Reader-response+journals

2 times a week, you must add a one to two paragraph "journal" entry (8-10 or so well crafted sentences) about either the book we are reading or something we have discussed in class (if we don't happen to be doing too much reading that week). Generally speaking, these journals should respond to the reading we are doing or the class discussions we are having. I strongly recommend that you keep a Word file where you save your journal entries. This way, if something goes wrong with the wiki, you have a record of your work and there won't be any disagreement between you and me as to what work you have done. All I have to go by is what's here, so please keep a backup!

Your grade on these will be a part of your class participation grade (a minor grade). Each time you lead our class discussion, you should begin by reading one or more of your journals and having some additional thoughts or questions to add to what you've written.

The grades you will receive for your "presentation" will largely be based on the thoroughness of what you write.

A strong journal entry (and thus a higher grade) will focus on analysis rather than summary of what we have read/discussed. Analysis means that you offer a short summary of the passage/thought you are responding to but then use that as a springboard to offer your own thoughts/observations/reactions/feelings about the passage. A good analysis will refer specifically to the text, using quotes and paraphrases to support the points you are making. Another type of evidence it might use would be specific references to outside sources such as the news, something else you are reading, a discussion you had with a friend, and so on. A check plus means you have done exceptional thinking and writing - do not expect these to be your normal grade; they should be the exception.

A good journal entry (a B grade) will be a mixture of summary and analysis. Checks are not bad grades. Rather, they mean you have done what you were asked to do. You have given some thought to what you have written; you have used some references to the text and to outside sources; and you have accomplished the assigned task in a solid manner.

A low grade (C range) will be given to a response that is mostly summary or that shows a shallow level of thinking about the material. These journals might seem hastily written or they might lack sufficient evidence to make the point at hand. A check minus means the work has been done, but it does not live up to the standards I would like.

A 0 is self-explanatory. If you do not post 2 times a week, you will receive a 0 for each post you failed to write.

If at any time you would like to write a journal entry that you want to keep private, either from the class or from me and the class, you may do so on your honor. Just send me an email saying that you have written the journal and it meets the requirements but that you would like to keep it private. This will not count towards your journal grades, but it will not count against you either. Please do not get in the habit of doing this, but know that it is an option.

Here are some general questions to help you think of what to write about: Reader-response questions and ideas.