updated 8/28/11
"Only connect! . . .Live in fragments no longer.” E. M. Forster, Howards End (1910), ch. 22
Discussion Board Instructions
These assignments are “blogs” that you create on a site such as blogger.com When you are done with your blog you upload the specific U.R.L. (the internet address that appears at the top of the browser) of that particular blog as a hyperlink to the relevant Discussion Board. When the instructor or your colleagues want to read your blog they click on your hyperlink and go to your blog on blogger.com or wherever it is. (It is your responsibility to make sure that the hyperlink works properly.) The blogs are then discussed in class, often organized by a student leader.
When Are They Due? These assignments are “blogs” that you create on a site such as blogger.com by 8 P.M. (for maximum points) the day before the class meets, or earlier. You lose two points for each hour the blog is late: -2 at 9, -4 at 10, -6 at 11. At midnight and after no blog will be accepted because the instructor or student leader of the discussion needs to be able to read all the blogs and organize the discussion before class. (“Discussion” board blogs can not be made up later because the discussion will be over.) If you know you are going to miss class you need to do your blogs in advance.
How are they graded? Students can earn up to twenty-seven points per blog but that number is usually reached only by many insights, quotes, and images. Each insight and each individual demonstration of reading comprehension earns a point. A few more points can be earned by responding to the blogs of others, especially if you add new quotes and images, and there are two other ways to generate points:
Points for Connecting. Up to five additional points can be earned if you "Only Connect." Connected Entries are unified (coherent), fully integrating multimedia as well as text. Additional points can be earned if they also make insightful and interesting connections among [1] all or almost all the assigned texts for that day and/or [2] texts assigned in the past, and/or [3] texts assigned in other courses and/or other texts the student may have read on her own.
Points For Research. Students can earn up to twenty additional points for research generated by the assigned readings. The research must be fully documented in the Chicago footnote style. More points will awarded for print sources not found on the internet (i.e. library sources). In other words, another possible source for additional points is quotes from sources other than the assigned ones, if [1] they are essential to your discussion, [2] the words of the author are in quotation marks, and [3] full documentation of the source is provided according to the University of Chicago footnoting system. The quotation marks and the documentation are required even in "informal" writing such as this. Quotes without the quotation marks and documentation will be result in negative points and possible charges of plagiarism.
Points For Performances. Alternatively, students can up to twenty-seven points each for performing the readings alone or with others, either live during class or in a video presented in class. However, simply reading from a printout does not constitute a performance. Points will be determined partly on the basis of how much work each individual put into the performance and partly on the basis of how effective the result is.
Negative points will be assigned for egregious proofreading or grammatical errors. Minor errors, beyond the first one or two, will also be cause for negative points. Why? This is "informal" writing, but to some extent it counts toward your Substantial Writing Component requirements.
Required Quotations and Multimedia. All blogs must include at least two images that have not been used earlier in the discussion by anyone else and at least two quotes from the assigned reading that have not been used earlier in the discussion by anyone else. One cannot just randomly add images. Multimedia items (pictures, movie clips, songs with lyrics, etc.) must have captions adjacent to the multimedia, be discussed explicitly in the text, and be connected to the topic. The multimedia requirement is to remind us to consider and address both sides of the brain, not just the logical, verbal left brain.
Why require at least two quotes? One comment I received on a student evaluation recommended that I make sure the students actually read the assignments. The primary goal of the Discussion Board entry is to prove that the author did read the assignment, to some extent at least. To give credit to a DB entry that could have been written after reading a brief summary of the assignment on the internet does not meet this goal, no matter how well written the entry might be. Two quotes barely accomplishes this, but it is better than nothing. Multiple quotes from different parts or the assigned reading demonstrate reading comprehension much better.
A student can not just sprinkle quotes throughout the DB entry. The content of the quote must be discussed explicitly in the text, connected to the topic, and the student needs to demonstrate knowledge of the meaning of the words of the quote in the original context. Quotes should not appear just as initial epigraphs or final talking points unless they are being discussed in the adjacent text.
