For this online discussion, you will:

• Participate in a “panel discussion” for an imaginary town hall audience on “Today’s Big Idea.”
• Write an initial post in the voice of an author of one of the closed research theme readings or a major respondent in that reading.
• Respond to at least two peers, staying in the voice of your selected author or respondent.

To prepare:

• Read all reading assignments from “They Say / I Say” in this module
• Complete the M04 Closed Research Theme Reading Check-In
• A “Panel Discussion” is a public event in which a group of informed people gathers together in front of an audience to discuss a specific topic, usually led by a moderator who asks their own questions or takes questions from the audience. Watch a few minutes of the video below to get a sense of how a panel discussion works:

In this discussion, you will write in the voice of the author of one of the closed research theme readings. Alternatively, you may write in the voice of a major respondent, expert, or witness who is interviewed or quoted in a closed research theme reading, if you think theirs is a more relevant perspective on the closed research theme. You will be playing this “character” in the panel discussion, adopting their positions and/or responding the way you think they would respond to others in the discussion. 

To begin, review the 6 closed research theme readings you have read so far; pick one author or one major respondent you will play in the panel discussion. You will be playing this “character” in the panel discussion for the whole board (initial posts and responses). You need to write in their voice and remain in character throughout the discussion.

Then start a new thread in this board and respond to the following prompt. Click the Post Reply button to submit your initial post: 

• Identify yourself as the author or respondent you have selected as well as the title of the reading and the person’s role in the reading.
  • Example: “I’m Alex Tizon, author of ‘Lola’s Story.'”
  • Example: “I’m Lola, a major figure in Alex Tizon’s ‘Lola’s Story.'”
• In the voice of your selected “character,” respond to one or more of the following questions. You can think of these as the questions you are being asked by the moderator or audience member:
  • How would you answer the guiding question for this section’s closed research theme? (If needed, you can find your class’s closed research theme question in Modules)
  • What issue regarding the closed research theme do you see as most important or most overlooked? What do you want the panel audience or other panel members to see and understand?
  • What action, solution, or policy, related to the closed research theme, is closest to your heart? What do you want the panel audience, other panel members, and/or others in society to take action on?
• Remember, think about what your “character” (author or major respondent) would believe, know, want, value, etc. This may not be what you personally know or believe, at all! Stick to their perspective and viewpoints as much as you can, based on what you know about their views from the closed research theme reading.
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