Hi Everybody! I hope you’re all having a productive semester. It’s good to be back with the Writing With Machines gang!

The first reading assignment from Warnock’s text was a great opener to the purpose of OWcourses, as I continue to think about how to replicate the face-to-face experience via online.

The most valuable pieces of advice that Warnocks offers to understand the difference between ‘Responses versus Grading’ and keeping feedback ‘Conversational versus one-way-announcements.’

I think these are the types of interactions I feel comfortable doing in the classroom, and always questioning how to bring these interactions into OW courses. Of course it all comes down to the kinds of technology that can help manipulate more personal instructor-student experiences concerning the writing process.

A few things I already practice with students when online feedback is provided are what Warnock calls ‘in-text markers.’ At times I give students the opportunity to submit a thesis statement or body paragraph via email and most of my feedback comes in the form of highlighted comments, underlined areas of focus, arrows for direction and so forth. I find these simple tasks pretty easy for students to visually read suggestions and questions regarding assignments.

To push beyond markers, I do want to remind myself the importance of the ‘first week icebreakers’ as Warnock mentions, the ‘snapshot of yourself’ which is vital for students to feel I’m present, or more so to see myself as their AUDIENCE.  Which leads me to the ‘technologies of responses’ and how to use these resources to avoid blood shot eyes from hours of computer watching and carpal tunnel. I love the idea of using spoken comments and audio visual comments. I’m interested in exploring what apps or programs are out there that work best for providing such feedback. Any suggestions folks?

But I find VOICE and Facial Gestures, heck even hand gestures as a way to communicate my personality to students over the sterile typed comment. I know a few students have submitted their essay to the Writing Center via email and they’ve received some great video responses from writing consultants. The feedback is great since students can stop and play these videos, as the videos scroll through their essays and there’s audio in the background offering feedback. So I’ll definitely be investigating what methods the Writing Center uses to make these videos. Also I need to evaluate how time consuming it is to make videos and which apps/programs are more efficient.

If anybody has some audio/ video app suggestions please send them my way. I’m not the most tech savvy person, but I’m always down to learn!