1.1.5

Journals

Test yourself

Journals

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How to use journals

  • When using journals for assessment purposes, teachers might consider substituting them for one of the weekly assessments.
    • This signals to students that they should take the assignment seriously.
  • Teachers may wish to use journals for writing assignments in non-composition classes, such as mathematics and science.
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Grading

  • Given the type of assignments Courtney tucks into the journal feature, she generally doesn't grade these with formal writing rubrics.
  • She usually grades these journals as complete/incomplete, and make students revise it until it is complete.
  • It is more important to ensure the work is done than having a summative assessment of the journals.
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Importance of journals

  • Teachers may find that asking students to think about the content is difficult, especially during an online class, because teachers do not control the student’s environment.
  • But, reflecting, or thinking about what happened in the past, connecting it to new materials, and rehearsing what you might do next time is one of the most powerful learning tools.
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Keep in mind

  • Journal assignments are powerful because they run students up against their own self-perception of their learning.
    • They ask students to use metacognition, or thinking about their thinking.
  • Teachers should remember that online students are working in isolation and only have themselves as a measuring stick.
  • Therefore, teaching students how to use measurable, specific assessments for improving their own learning is a valuable skill.

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