Cognitivism online class

Preparing and engaging in discussion of weekly readings is imperative. This assignment will give you a structure to approach the readings and participate in critical, in-depth discussion, as well as a way to facilitate record-keeping of your developing understanding of the course material. You are required to:

1. prepare a written response to each week’s readings as an R2R Post (approximately 500 words in length);

2. comment on at least two of your classmates’ posts with substantive responses (approximately 300 words each);

3. and reply to one of the comments on your R2R Post (approximately 150 words).

R2R Posts (approximately 500 words in length) Should

· consider key themes and arguments that go across the readings

· engage the readings taken as a whole, rather than reviewing each article

· bring the week’s readings and your understandings of them to the forefront

· build on previous course readings

· demonstrate a logical progression of ideas 


· where appropriate, make connections to your professional practice and/or current educational matters

· cite the readings in your response by using proper APA Style formatting and conventions

Comment on at least Two Classmates’ Posts (approximately 300 words each)

· comment must address the R2R prompt and your classmate’s response substantively; if you agree or disagree, provide reasoning and rational evidence from the readings to support your position

· build on the ideas of what your classmate has written and dig deeper into the ideas


· support your views through research you have read or through your personal
and/or professional experiences

· demonstrate a logical progression of ideas 


· comments need to be thoughtful and substantive; not gratuitous comments like “this was a good post” or simply that “you agree”. Simply congratulating the writer on their astute insights is insufficient.

· cite the readings in your response by using proper APA Style formatting and conventions

Remember that discussions in this course are not Chat Rooms or Texts. This is a graduate-level course and each post should contribute to the academic integrity of the course. They should be substantive in quality (upper levels of Bloom’s Taxonomy) and supported by the course readings and other research you have read.

Close and Generous Reading

“Close reading” is an approach to reading any genre of text. As you read, imagine sitting in conversation with the authors. Interrupt them as the conversation proceeds. Write your questions in the margins of the text. What do the authors want you to understand in a particular passage? What concepts, ideas, passages do you not understand? Did the authors make you think about something you had never thought about? Do you disagree with a statement or argument? Star it; put an exclamation point by it!

“Generous reading” requires that you show the authors some compassion, even if you do not share their experiences, political or social belief systems, and/or understandings of the world. The authors that we read have something to say, and it is our job as readers and students to first try to understand what they are arguing and why.