Using the Collage for Collaborative Writing

Using the Collage for Collaborative Writing

Elbow, Peter. “Using the Collage for Collaborative Writing.” Teaching Developmental Writing. Boston: Bedford/ St. Martin’s, 2007. Print.
Teachers are hopeful for the potential collaborative learning holds for their students. Teachers are hoping for “increased communication among students, better problem solving, and better critical thinking skills” (260). But many students are usually not willing to collaborate with their peers and teachers try to revise their plans to better aid students to become comfortable with each other so that they will work effectively together. Usually when students write alone, they depend on their tacit knowledge. Our tacit knowledge is quick, and overrides out conscious and articulate knowledge. When a student writes with someone else, their partner may propose changes, and they have to negotiate with each other which “forces students to become more conscious and articulate about rhetorical decision making” (261). There are difficulties faced when students work in pairs or groups. Most students find it to be an unpleasant experience because it leads to disagreements. So student opt to write alone. The writing that is produced is usually not up to par because students “can only agree on lowest-common-denominator thinking” (262). Collaborative writing also “silences weaker, minority or marginal voices” (262). Peter Elbow suggests using “the collage” as a method to tackle student apprehension to collaborative work. First students will write individually, as much as they can about their own thoughts on the topic. Student can also write for 10 to 15 minutes and then switch their papers with their peer. This can prompt dialogue, because peers are responding to each other’s papers because it’s a “thought answering thought” (263). Secondly students are to individually go back over what they have written and choose the pieces of their writing that they like the most. Next, students are to share their writing by reading aloud or they can switch papers and silently read. Every member choose and agree on which pieces of writing should be used and everyone has to contribute a piece of writing. All group members must give feedback on all the pieces of writing chosen. Then all the pieces should be sequenced and then discussed because new ideas may come up, or figure something new needs to be added or something is missing. Then, individually write new pieces, or revise and fix-up the chosen pieces. Then everyone should look at what the group had produced and see if it’s finished or if it still needs more work. This bridges individual work into group work. Students are engaging in weak collaboration and strong collaboration. Weak collaboration is when peer’s influence each other’s thinking and writing by giving each other feedback on individual writings. This is an easy process for students because they do not have to agree or disagree on ideas. Strong collaboration group members have to agree on which pieces to use, what order to the pieces in, who revises, they need to agree is more revising is needed or is the product finished. This is more stressful on members because they have to agree or disagree and come to a consensus. The final product of the collaborative collage has all members be accountable for their writing, and since no voice is silenced the final product is not “weak or bland writing” but a “richer and more complex than most collaborative writing” (264). At the end of this collaboration “the final product contains multiple points of view, multiple voices, multiple styles- and as a result, more tension and energy Minority ideas and thinking have not been left out… The collaborative collage is a gathering of pieces each written from an “I” point of view- for the sake of a “we” enterprise” (264).
Peter Elbow suggest three additional methods for students who rather work alone to begin engaging in collaborative writing.
1- The student writes a draft, and then shares his or her draft with another peer and their peer is to write a response.
2- The student is to make a collage of quotations from readings or interviews, which is to “help students “place” their own thoughts and voices in authoritative dialogue with the voices of others” (265).
3- Students can work in pairs and engage in a dialogue by passing a sheet of paper back and forth to each other so each can write a response in turn. This is like passing notes in class.
These three additional methods are to help students make “good texts out of multiple thoughts and voices” (266).
Solo writing has the same issues that collaborative writing suffers from. Collaborative writing can be used to improve solo writing. We learn to do things by ourselves by internalizing what we learned to do socially with others.
QUESTIONS1- The collaborative collage is one way to engage students in working with each other to produce a final product. What type of activity would you have your students engage in so that they may become comfortable with each other so that they can work together for assignments?
2- What are some problems of the collaborative collage? What are some ideas that you can include to improve upon this method?