Good Forum Discussion Tactics

FORUMS--Good Quality Discussions (See scoring at the end)

Forums are worth 50 points each week; 25 possible points for your first post (due by the first Saturaday weekly)  and 25 possible points for your second post responding to another student's entry by the second Saturday.  Notice that you will lose points if you participate in the discussion on only one day. 

Just as in a real classroom, you should make sure that your comments are constructive and relevant. You are of course free to disagree, but your disagreements should display tolerance and respect, and should be based on textual reference (quotes or examples), with page numbers, where appropriate. In an online discussion it is helpful to respond by making some reference to the question you are answering or the person to whom you are directing your comments. This way the thread of meaning will be preserved, even if there are intervening comments. For example, you may reply by quoting another student's posting, and then go on to pick up on a particular point or to ask for elaboration and / or exemplification.

Each forum requires 2 substantive posts, (each averaging 400-800 words per post) and substantive (specific, relevant, logical) posts in order to make sure you have a chance to earn the full points. Additionally you will be given a set of questions to choose, answering one question in your first post. For your second post you should respond to a student who has addressed a different question than what you discussed in your first response! This way I get a more rounded in-depth response to several different reading themes/topics from each student. You need to address the second question in your response post to another student in the same amount of depth you addressed the first question you looked at in your first post.

The highest rated responses often make strong use of textual references, quotations, and citations, while still focusing primarily on the writer's own insights and perceptions. Tone should be conversational in forums but also appropriately academic and adhering to style conventions and standards. (This means that while I do not expect you to have flawless citations and impeccable grammar, I do expect to see the kind of language I would hear in classroom discussions or see in in-class writing.) 

Forums should not generally include any large excerpts of other writing/sources. Outside scholarly sources are not often necessary. If on occasion you find you want to cite from an outside scholarly source you may do that briefly, but the bulk of your forum post should always be your own thoughts and ideas. You may of course include quotations from the book(s) we are reading. Make sure any writing that is not your own is cited either in standard MLA formatting for an outside source or in the case of our books quotation marks and the appropriate "tags"/ author attribution!!

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Now let's look at some class examples. These provide a solid model for everyone as we begin the semester. There are for a book, True Believer. You will see here too the type and variety of forum questions you can expect.

SAMPLE RESPONSES

1) The relationships between the individuals in the story are dynamic! In other words, they change during the course of the story. Discuss one of the relationships that you found interesting because of the change that occurred.   (Please choose your wording carefully so you don't spoil any surprises!)

from Susan

True Believer is primarily centered around LaVaughn's relationship with her attractive neighbor, Jody; as a result, she begins to pull back from others in her life who offer her something more concrete and realistic to base friendship on, as most of LaVaughn's interactions with Jody are facilitated in her head. One character that LaVaughn immediately pushes away is her lab partner, Patrick, who has good intentions as "he wanted to carry my books to Hallway D, where we go to different stairs. It was ridiculous. I said so. He said, 'I know that. Can I do it anyway?'" (57). It seems that Patrick finds comfort in LaVaughn's company and is not popular with the rest of their classmates, as LaVaughn is quick to point out his evident "flaws," as "He takes a long time to say his words in his leisurely voice, but he's just too friendly. I have not seen him in a different shirt yet and he wears a cross of Jesus on a neck chain every day" (57). Here, Wolff implies LaVaughn's discomfort with religion by emphasizing the particular piece of jewelry that Patrick wears. This appears to stem from her other relationship with Myrtle and Annie; the topic of religion is one of the many beliefs that LaVaughn struggles with, which causes her to immediately feel repulsed by Patrick, because he reminds her daily of her other dilemmas by wearing the cross. Here, LaVaughn seems to focus on the trivial aspects of other people, such as appearances, and comparing them to the ideal, perfect individual that is Jody, who is "too gorgeous. I can't look at you and talk to you at the same time" (27). LaVaughn takes advantage of Patrick's kindness and dismisses it, because he is not like Jody. When Patrick asks LaVaughn to the dance, LaVaughn is disappointed because Jody did not ask her on her first date, and that Patrick "is only my lab partner, not a real date boy" (63). By comparing others to the apparent "goodness" that LaVaughn sees in Jody, she becomes ignorant to the thoughts and feelings of others, pushing aside the people who stand by her for someone who is somewhat distracted. To LaVaughn, Patrick and her friends are obstacles in her pursuit of perfect Jody, and she is not afraid to give up her friends and dreams in order to be with Jody. 