When incorporating the quote in your blog never say "it says," "the article says," "the quote says," "the Bible says," etc. Use the author's name. In most cases you should know the name; if it is not available, say something like, "the author says."
All quotations from the readings must include page numbers (in parentheses) after the quotes, unless the quote is from the edition of a novel other than the one assigned (in that case supply chapter nos.). All quotations must be free of errors or will receive no credit. Why? [1] The basic meaning can easily be changed by leaving out a key word or two. [2] This is a minimal sign of respect for the author. [3] This is an essential test of your proofreading skills.
The penalties are -3 for each original quote or image that is missing or does not meet the requirements. In other words, your score for the blog can be penalized up to – 12 if you do not at least check out what your colleagues have written before you. Obviously, it is not a “discussion’ if you don’t do so. Equally obvious, this requirement helps prevent procrastination because the later you add your blog the more reading you must do to make sure your images and quotes are original. More importantly, if one of the quotations or images does not meet the requirements the blog will not save you from the penalty of -20 for failing the quiz the next day.
Why Do This? This assignment encourages you to do the reading and do so on time. The informal writing gets you in the habit of writing almost daily (like most of the great writers did), helps overcome writer’s block, and prepares you for formal writing. Your blog is also intended to demonstrate your comprehension of the reading assignment and make the ensuing class discussion more informed and meaningful. Finally, your blogs will be collected in your electronic portfolio to be “published” on the internet.
Why require that your quote or image has not already been used in the discussion? The goal is to get a sense of participation in a discussion. Hopefully, one would not try to participate in a discussion without listening to the others. Reading others' journal entries is the equivalent of listening. (Reading what your predecessors have written is also essential to writing publishable articles and books.) Note the emphasis on reading the entries of those who contributed before you. This is the basic principle of civilized discussion. Finally, only by reading the whole discussion can a student become the official leader of the discussion in class the next day, and thereby meet the leadership requirement, and earn many more points.
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How long should a daily reading Discussion Board Entry be? If one tried to earn maximum on quantity alone, at least 250 words would be required for each assignment. For some idea of how a teacher grades the quality of a reader-response Discussion Board Entry see the grading rubric below.
What should I write about in the Discussion Board Entries? These are what are known as “reader-response” Discussion Board Entries. The goal is to record your responses as you read, including thoughts, feelings, memories, associations, guesses about what will happen next, opinions, etc. (see sample prompts below). Among your thoughts you would be well advised to consider how the text relates to the other readings assigned for that day and to all the other readings in the course and the course themes; in other words, “hammer your thoughts into unity.”
You must, however, prove that you have read the material and you must include at least two quotes with page nos. from the readings and you must include two relevant images discussed in the text. Three or four quotes from very different parts of the reading would be best. In addition, quotes from other relevant sources would be quite valuable. Images are helpful because your portfolio will be evaluated on the basis of its visual rhetoric as well as its completeness.
What should I write about in the DB entries ?
These are what are known as “reader-response” entries. The goal is to record your responses as you read, including thoughts, feelings, memories, associations, guesses about what will happen next, opinions, etc. (see sample prompts below). Among your thoughts you would be well advised to consider how the text relates to the other readings assigned for that day and to all the other readings in the course and the course themes; in other words, “hammer your thoughts into unity.”
Reader’s Response Journal Prompts
1.Overall, what kind of a feeling did you have after reading a few paragraphs of this text? After reading half of the text? After finishing the text?
2. What do you feel is the most important word, phrase, passage, or paragraph in this text? Copy it and explain why it is important.
