Response Assignments

A Response is a short piece of writing (approximately 300-500 words) that provides a generative reaction to our course readings and materials. Each student will be expected to post 8 responses on our Canvas site over the course of the semester, due dates being flexible according to interest and student schedules. There are several reasons we will respond to our readings in this fashion. First, you will maximize the readings’ potentials if you respond to them in writing. Second, sharing those responses within a semi-public (e.g. the class) should generate further responses, a conversation even. Third, writing your notes, responses, summaries, and reactions to the readings in one place will help you generate a storehouse of writing from which you may draw from for your projects.

While I offer a few suggested forms for response below, I welcome and encourage you to ask your own questions and compose your own style of response provided that that response reflects a sincere and thoughtful engagement with the readings.

I will grade these assignments holistically. That is, if you do them on time and completely, you will gain full credit. If you put little to no effort in your responses, your grade will reflect that.

Response Types

Summary

Summaries should clearly and concisely encapsulate the most important points from the assigned reading. A good way to do this is to: identify the “target of the reading” (what does the essay say it’s working against?); describe what the essay does in response to that target; isolate important concepts for the reading as a project, including distinctive terms and words.

Quote

Select a substantial and interesting quote from the reading. Begin your post with the quote and build from it. In what ways does that quote serve a good representation of a major theme/topic in the reading? In what ways might it relate to something else? Where can it go?

Resource

For this response, locate a “resource” outside of our weekly text that poses a relevant connection to our weekly reading. These sources may include news stories, images, video clips, audio files, and/or posts by other bloggers. Your post(s) will provide an applicable web link, image, or embedded video for the resource and a short written explanation for your perceived connection between the two texts—-the assigned reading and your resource.

Statement

In this response type, you’ll begin one sentence/paragraph with the phrase “I notice” and proceed to write what you notice about our reading—what concepts or ideas does it evoke? Why is this a unique text? In what ways is it similar or dissimilar to other texts like it? Begin a second sentence/paragraph with the phrase “I wonder” and follow that with the questions or ideas prompted by the reading. Each is meant to be productive and is not as interested in “correct” readings.

Reaction

These posts allow you to interact with your classmates’ posts for the week. You will “react” to one or more of your classmates’ response posts. Each reaction should thoughtfully assess the initial post and, where applicable, suggest ways in which the initial response may be elaborated.

Question

Like the Statement response type, this response type asks you to converse with the text. Please use this response to pose generative questions to the reading. These questions should not be overly simplistic (Why did this writer use so many words?) but should, instead, seek to ask sincere questions of understanding, those that might prompt a classmate to help you answer; questions of critique—where you engage the reading’s problems or shortcomings; questions of possibility (what if….). Occasionally, I will pose questions to which you will respond.