For each week's reading you are expected to write a critical, reflective response paragraph (~5 to 9 sentences).

The response paragraph serves two primary purposes for the seminar (1) they will form the basis for discussion during class; and (2) they are a quick exercise to help you hone your skills at critical writing, one of the most important skills used during graduate studies and as a professional researcher.

A few tips on writing your responses:

Your paragraph should not simply be a summary of the article or, but instead respond to the text with a critical eye.

The first sentence of your paragraph should both be an introduction to the article and serve as the thesis sentence of your argument in response to the article.

Depending on the reading you may respond to different aspects, for example you may disagree with the author based on your own past experiences or find the advice does not apply well to your area of study / research. Other readings may motivate you to think beyond the text into related ideas that are relevant to the weekly topic being discussed.

There will be an assignment for each reading to submit your response via canvas before class. You will not be graded on correctness in terms of your argument, but instead on writing a meaningful response paragraph.