Description
Discussion Post Guidelines (For all Discussion Posts this Semester)
-
Post length:
Should be at least 100 words minimum (a short paragraph). I’m looking for thoughtful discussions about the readings. Please DO NOT provide general statements such as “I liked the readings” or “I learned a lot.” You need to give specifics and respond to the prompts. You will not be able to see your classmates post until you make your post. -
Then reply to two classmates:
30 to 50 words
(
At least a sentence, or two) that clearly responds to some specifics of your classmates post. Do not just reply with “I agree” or “Great post”
Discussion:
According to Chapter 3, it’s important to
“annotate”
key points as you read (27), and to analyze the text “to figure out what makes it tick” (31). In Chapter 10, we learn their are specific features of different genres, but that first, we need to understand the author’s
purpose
and the ideal
audience
for determining a specific
genre
(112-113). Last week’s discussion covered the notion of audience, and this is an important concept for reading rhetorically, but there are other
rhetorical features
that you should always look for when attempting to determine the genre, such as the author’s
purpose
and
stance
.
For you post this week
, I want you to discuss why an author’s
stance
and
purpose
is important to
annotate
, and then discuss how locating those
rhetorical features
can determine a specific
genre
(for example an argument, a report, a Think Piece, etc.). For instance, we are looking at the genre of the Think Piece this week, so we are learning that this genre is about offering a strong opinion, but also that this particular genre does not often provide much in the way of actual evidence or support (logos), relies heavily on ethos (author credibility), and employs more pathos (emotional appeals) to accomplish its goals. While ethos, pathos, and logos are important rhetorical features of any genre to annotate, you should begin by examining an author’s
stance
and
purpose
, as these features help identify what the author is trying to accomplish within their chosen genre.
Prompts:
-
First, discuss why it’s important to ‘annotate’ a text.
-
Then discuss why the rhetorical elements of ‘stance’ and ‘purpose’ are critical rhetorical features to annotate.
-
Finally, give an example of how a stance and purpose can help determine a specific genre (you may consider either an argument, a report, or the Think Piece for example).
Make sure to give an example of a genre when discussing stance and purpose (i.e. an argument or a think piece or a report for instance), and if you cite the book, make sure to note the page number.
