English 102: Composition II Prairie State College S.

Lee-Schott 20 points each Discussion and Reading Reaction Guidelines with Sample Reaction Assignment and Classmate Response In a traditional, face-to-face composition course, the most productive element is the quality of discussions between classmates and the professor. Although we will not have the benefit of communicating together in person, online discussions can be just as substantiveif not morebecause we have the opportunity to measure our responses and express ourselves more extensively. This semester, I hope to observe that all of you participate in three important r words: reacting, responding, and relating. Discussion Guidelines: Initial Posts: In your class discussions, your initials posts must be reading reactions to selected assigned texts, and you must post your reaction in the discussion forum. Each initial post of a reading response is worth up to 14 points. Reading reaction guidelines are provided on page two, and a sample student reaction and classmate response are provided on page three. When more than one text is assigned for reaction and discussion, each reading reaction must be posted in its appropriate discussion topic. Because different students have different word-processing programs, please post your responses in the message boxinstead of attaching filesin the discussion forum. If you first compose your reaction in a program, then simply copy and paste your work into the forum. Students who submit their reactions as attachments will not receive points for their assignments because those students willin effectmake it difficult some classmates to review their work and provide meaningful feedback. Response Posts: In addition to posting your reading reactions, you must also share feedback on the ideas communicated in at least three classmates reaction assignments. You will receive up to six points per individual discussion topic for responding to classmates. When you respond to classmates, provide a paragraph of at least 100 words in which you synthesize one answer to the following questions: 1. What made your classmates reading response clear and interesting to read? 2. How did you focus on similar or different ideas in your response? 3. How well did your classmate provide sufficient analysis that allowed you to understand the relevance and significance of his/her reaction to the text? 4. What specifically did you learn from your classmates response that you had not considered before (and you must identify something, so think hard)? 5. How well do you think your classmate integrated source evidence from the text? How were your classmates textual examples effective or ineffective? You will be unable to submit late response posts, so please be sure to adhere to each modules initial and response post deadlines.

Reading Reaction Guidelines: In each reading reaction, you must provide a 250-word (one paragraph) reaction to each selected assigned text. For your response, you can assert: what interests you or what moves you about the text; OR what message or lesson you have gained from the text.

In your reactions, I do not expect you to summarize each text; instead, your goal should be to present some idea about each text that causes you to reaction. In other words, your reactions should not comment on whether you liked what you read but, instead, on how some aspect of what you read caused you to have a cognitive reaction. In each response, be sure to open with a topic sentence that clearly states the reaction that you will discuss in your assignment. Also, you must provide support for your reaction with two or more quote sandwiches in each assignment. A quote sandwich has four basic parts: 1. An argument/assertion sentence, in which you assert your reasoning (or justification) that links your [direct or indirect] quote to the topic sentence for your reaction paragraph; 2. An introduction of your quote for smooth integration; 3. Your chosen direct (verbatim) or indirect (summarized source) quotation for the dramatic text with an MLA in-text citation; 4. Your interpretation of and reaction to the quoted material, in which you discuss what you think the evidence means and why it show evidence to support your reaction. Plagiarism on this assignment can result in a failing grade for the assignment, and two or more instances of plagiarism in this course can result a failing grade in this course.

Sample Reading Reaction: In Trajectories of Family Management Practices and Early Adolescent Behavioral Outcomes, Ming-Te Wang, John B. Willett, Thomas J. Dishion and Elizabeth A. Stormshak shed light on how parental knowledge and family management practices relate to adolescent behaviors both reciprocally and longitudinally in early adolescence(1338). Common sense dictates that becoming an adolescent consists of a developmental period marked by numerous changes for the individual, including biological changes, and contextual changes (Wang, Willett, Dishion & Stormshak 1324). Consequently, while these changes occur, this can cause an adolescent to struggle with their identity, which may lead them to take risks that can either be negative or positive in that childs life. As a parent, this can be a difficult time to try to connect with your child. Ultimately, without this connection and their ability to communicate with each other, this can emplace a considerable amount of stress on both the child and the parent. According to their research, Wang, Willett, Dishion & Stormshak emphasizes that, parental warmth moderated the effects of parental knowledge and rule-making on adolescent antisocial behavior and substance use over time (1324). In other words, while having parental warmth is necessary in guiding an adolescent through these early years, parents need to also stay aware of their childs behavior as they continue to grow. I believe this study is great for any parent who wants to learn how to balance being the authority figure, while keeping the lines of communication open. These conclusions will have significant applications in parents as well as in adolescents. 254 words Sample Classmate Response: I agree with you and the author of Contemporary Family Life: A Joint Venture with Contradictions, Eva Silberschmidt Viala, that gender neutrality should be an essential and vital element of good parenting. Equal responsibility for the pro-creation of children should naturally gravitate to equal responsibility for the ongoing nurturing of the child from infancy through adolescence and into adulthood. You effectively supported your argument for gender neutrality by quoting from the text which points out that, concerning Anne and Hans, both want to be involved in the caring for their child, and both of them see themselves as equally important and competent to take care of their child (73). This is significant to me as it illustrates the importance that each parent should consciously want to care for their child, and that both should view themselves as the most competent and important facilitators and contributors in the proper upbringing of their child. As you stated, Having children is a blessing that both parents should share equally. As a parent of three, I wholeheartedly concur with you! Although I have never heard of nor even considered my children specifically as the fulcrum of our family, they are certainly the center point around which our family life revolves and thrives. 208 words