This week I wrote about the bombings and social media and shared the piece with my students. I often share my writing with my students, telling them "bring it"--I want to hear anything they would like to add to the discussion. They can respond anonymously too, though most want me to know who they are.
My students, when they are not ignoring me--it's sometimes hard to get them to respond if my request demands no graded assignment--usually report they learn a lot from tackling their teacher's writing and are impressed to see how even published essays can always benefit from more revision.
At first I didn't get much feedback, at least not the same lengthy, trenchant in-class commentary my students usually produce on Google Docs when they respond to peers' work and presentations.