LaVaughn begins to feel uncertain about her future with Jody when Patrick asks about the dozens of doodles on her notebook, repeating 'Jody' over and over again. Patrick remarks "Then it's not your boyfriend" (129). LaVaughn doesn't understand what Patrick is talking about; she feels confident in loving Jody. Patrick's proclamation implies that the relationship is just a crush. This 'love' that LaVaughn feels for Jody is superficial and Jody likely doesn't feel the same way about her. Patrick saying "then it's not your boyfriend" suggests that LaVaughn wouldn't write Jody's name repeatedly if there was more to the relationship than just LaVaughn hopelessly loving Jody. It's clear that LaVaughn has become obsessive over Jody and he doesn't return LaVaughn's feelings, as when she leaves him the candy hearts, there was "No Valentine from Jody. Coming home from the hospital I smelled his chlorine and I hum 'we're a couple of swells.' What did Patrick mean" (135). It is not until LaVaughn discovers the truth behind Jody's feelings towards her that she begins to change her demeanor towards Patrick and sees him as a human being. Before, anyone who did not resemble Jody in LaVaughn's perceived perfection was not worth associating with - most especially, Patrick. Around the time LaVaughn starts realizing the kind of persona she has adopted because of her blindness to Jody, Patrick speaks up and tells her that LaVaughn is "Disdainful. You're disdainful, LaVaughn. That's what you do to me" (179). LaVaughn is taken aback as she begins to understand, as "I think of myself, Verna LaVaughn, and she's dissolving, someone I have never met" (179). LaVaughn's "meanness" has driven away the people who cared about her, and they are not in a hurry to mend fences because she has pushed them away from her. Patrick symbolizes the vital importance of true friendship, as it comes in different shapes and sizes, and shows that trivialities, like appearances, are unimportant to people who really care about us.

2) LaVaughn calls herself a "true believer." What does she believe? Provide some examples.

from Crystallyn:

I'm sure this is a controversial topic to discuss but it is what hit me hardest: LaVaughn is a true believer because she believes, not knows the answer. I don't think she was trying to say she was a true believer in God, or someone who knew the answer to all the questions, or that she had found religion more truly than other people. I don't even think her statement, "I'm a true believer. And that's a fact" (243), was religious at all. 

       LaVaughn was not claiming to have all the answers, she even says "I don't know anything about anything" (242). She just seems to trust in things blindly. She wants to go to college but she is not knowledgeable about what classes are needed, or how to get in, or even what she wants to be. She just decides that is what she is going to do and puts one foot in front of the other everyday. She doesn't actively seek out the Grammar Build-Up club that she joins. In fact, she seems almost passive about joining, and only ends up there after running into a caring teacher in the hall who keeps pushing her in that direction (36). She doesn't seek out advice or counseling on how to get into college, she just knows she wants it. She doesn't know what it takes to get to college. She proves this as questions arise in her head while talking to the Guidance man, "If I do well in the new class like he says, will that make me have a good life? Will it make me get to college" (55)? The beautiful part about the almost childish way she approached the whole thing was that she had a dream, that's it, just a dream and a hope for something better; and a belief that she could do it. She didn't have clear answers on what her dream required but she did believe. 

          LaVaughn says "I believe in possibility. In the possibility of possibility" (243). She grows up in a poor neighborhood, in a poor school district, with violence all around but she isn't blinded by the culture she is surrounded by. She doesn't limit herself to being only what she sees around her because she just believes, rather blindly, that she can do better. She believes without any proof or examples that might give her a reason to believe.  I think that is why she is a true believer, because she believes blindly and without question, and that is true belief.

from Melissa:

