Everyone, not just kids, can benefit from self-analysis. It is especially crucial in helping to objectify one's critique of someone else' work.
I found an article by Linda B Bruce on Tripod that states: "Feedback from any source, however, is futile if it does not lead to opportunities for students to self-correct". This mentality is an excellent approach to take for students critiquing others. If the goal is to create a positive result (i.e. suggestions for improvement as opposed to just negative reaction) the critique's purpose is elevated and hopefully the student will consider it a responsibility to be objective.
Carol Rolheiser and John Ross's article in The Center for Development and Learning
offers a flow chart for self-analysis:
as well as sample rubrics.
In order to develop better writers when it comes to critique, I must foster good self-evaluation skills. The more self-aware and confident the student, the easier time she will have constructing accurate analysis of others' works.
This is a good point, Kelly. Critiqueing performance based works is very similar to the way viual critiques work. Everyone give constructive criticism and the hope is that the student will go back and try to remedy whatever didn't work in their piece. The thing I find frustrating is that after all our critiques, the kids have the opportunity to rework their pieces and sometimes it's just the simplest of "fixups" and they don't take advantage of it. I'm working hard on trying to create a strong work ethic and sometimes it seems as if we in the arts are at the bottom of their academic priorities.
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