reading response journal

Harned Adapted from ©Smith

How to Complete Reading-Response Journals For some chapters we read, you will write and post a reading-response journal before class. Purposes

 To show that you read the assigned chapters;

 To show that you thought about and responded to at least some key points of information;

 To facilitate discussion. Content

 Use the first-person point of view (the pronoun “I”) in your journals since you’re responding to the chapters—not summarizing them.

 Use the prompt (provided through Blackboard) to discuss points from various sections throughout the chapter. Whenever possible incorporate or discuss events or situations from your own life or experience that are connected to the prompt or the points in the text.

 Use informal discourse for all journals: this means that, although they certainly must be easily readable, you don’t have to revise and edit them extensively. I’m evaluating these for content rather than for style, grammar, punctuation, mechanics (sgpm). You should be able to write a journal in about 15-30 minutes after reading the chapter.

Evaluative Criteria (EC)

 I'm sure most of you understand that an instructor must have some objective measurable evaluative criteria for writing, or evaluating that writing is a "slippery slope." Quality and depth are foundational. If you don't discuss what's in the reading assignment according to the guidelines I share with you here, no number of words will earn you full credit. That said, a full-credit journal will be at least 350 words of body content: subheadings and discussion. 1. After determining that the quality is present, I will apply these measurable length guidelines:

350+ words = 10; 325-349 words = 9; 300-324 words = 8; 275-299 words = 7; 250-274 words = 6; 225- 249 words = 5; 200-224 words = 4; 150-199 words = 3; 100-149 words = 2; 1-99 words = 1. Although I include scores for all possible word counts, please don’t submit if you don’t have at least 200 words. Complete one of the extra-credit journals instead when you have time to complete one well.

In addition, please follow these instructions for each journal. Failure to follow any one guideline will cause a 1-point deduction from your score above. And following them makes your writing more readable! 2. Include a heading above each point to identify it. This heading may be a subsection heading from the

chapter, a short quote from the chapter, or a summary heading of your own creation. 3. Leave an empty line between each point. 4. Post your word count for all body content at the end of the journal. 5. Submit your response as a Word file. These journals are not only an opportunity for you to show me that you have completed the assigned reading but also an opportunity for you to improve your overall grade since it’s fairly easy to receive full credit on journals.