What’s the difference between editing and proofreading?

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill features a helpful online handout about the differences between editing and proofreading, available here: http://www.unc.edu/depts/wcweb/handouts/proofread.html. Editing and proofreading are two separate steps within the revision process, although some use the terms interchangeably. Editing involves refining the content, overall structure, clarity, style, and citations. This stage involves rewriting and reorganizing your words to better support your thesis statement and argument. Proofreading is the final step of the writing process in which you correct the punctuation, grammar, and spelling of your writing, or the surface errors that are important for presentation. The handout promises that one will save time by taking these steps one at a time, rather than trying to edit and proofread writing all at once. To encourage visitors to begin honing their proofreading skills right away, the handout includes a fun, circular challenge—seven common proofreading errors for readers to detect as they read about editing and proofreading.

Additional Resources about Editing and Proofreading:

Purdue Online Writing Lab
(Proofreading): http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/owlprint/561/ (printable version of a handout and makes a nice checklist; it’s also available on their website, which offers many other writing resources, here: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/561/1/)
(Grammar, Punctuation, etc. Exercises): http://owl.english.purdue.edu/exercises/

SNL Writing Guide – Editing Stage of the Writing Process: http://snl.depaul.edu/writing/editing.html

University of Minnesota: http://writing.umn.edu/docs/sws/quicktips/editing_proofreading.pdf

Different Approaches to Journal Reflection Writing

Starting Point, an online teaching resource for undergraduate instructors provided through Carleton College, recommends seven different formats for student journaling as part of the experiential learning process. Those taking service learning courses and/ or the externship competence should consider these unguided and structured journal assignments.

Unguided journal reflections include the “personal journal” and the “dialogue journal.”

- The “personal journal” is one in which the students freely recount their experiences without prompts.
- The “dialogue journal” is the model used in many SNL online courses. Students submit journal entries on a predetermined schedule, and the instructor provides feedback on the students’ findings in return.

Some students find it helpful to have more direction in their journal writing. Examples of guided journal assignments consist of the “highlighted journal,” “the key phrase journal,” “the three part journal,” “the double entry journal,” and the “critical incident journal.”

- The “highlighted journal” asks students to write about their experiences and then later go through the text and mark the pieces that pertain directly to course content.
- In the “Key phrase” journal, students are given course-specific terms and asked to incorporate them into their journal entries.
- The “three-part” journal asks students to divide each entry into three parts: Describing the experience, relating the experience to course content, and then applying the experience to their personal or professional goals.
- In the “double entry journal,” students divide their journal entries into two parts; one page is devoted to personal thoughts and responses to the experiential learning, and the opposite page is devoted to key concepts from class discussions and readings. - In the “critical incident journal” students are given prompts and asked to evaluate their experiential learning experience through the lens of personal reflection and what implications the experience will have for their future.

The full text is available by visiting: http://serc.carleton.edu/introgeo/service/types_journal.html.

Advanced Project Forum on June 22nd

Next Wednesday, June 22, the University Center for Writing-based Learning will be holding an Advanced Project Forum at the Naperville campus. This Forum will give students working on Advanced Projects the opportunity to receive feedback from a research librarian, SNL Faculty, and Tutors from the University Center for Writing-based Learning. The Forum will begin at 6:30 pm in Rm. 117 at the Naperville Campus. Participants may RSVP by clicking here.

Values and Goals of the SNL Writing Program

Like the School for New Learning, the SNL Writing Program embraces the values of life-long, reflective, student-centered, integrated and experience-based learning. The goals of the Writing Program follow from these values.

The life-long and reflective values focus on providing writing support to students during their time at SNL and preparing them to be self-reflective writers who will continue to improve beyond SNL. To best serve students and faculty, SNL Writing upholds the commitment to continuously renew our pedagogy by learning from others and reflecting upon our own practice.

Maintaining a student-centered writing program is achieved by meeting students where they are and helping them attain the goals they have set for themselves at SNL. This is also achieved through assigning writing projects that are shaped by students’ interests, teaching students to assess and address their own writing needs, and privileging writing instruction that is learner-centric.

The SNL Writing Program is integrated into the overall SNL curriculum by delivering writing instruction that helps students succeed in the unique context of SNL, while also building their skills for success in their writing efforts outside of and after SNL. Writing is integrated into the teaching of all competences in ways that enhance learning.

Experience-based learning is accomplished by promoting writing as a means of reflecting upon, making meaning of, and communicating experience. The SNL Writing Program values students’ various literacies, while helping students know how and when to move between these literacies. Experience based writing also teaches students how to use writing to describe, reflect upon, analyze, and situate their experience in academic discourse when necessary.

The SNL Writing Program values and goals are available online as part of the SNL Writing Guide.