October 28, 2014
Hi All,
Journaling can be an awesome outlet for students. But, journaling effectively can be difficult. How can we plan fun and thought-provoking lessons using journaling for our students? The following include a few tips:
- Journal weekly: Have a specific day for your students to journal. Have them take this opportunity to clear their minds, and think about the future.
- Create goals: Have students think about goals they want to obtain over the course of the year. If students complete this in September, they can check on the progress they're making.
- Global communication: Connect with classrooms around the world. Teach your students about diversity by having pen-pals halfway across the world. (This would be a task completed using blogging, but blogging and journaling can be combined)
- Students and Parents: Ask parents to respond to comment in student's journals. Keep students excited to check back by having others look over their work. Be sure to get permission first!
- Have a morning question: Provide students with a question they can answer in their journals each morning. This will make journaling more consistent.
Be sure to stay consistent! Students may forget their journals if they aren't writing frequently. Journals can also be used for choice time, or after all other work is completed.
Plenty of ideas are available; please comment with your ideas, and suggestions!
Adam
Adam,
ReplyDeleteGood tips!
Personally I've forgotten about these blogs too. Sometimes it gets hard especially when its on a sight that's not blackboard.
I think maybe I need a planner or something. but oh well.
Blogging and journals are growing on me.
It's good feedback for me, though- thanks you two. I will always be looking for ways to make everything as helpful and clear as possible for students and I am sensing that you all have such different styles of using Blackboard, that in the future I will just need to pick one place for everything so you can all follow it.
DeleteOh I forgot one thing.... My biggest pet peeve about journal and blogging assignments. Length requirements. I either have a lot to say or I don't.
ReplyDeleteSo true! The answer, "It is as long as it needs to be" is tough! But- trust me- I will let you know.
DeleteAgreed!
ReplyDelete