Directions: Read this first

Here is how this will work: I will get the online discussion started by positing a consideration, offering an opinion, or posing a set of questions based on an article.

We'll keep the language professional and academic, as is the case for your homework and in-class assignments. As for a minimum response, let's begin with an "oversized" paragraph of 5-7 sentences per response per individual.

Be sure you are answering the question fully and completely.

Remember to:

• Proofread your work before you hit that "Publish" button.
• Create at the appropriate number comments (each between 5-7 sentences)—to me and to your peers.
• Keep the language professional, academic, and on-point.
• Sign your full name at the bottom of each response you make.
• Choose a screen name that is appropriate and allows you and your work to be easily identified by everyone in class. You want credit for your work! I suggest your full name, first name/last initial, or first initial/last name.
• Comment within the appropriate post.

*Tip- you may find it helpful to work in Word so that you can spell check your response and as a precautionary measure against losing your response should something "happen" during the publishing process.

Reminders:

• Do not use IM language (e.g., ";-)," "4", "lol," "brb," etc.)--this is a college-level discussion, not a private conversation. 
• Do not use slang; Again, this is a college environment where people use professional and academic language. 
• Do not state an opinion without stating why you think/feel the way you do.
• Do not re-phrase someone's comment or just agree with him in order to have something to say--"Think before you type" means exactly that. 
• Do a self-check for potentially offensive ideas or language. 

This is what a typical student comment should look like:

Response to Alba: So in other words you're saying that people who are not beautiful have no opportunity in life to succeed because of the way we judge them. I think that is wrong. Children are very sensitive and they can sense when adults make fun of them or treat them differently because of their look. Those children are the same people, that when the grow up, they also become ugly from inside, as a result of the way they were treated when they were child. That is still one of the biggest taboo that we have, judge someone for their look, before we even give them a chance to talk.-- Yuleina Mac Donald

Lastly, the ideas presented in your responses should be your own, or you should be adding something new to the discussion. Hopefully, this weblog will grow as your skills grow and this will also serve to put a new spin on an old "tried and true" method of collegiate discussion.

Participation on this blog counts as an assignment. Inappropriate, rude, or offensive language is unacceptable and will be removed from our blog. Three such offenses during the semester will result in questionable comments being submitted on paper to me, a NC for each offense, and could also result in failure for the course.

Comments that do not meet the minimum requirements will be deleted.