3. Do you think the title of the text is appropriate? Is it important? Explain.
4. From whose point of view is the story told? Why do you think the author chose that point of view?
5. Describe your favorite character and tell why you made that choice.
6. Describe the character you like the least. What do you dislike about the character?
7. Does anyone in the text remind you of anyone you know? Explain.
8. If you could be any character in this text, who would you be? Why?
9. Are any of the characters good role models? Why do you think so?
10. Write an imaginary conversation that you have with a character or with the author of the text.
11. Do any incidents, ideas, or actions in the text remind you of something that happened to you? Explain.
12. Describe a struggle or conflict in the text. Who is struggling and why? Did one of the characters win?
13. Are there any parts of this text that were confusing to you? If so, describe them and explain your confusion? You might begin the journal entry with the words, "I wonder why…."
14. Are there any parts of the text that were surprising to you? If so, describe them and explain why. You might begin the journal entry with the words, "I was surprised when…."
15. Describe the setting of the text, including the time and the place. Would you like to live in that place during that time period? Why or why not?
16. Do you feel the author expresses an opinion in this text? What is it? How do you know? Do you agree with the author? Why or why not?
17. Would you change the ending of this story in any way? Tell your ending. Why would you change it?
18. Sometimes texts leave you with the feeling that there is something more to tell. Did this text do that? What do you think might happen?
19. Do you like the text? Why or why not?
20. Would you like to read something else by this author? Why or why not?
from http://www.lowndes.k12.ga.us/lhsweb/reader's_response.htm
How does one judge the quality of reader response entries like these ?
In addition to the criteria I have outlined above, here are some guidelines adapted from a set of rules used by another teacher. At that time fifteen was the maximum number of points. http://sheffner.home.pipeline.com/pdf_resources/journal_rubric.pdf.
15 points
Entries are unified (coherent), integrating images as well as text. They also make insightful and interesting connections among [1] all or almost all the assigned texts for that day and/or [2] texts assigned in the past, and/or [3] texts assigned in other courses and/or other texts the student may have read on her own. The argumentation is logical and convincing, avoiding gross oversimplification. Entries demonstrate close and careful reading of the assigned texts. Entries contain comparisons, contrasts, reactions, questions, opinions, response. Entries descend the ladder of abstractions often enough to provide examples, metaphors, pictures, etc. to convey the meaning to the right side of the brain as well as the left. Summary is limited to explanations necessary for the reader to make sense of the entry. Evidence from the text is used to support opinions, and accurate documentation is provided by page nos. and two or more quotations, with further bibliographic info. provided for works not on our reading list. Entries are in paragraph form. Entry is complete, with no grammatical errors, and no punctuation errors.
12 points
Entries are not unified (coherent), integrating images as well as text, but do include at least two examples of multimedia and at least two quotations. Entries make connections among the assigned works and, hopefully, works assigned in the past. Entries contain comparisons, contrasts, reactions, questions, opinions, response. If the prose is not felicitous, it is at least colloquial, as in matching the right prepositions with the right verbs. Entries descend the ladder of abstractions often enough to provide examples, metaphors, pictures, etc. to convey the meaning to the right side of the brain as well as the left. Summary is limited to explanations necessary for the reader to make sense of the entry. Evidence from the text is used to support opinions, and documentation is provided by page nos. and quotations. Entries are in paragraph form. Journal is complete, with no grammatical errors, and few if any punctuation errors.
8 points
Entries are not unified (coherent), integrating images as well as text, nor do they include at least two examples of multimedia, but they do have at least two quotations. Entries make connections among the assigned works. Entries contain comparisons, contrasts, reactions, questions, opinions, response. Entries descend the ladder of abstractions a little, though not enough, to provide examples, metaphors, pictures, etc. to convey the meaning to the right side of the brain as well as the left. Summary is limited to explanations necessary for the reader to make sense of the entry. Evidence from the text is used to support opinions, and documentation is provided by page nos. and quotations. Entries are in paragraph form. Entry is complete, with few grammatical errors.
0 points
Doubt about how well, if at all student has read the assignment. Entries are too brief to contain complete summaries or extensions. No quotation from the text is used. Incomplete entry. Mechanical problems are severe enough to cause comprehension problems for the reader .
