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The

(Dreaded) response

What is a Response?

 

A response is a single-draft piece of writing which reflects your, the reader's, critical thinking about a text. In a response, one moves beyond their initial understanding of a text toward a more thoughtful and perceptive interpretation of it. In a response, one interprets the text to demonstrate their understanding.


 

But, sir/ma'am, how does one respond to a text? 

 

Glad you asked! Reading a text, looking at a picture, watching a video.. everything you do in relation to literature is a very personal adventure. No one experiences or enjoys the medium in the same way. We do not ask ourselves the same questions because we do not feel the same way about it or simply because we don’t have the same culture or the same background…Everything is tainted with our own life experiences. So, everyone has a different point of view/interpretation.

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Still not sure? Here is the Rosetta Stone of guidelines:

While working on a response do not forget to :

 

Think (Meaning):

  • What is the message (what does the author want to explain?).

  • What is the author’s intention?

    • What does the author want you to understand/remember/reflect on?

  • What can you infer?

 

Remember (Connections):

  • Does it trigger some memories? What does it remind you of?

  • What do you know about the subject, about what is said?

  • Can you make connections with previous books you have read or movies you have watched?

  • Can you make connections with events or issues you saw in the traditional or social media?

 

Notice (Codes and conventions / features of the text):

  • In a written text:

    • The language register and expressions (did the author use special words and/or expressions to help you better understand the story or to impact your perception of this or that character, etc.?).

    • The pictures, if any (are they related to the story? Would you change them? If there are no pictures, which one would you include and why?).

    • The narration. Is it a God-like narrator? A first-person narrator? From what point of view is the story told?

    • The genre of the text. Is it a poem? An article? A novel? A song? Etc.

    • The mood (what is the atmosphere throughout the story? Scary, sad, happy, funny, gloomy, etc.).

    • The theme (what is the story about: Friendship, love, family, war, happiness, divorce, death, etc.).

 

  • About a picture/video/song:

    • The mood (what is the atmosphere throughout the story? Scary, sad, happy, funny, gloomy, etc.).

    • The theme (what is the story about: Friendship, love, family, war, happiness, divorce, death, etc.).

    • Photo angle.

    • Colors, special effects, objects.

    • Dimension. Places of the objects in a picture.

 

State your opinion (Judgment)

  • Your judgment is usually used when you discuss the meaning, codes and conventions and connections.

    • What are your thoughts? Explain.

    • Did it have an impact on you? Can it impact other people? Explain.

    • What is your opinion? Explain.

 

Your response:

  • A response doesn’t take a single, predefined form. It remains an interpretation which will include the meaning, the codes and conventions, your judgment and connections you will make with the medium.

  •  Remember to use the present tense when you are mentioning or referring to the text. You may need to use the past tense, but only when you are writing about yourself.​

TL;DR

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A response doesn’t take a single, predefined form. It remains an interpretation which will include the meaning, the codes and conventions, your judgment and connections you will make with the medium.

 

 Remember to use the present tense when you are mentioning or referring to the text. You may need to use the past tense, but only when you are writing about yourself.

 

Basically, you should: 

 

  1. Contribute an idea

  2. Challenge/question an idea

  3. Support an idea with evidence

  4. Build on idea

  5. Plan/focus the conversation

  6. Monitoring understanding and focus

  7. Synthesize

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Need extra help? Here are tools you can use: 

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