1. Action Research running blog entry

I'd say that, so far, my research is telling me that even though the theories say that students find helpful commentary on their writing more useful in the long run,  the "needs improvement" feedback is the one that they are saying is most helpful at this point. This tells me two things: 1. I'm still not giving enough positive feedback regarding their writing (due in part to context of material and the fact that we're re-doing the curriculum and it isn't as well-defined as it will be in its final form); 2. Students may lack the foresight and perspective necessary to see what benefits them in the long run vs. what benefits them in the short run. This isn't surprising to many high school teachers, I'd presume, but it still reveals to me that a blend of both styles of commentary is necessary for the teaching of writing. More analysis to come when more research is in, from 2 more classes on 2 more essays.