Deadline: Friday at noon.

Here is what you need to know about the Discussion Board Socratic Seminar.

Purpose: I want these to function like online Socratic Seminars in that I want this to be a way for you to practice communicating ideas to a larger group with semi-formal writing and to practice building on one another's ideas in order to develop a deeper understanding of the topic. Talking about big ideas is a way for us to establish our community and it is a great way to validate each others' thoughts, ideas and experiences.

Requirements: In order to "grade" you, I need to give you a requirement, so the one I have is that you must respond in at least three sentences to one of my big questions OR write your own big question. You must ALSO reply to TWO people's responses in at least three sentences. By "big question," I mean something that can get discussion going, not like "What as the main character's name again?"

Etiquette: As always in on-line forums, think before you type and post. Ask yourself: Is it kind, is it meaningful, does it push the conversation forward, and does it improve upon the silence? We can disagree with each other while also validating each other. It is important that we evaluate ideas and not the people offering them. Be thoughtful and passionate, and be kind.

Disclaimer: You and I both know we can all write 3 sentences of meaningless junk to fulfill a requirement without thinking or saying something real. I can't make you use your brain and think, here or in the classroom. I will say, though, that one thing this pandemic is doing is forcing you to be your own motivator for learning, in a way that lots of students don't get to do until college. I challenge you to take ownership of that and push yourself.

Deadline: Friday at noon.

Here are the links to the questions for this discussion board:

Handsomest Drowned Man Discussion Question #1 Handsomest Drowned Man Discussion Question #2 Handsomest Drowned Man Discussion Question #3