include everything that the teachers' wanted. I really liked how she was emphasizing the idea of learning the habits and writing styles of students and building on what is there. Showing how writers can improve with what they have instead of trying to get them to do something that is not there, which I completely agree with. She does say you can't change what you can't see in a mirror, power to people who think like that, my papers would probably have had much better grades if my teachers thought that way. Overall, I loved this article and I definitely will be taking from her to provide feedback on what is there and focus more on what the writer has done.

In the blog post by Laura Gibbs, "How to Craft Constructive Feedback," there are strategies that are great for providing feedback to any type of writing really. The three components: observe, describe, and critique, are very important things to keep in mind about providing feedback. I know sometimes I am at a loss for how to provide useful feedback to someone. Feedback for a long time to me meant checking for grammatical errors, syntax, and places that need to be more clearly written. One thing I have learned over the years is the more you practice providing feedback, the better you get with your own writing, because unconsciously you avoid making similar mistakes that you have corrected others for, at least for me that has helped. I have saved this article under my favorite's tab, so I have something as a guideline to follow when providing good feedback.

Feedback Thoughts

No Other Words are Needed

In, "Using Harsh Feedback to Fuel Your Career," William Treseder talks about how people generally take feedback whether it is good or back and the  confusion that accompanies the feedback. I hate to say it, but before I started high school I used to be that person who think and do exactly as Treseder talked about. The process to overcome that type of mindset and bring about changes in one's thoughts it is hard. It took me  a good year or two. Another thing that captured me was how accurate he was in the reasons why we take feedback a certain way. I completely agree to what he is saying, because I used to be that person who was a perfectionist, not wanting to ask others for help, even when I knew he or she was better at it. Though my stubbornness did teach me new things, I have now gotten to the point where I will ask for help  no matter what I may be thought of as afterward. Feedback to me has always been important , because I understand and accept my weaknesses  and with of the help of the feedback I get I am able to reach my goals. Treseder mentions of how some people strives for all A's, well I am one, but I know that outcome is only going to some through hard work and studying. 

In "Why rejection hurts so much — and what to do about it," Guy Winch does a phenomenal job on explaining ways that can help prevent people from hurting their psychology. I have personally seen how detrimental rejection can be, and I know that I never what to go through what some of my friends have had to go through. The causes varied, but when you think of the end result, all of them were the same. Sometimes the confidence a person has in themselves is lost and they are afraid to try something new in the future. I hope that we all understand the difference between hurting someone emotionally and providing someone constructive feedback. Growing up I have had numerous teachers who would take two or three class periods to make sure we knew and understood that there was a difference between constructive feedback and feedback that does nothing, but hurt a person. Winch makes a great point on the fact that even though we may face a rejection whether it be minor or major, we should not go and do something to make that feeling worse, but human nature says otherwise. Rejection from people can hurt, but we I have found that if I think of the better things I have in life that rejection seems minute in comparison. Growing up cliques existed everywhere, which let me tell you was the most annoying thing ever, but instead of feeling like I was being left out, I choose to look at the friends I already had. Like, Winch had said we should focus on what we have and think about those who we make happy, and that is exactly what my 8 year old self had learned of from her parents. I have to say though had that not have been the case I know that I would never have been as close to my group of elementary school friends. 

I look forward to getting many comments. Happy Sunday y'all!