Youth Engagement With Critical Writing Pedagogies via Descriptive Review Protocol

• In Event: 25.086 - Sheraton Roundtable Session One - Grand Centre
  In Roundtable Session: 25.086-4 - Approaches to Critical and Powerful Writing Practice

Abstract

While youth talk in educational settings is considered beneficial (e.g., Vygotsky, 1962), it can also have unintended consequences like exclusion, individualism, and reinforcing hegemonic discourses. Additionally, current trends towards high-stakes testing and scripted curricula can constrain the amount of time an educator is able to devote to writing talk. This research observes what happens when young writers use the Prospect School’s descriptive review protocol to discuss each other’s writing. During descriptive reviews, young writers broached more writing topics than were officially taught, engaged with different perspectives, and took an inclusive, collaborative stance. This work demonstrates the potential for the descriptive review as a classroom protocol to engage young writers in critical writing pedagogies.

Author

• Bethany Silva, University of New Hampshire