. You must respond to 3 students post and each post shall be at least one paragraph long (five sentences) supported by literature where appropriate. when responding to students paper, please consider the following: Read the Direction Carefully Your instructor may have one set of expectations for original posts, and an entirely different set of rules for replying to your classmates’ posts. If there aren’t any guidelines in the syllabus about replying to posts, don’t hesitate to ask your instructor what he or she expects replies to include. Make Meaningful Conversation Discussion boards are meant to be conversations, where each post builds on the previous comment. Responding to a post gives you the ability to expand the conversation. Reference material from your textbook, class lectures, or relate to your own life experiences when appropriate. Don’t just agree or disagree: continue the conversation! This is called responding constructively – just like construction, you’re building upon a post. There are three main ways to respond constructively to a post: ? “No, because…” ? “Yes, and…” ? “Yes, but…” Respectfully Disagreeing – “No, because…” If you disagree with someone’s post, show that you appreciate that your classmate has an opinion, even if it’s different from your own. Don’t personally attack the writer, and avoid using emotional appeals. Instead, focus on the logic of view your classmate has: does it make sense? Do the causes and effects as explained really relate to one another? Does one claim necessary follow another? Are there flaws in your classmate’s argument? Ask questions to better understand the writer’s logic. Agreeing With and Expanding Upon a Post – “Yes, and…” Let’s say you agree with the writer’s main idea, and you want to add more to it. Take the original opinion or view that your classmate expresses and consider other angles. Are there factors about this topic that your classmate hasn’t mentioned? Do you have insight that provides a clearer picture or helps build the discussion? Agreeing With and Expanding Upon a Post – “Yes, but…” This is very similar to “Yes, and…” with the exception that you are playing “devil’s advocate” – you’re pointing out things that don’t quite mesh with the view or opinion your classmate posts. You agree with what your classmate is saying, but you’re pointing out problems with the view or statement that make it harder to defend. I want you to pretend you are talking to this person. Example, Student 1, good paper and good job using examples. I agree with you, etc. Just write better responses than before.