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This week, instead of creating your own blog post, you will continue commenting on your peers' blogs. Everyone will write ONE comment on one of the first five posts written by six of your classmates this week (6 peers x 1 post = 6 comments in total).
Which BLOGS do I post comments to? Select the blogs that belong to the six students whose names are listed BELOW your name on the 'Our Class Blogs' list found in the sidebar to your right.
How do I do this? Click on the names of six of your peers below your name. Read the posts they have written so far, and then scroll to the bottom of each where you will find a comment box. Choose one post on which to comment, then go to the next peer's blog. NOTE: If you do not have six peers' names below your name, go to the top of the list to make up your six peers.
What do I do if the peer that I am supposed to make comments to doesn't have all of their posts done? You have 6 comments to make, so move to the next peer down the list.
Which kinds of comments should I make? You need to comment on what the person has said in the blog post you are commenting on. Read the rules below before proceeding:
DO NOT . . .
Do not be rude.
Do not be sarcastic.
Do not just tell the blogger they are awesome or that it is the best blog post you have ever read.
Do not make an inside joke.
Do not insult or otherwise demean the writer.
Do not leave an empty comment (I really liked your picture; I enjoyed this post; I think I might read this book too - these can be much better through added detail)
DO. . .
Genuinely look at what they have said about their books and respond accordingly.
Make an intelligent comment on the book, the topic or the ideas presented by the blogger.
Extend the blogger's thinking by linking their ideas to something else (another text, your personal experiences or the world).
Ask the blogger a question about what they have read or what they have said.
Offer a suggestion for another book they might like based on what they have read and the themes and ideas presented in the blog post.
Give the blogger tips for improvement based upon the expectations for each post (including correct citations for their novels; using quotations with proper in-text citations; checking for punctuation, spelling or sentence structure; adding depth of analysis through further detail, description or support from the text; organizing elements on the blog itself).
You may also comment on the style or form of the blog itself (the design of it; the visual elements: colour, organization, font style and size; use of gadgets; readability; title and description etc.).
NOTE: As a blogger, you should read these comments and respond accordingly to what your peers have posted. Fix what they have suggested, and start a dialogue.
There are some samples of typical peer comments below:
GOOD!
You were very descriptive about the two elements you wrote about. I am now really interested in reading Modelland, would you recommend it?
Good post. You chose great literary elements to describe and had good support from the novel for both of them. For next time I would start by saying what book you are reading to make the post easier to understand.
Very well written Laura!! Just to make it a bit better maybe you need to add more visual components to your blog. maybe add more colour or the book cover in each post :)
BETTER!!
This was interesting, however it lead me to a a question: Who was it that brushed aside Tookie? If it was her family then it would be a long hard journey for Tookie to gain confidence considering she grew up thinking she was always second to her sister. If Tookie stepped outside of her comfort zone she would gain confidence and fit into the stereo-typical world you talked about (how beauty is everything), because confidence is beauty. Maybe extend your post to include comments about the cause as well as the effect.
I like how you used such specific elements to the book and had solid support to your answers. I understood what you were talking about, because I've read this book, but anyone who hasn't read it might find it hard to understand. Like Lynne and Nathan (other students who commented) already mentioned, you could introduce your book at the beginning of the post to help those who haven't read it. Maybe add a bit of a summary about key information to lead up to your quotation to give your reader a sense of what has gone on so far. You could even use your quotation to help you do that.
BEST!!!
Foreshadowing is for sure an important quality for a book to have, and by reading your description of Uglies, the author seems to do an excellent job at including it. Great post, very descriptive. You were even able to talk about the significance of the device to the story when you said: "The foreshadowing used in Uglies allows you to uncover more about the characters. For instance, as the reader, we barely know Peris. But when Tally flashes back to memories with Peris, you start to discover certain things about him. In all of Tally's flashbacks, she went to Peris for advice, and from that I got that he was a good friend to talk to, and that he has good advice." I might consider reading this book sometime!
FYI - If you liked this book you might want to try a book called Feed by M.T Anderson, it is really similar in theme and character to Uglies.
