Thoughts on Feedback

A follow-up to this post:

I got some feedback for my first written piece for Sussex University's online journal Excursions. Two reviewers had read the piece, and the editor wrote to me with their comments and required revisions before publication. This led me to reflect on how feedback feels; I've been doing a lot of marking over the last few years – how do I like being on the receiving end?

One of the reviewers was very positive about the piece, and had only a minor typo to fix.  This made me feel good. It was a nice pat on the back.

The other had submitted a detailed version of my work with changes tracked and comments appended – close corrections/suggestions on style and general suggestions for trimming and expanding. In other words: a load of work. Meh, I thought initially. Mission. Do I have to?

But actually, when I got stuck in and read the comments and suggestions, I could see that this reviewer had really engaged with the work. I didn't always agree, but I felt that most changes were reasonable and helpful, and the suggestions were honest responses that deserved consideration. So I did the trimming, dug through my notes to address the suggestions, and put in the time to revise the piece accordingly.

And that actually felt better, once I'd got through the pain barrier. It was a drag initially; it felt like someone was saying: your stuff's not good enough, and there's work to do. But actually it meant: here are some thoughts on how your work can be the best it can be. And that's worth building on.

Willpower and the To-Do List

An article, and related book, about organising all the stuff you've got to do – and making sure you get to actually do it.

http://www.brainpickings.org/index.php/2012/02/09/willpower-to-do-list/

Article: Naming the Phonograph

I keep meaning to link to Lists of Note. This one's a doozy: possible names for the phonograph. The thinking process behind deliberate word coinage, right here folks. 

Naming the Phonograph
http://www.listsofnote.com/2012/02/naming-phonograph.html

The Age of Journalism

18th Century journalism; 1990s website.  The styling is horrendous, but the content is handily collected.  Try not to miss the links off to the side here, even though they are scattered in an ad hoc fashion and poorly highlighted.

http://www.aboutenglish.it/englishpress/journalismage.htm

Dictionaries: The British Library

Here you'll find extracts from, and discussions of, Cawdrey and Johnson, amongst other lexicographers from English history.  You'll see here how I've simplified the story in class somewhat; have a look at others' variants of what a dictionary can be.

http://www.bl.uk/learning/langlit/dic/meanings.html

Guardian Saturday Interviews Archive

The Guardian's archive of Saturday Interviews - let me know if this link lapses; it's linking to tags on their website.  Quite a range of interviewees here!

http://www.guardian.co.uk/theguardian/series/saturday-interview?INTCMP=SRCH

King James Bible Trust

Website celebrating the 400th anniversary of the publication of this extremely important historical English text. This 'Authorised Version' was the main thing people read for hundreds of years. The site has videos, a facsimile of the original text, transcripts, and lots of background info. Have a browse and get a sense of the significance of this text.

http://www.kingjamesbibletrust.org/

Pepys' Diary

Website blogging Samuel Pepys' diary day-by-day. With a searchable archive and background info.

http://www.pepysdiary.com/

Proper Spelling? Its Tyme to Let Luce!

An interesting argument from Wired magazine about the state of Standard English in the era of the internet. I'd wait till after your A-Levels if you decide they've got it right.

http://www.wired.com/magazine/2012/01/st_essay_autocorrect/

Everything You Thought You Knew About Learning Is Wrong

Well, not everything. But there are some good, and perhaps counterintuitive, study tips here. I thought I was bad for doing 'interleaving', so it's good to hear that this is an effective strategy.

http://www.wired.com/geekdad/2012/01/everything-about-learning/

Letters of Note: Thou eunuch of language

Language fight! Issues of language usage, standards, dialect and identity do raise people's hackles. Here's Robert Burns' furious slating of a critic of his Scots dialect.

http://www.lettersofnote.com/2012/01/thou-eunuch-of-language.html

The Great Vowel Shift

Melinda Menzer's very handy GVS site from Furman University - with sound files and widgets as well as diagrams and explanations of the GVS. You don't need to memorise every detail for A Level study - but an awareness of its existence can help explain orthographic changes in texts over time, especially Middle and Early Modern texts.

http://facweb.furman.edu/~mmenzer/gvs/index.htm