Station+3+-+Synthesizing+Responses

Whether you're working with adolescents in the classroom or another group in the office, it's useful to practice drawing on a set of written responses to decide what to do next (for instance, as teacher you might do this with student journal entries, or after reading a set of essays--and of course during our journal exchange; or as an HR manager, you might do this with employee responses to professional development)

Please follow the steps below to practice this skill

1. For your group members, skim through and/or discuss your latest LENS responses (use our personal pages or the [|Lit Circles discussion forum]). What common interests or points of contact do you find?

2. Given these commonalities, what are some
 * questions you might pose if you were writing back?
 * metaphors or analogies you might use to make your own comments?
 * provocative conflicts or tensions you might point out to foster productive disagreement?
 * relationships to other text/events you might suggest?
 * groupworthy activities you might propose?

3. Write a response to your fellow group members.

4. Share your responses--what strategies seem effective in promoting further engagement and discussion?