When LaVaughn calls herself a true believer I believe that she is saying despite her unknown beliefs about God and religion and evolution, she does believe that there is something out there that is responsible for the good things in her life.  She has a positive attitude that comes from something that she can't see or feel or touch, but yet she knows it's there.  She feels a push to move on in life and seek a better life for herself.  She feels a pressure to succeed that only she puts on herself.  Essentially, she believes in HERSELF.  One example of this belief comes when she is at the church questioning the pastor about heaven and hell and who they allow into their church.  The pastor responds, "Of course.  We welcome everyone.  We're mere human beings.  God doesn't turn anyone away, and neither do we...We weren't put on Earth to exclude each other" (227-228).  LaVaughn questions him and says, "But how do you know for sure?  About God or anything?" to which he responds, "We can only hope.  We can only be as sure as our faith" (228).  As she leaves he says "Young woman, If there is a hell, it's when we stop caring about each other.  We wouldn't wish that on anyone.  Go in peace" (228).  These words are strong and stir something in LaVaughn.  She doesn't need to know the answers.  If she has faith and hope and goes in peace, everything will be right in her world, God or no God.  This conversation brought LaVaughn to a place of peace with her friends, with Jody, and with her uncertainty about God.  LaVaughn suddenly had a positive attitude and awoke with the feeing of hope and possibility.  She says, "I believe in possibility.  In the possibility of possibility.  Of the world making sense someday.  That lump in my throat that keeps coming back to remind me of my messes:  It only stays for a little while.  I'm a true believer.  And that's a fact" (243). 

I enjoyed reading these 2 chapters of new found clarity and hope.  I also found this book different than most of the books we've read in that the teachers singled out specific students who they saw as "prospects" for a future.  The teachers believed in them and gave them hope for their futures.  Dr. Rose was inspiring to LaVaughn and also helped to give her hope with her frequently repeated mantra, "I will rise to the occasion which is life" (246).  How true.  We must always rise to the occasion which is life.  You never know what could happen but as long as you keep trudging along, you rise to the occasion.

3) What thoughts do you have about the style of this book? Avoid limiting your comments to whether or not you liked it. Talk about how it added or detracted from your enjoyment of the novel. Was there a particular passage that stood out for you as more meaningful because of the choice of words or because of the placement of the words on the page?

from Kendall:

At first I found the style of this book distracting. The little errors and just the way the words looked on the page. Many of the sentences started with but or and which I thought was a no-no. However I liked all of the short sentence because that is how I often write. I like when authors take a chance and do something out of the ordinary or break rules in order to show the reader something about the characters, setting or story without spelling it out for us. I have so much respect for YA authors. They truly help mold the minds of their readers. As an avid reader growing up, I know that this is true. 

One thing about the book that frustrated me a bit was that we never received a lot of details on situation. For example, Jolly's story. "But when Myrtle & Annie got cleaning jobs at the church and got invited into the Jesus club there, first Myrtle, then Annie, they acted like Jolly was dirt down beneath them. Then Jolly ended up a slight hero so they were wrong about her, even if they never said so” (13). We never really hear what Jolly did that made her a slight hero. LaVaughn seems to think very highly of Jolly raising her 2 kids all alone, but is that what made her a slight hero? Or did she do something else? It is probably explained in the first book of the series Make Lemonade, which I was going to read because I hate reading books in a series out of order, but I ran out of time. I wish I had read it though. 

There isn't really a particular passage that stood as more meaningful because of word choice or placement on the page. As a whole the book was very meaningful and the one thing I found particularly meaningful is that we are never given a description of the characters of the book. We know things about their personalities, but as for skin, eye, hair color, whether they are tall or short or fat or skinny, these details are never explicitly stated. To me, that is meaningful because so often people focus on how a person looks and base assumptions on that and we are not given that option. As readers, these characters can look like anyone. I think that this makes the story more relatable.

Second Response

from Crystallyn:

I also agree that her style was very captivating. There were some books  I had to force myself to keep going but this one I had to force myself to put down. I also agree that the passage you pointed out was one of my favorites and it was brilliant to start the book with this passage. The way that quote began with "When a little kid draws a picture it is all a big face and some arms stuck on. That's their life" (3), is simple but says a lot about the simplicity with which a child sees the world, because that is their life. Childhood is a time when most children have yet to realize the difficulties and hardships and complexities that come with life, they see things in a very simple, uncomplicated way. As Wolff continues that passage she does, as you said, turn a simple crayon picture into a whole childhood. She mentions how all the things that come up as a child ages change the picture "new thoughts, sorry feelings, big plans, enormous doubts, going along hoping and getting disappointed, over and over again" (3). These things change a person, or a child, as they age, and in turn alter the drawing. She points out in the end of that passage that in adolescence a person is still that simple child they once were but also more because of all the things that change you as you grow, when she so poetically says "no wonder I don't recognize my little crayon picture. It appears to be me and it is and it is not" (3). I've stated many times I am a fan of metaphor, for how it allows a reader to infer their own meaning into a passage, that's what I did throughout this book, so her style was definitely something I found enjoyable. So in conclusion, I agree that Wolff's writing was refreshing and imaginative, and captivating.

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