Peer Conferencing

This study of peer conferencing took place over a four month period in a fourth grade classroom in a small, suburban New Jersey town. The study was conducted by the classroom teacher, Andrea, as well as a research assistant, Jeesun. This classroom was composed of eighteen students and one general education teacher. The focus of the study was on the use of peer conferencing in Readers' and Writers' Workshop. The students received a one hundred and ten minute block of reading and writing instruction each morning.

As the study progressed I tried to capture and describe the experience of peer conferencing. In trying to understand the experience, I have chosen to focus on three themes that emerged. These themes were planning, managing, and trial and error. Planning played a large part in this classroom's institution of peer conferencing as I dedicated planning time for peer conferencing. Management was an important aspect of peer conferencing as the students needed structure and support as they worked independently. Management of the peer conference came in the form of student generated rubrics, questions, and checklists. The final theme, trial and error, emerged as I realized that the students ultimately shaped the journey of the conference. I began to understand that, though I could plan and manage a majority of the experience, I had to let the children assert themselves into the conference in order for them to gain ownership of the conference.

This site describes what was learned from this experience. One of the most important realizations from this study is, though planning and managing the peer conferencing experience are key elements, that it is important to take a step back to see what emerges as the peer conference comes to life among the students. It is within this life of the conference where a teacher can learn from his or her students. This website offers the viewer a journal documenting the experience, curriculum materials, student work, video of peer conferences, references, and archived material as to provide a multidimensional view of the experience.