The online discussion board can take classroom discussions to a more thoughtful and meaningful level. Because you can make entries from the calm anonymity of a computer terminal, you are allowed more time to think about what you want to say and therefore can reflect more deeply on your ideas. Bear in mind that the discussion board is password protected. Only WHS students in my classes will have access to the discussion board.
Requirements
You are expected to post at least one entry during the week an entry is due. Please do not wait until the last minute. If your posting is time-stamped after the deadline, I will not credit it. Entries should be a minimum of 150 words, but may be longer. They should explain in detail your thought processes in relation to the book or idea under scrutiny. Or, your posting can reflect on the thought processes of other students who have posted their ideas already. You may choose to begin your own thread or to respond to other posts. The important thing to remember is that you need to explain to the discussion-board audience why you think the way you do. What in the text has led you to believe what you believe? Justify your thinking with specific references to the text, whether that text is the book or the posting of another student.
Grading
If your entry is at least 150 words in length, is thoughtful in the manner described above, and provides specific examples and quotes to support your thinking, you will receive full credit. If it is brief, full of empty rhetoric, or full of unsupported opinion, it will earn very little credit. Any posts that are rude, crude, or abusive in any way will earn you a zero and possibly a detention or worse. The discussion-board grade is part of your class-participation grade, which comprises 15% of your total grade in Honors English 10.
Purpose
The discussion board provides a forum for more thoughtful class discussions. It gives everyone equal opportunity to share their ideas with the class. The thoughtfulness and the larger number of contributors to the discussion can be helpful in a number of ways:
Logging On
After clicking the link below, you will need to enter the username and password, which I will provide you. Then you will need to click on the Register link in order post a message. Once you click that link, you will need to create your own username and password. The username must be formed with your first initial and last name. My username would be "rblake." Make up a password and write it down somewhere or do not forget it. If I cannot recognize who you are, I will not be able to give you credit for posting anything. Start a new thread by clicking Post a New Message. Or reply to another post by clicking on a posting and typing your response to it in the space at the bottom of the screen.