Unless I give you a specific question, ordinarily you should raise a thought-provoking question of your own, one that brings up interesting issues or ideas about the text. Here are some suggestions:
1) Ask a question about interesting lines, scenes, images, words AND explain what makes them of interest to you.
2) Ask a question about important or recurrent themes or motifs (again referring to specific words, lines, etc.).
3) Ask a question about the writer's motivation or a conflict s/he faces.
4) Ask a question about setting--e.g. how does setting influence theme?
5) Ask a question about language--e.g. narrative style/technique, unusual syntax or diction.
6) Ask a question the answer to which is debatable/discussion-worthy/requires an opinion/reveals an underlying value.
In your response, make sure you:
1) Please write the question in boldface.
2) Specify whether the question at the top of your response is yours or someone else's.
3) If someone else's question, also write your own question but specify that it's your own. Put your question in boldface.
4) Make sure you respond to at least the two responses directly before yours on the online discussion chain. Remember that you need to say something substantive about these responses (i.e. don't just say "so-and-so wrote a great response"). Also, name the people to whom you are responding.
5) ***Also, make sure that you do not say anything negative about other people's responses. You can challenge their ideas but do so politely and respectfully.
6) If you are the first person to write a response on a text, then you do not need discuss anyone else's response. Similarly, if you are the second person to write, you need only discuss the first person's response. HOWEVER, if you are writing on the second or third day (etc.) of reading a text, you need to respond to the last two responses from the day before.
7) Remember that your response needs to be AT LEAST 300 words.
8) Remember not to post your response as an attachment but, rather, paste it into the body of an email.
9) Have fun!
SOME OTHER INFORMATION ABOUT RESPONSES:
1. Responses must be written by the end of period 1 on the day when they are due.