Annotates 17 conference papers, theses, and journal articles (published between 1989 and 1992) from the ERIC database that discuss the advantages and disadvantages of journal writing at all levels of education. (RS)

Disclosing interpretation as a meaning-making process of the active mind to students in all humanities courses, and especially in literature classes, is possible in numerous, phased writing assignments with built-in exercises in recursive and reflective thinking. The exercises are written down in each student's log (journal), a process which…

Discusses uses learning logs for student assessment. Defines learning logs. Discusses structuring the logs; student voices and responses; a map drawing assignment; and using logs for evaluation. (RS)

The most powerful and profound thoughts known to humankind are the result of freedom to write whatever it is that the soul must purge; whatever a person is thinking that troubles him or her; anything that hinders his or her ability to be in that particular moment of living. On the first day of class, one writing instructor tells her students that…

Inviting students to read, write, and think, this book discusses 13 different types of journals and the stories of 25 classroom pre-K through high-school teachers who have built more effective journal writing into their classrooms. The book presents clear and easy-to-follow strategies for incorporating journaling into classroom practice. The book…

Journal writing can be used as a tool for the assessment of teaching while allowing students to have an active and expressive voice in their learning. Journal writing provides an excellent interactive format in which students can more freely express their understanding or lack of understanding of the subject matter. The entries also frequently…

Teachers can use dialog journals to inspire their students to write. Such a method allows students to write and teachers to answer without worrying about red marks or negative comments. The article suggests topics to get students writing and ideas for encouraging students to write. (SM)

As an elementary reading specialist, Lynn Mondello Caggiano, the author of this article, often worked with students who struggled with reading and other language tasks, including writing. After working with a group of students for whom written expression was particularly difficult, Caggiano came up with the plan of having the students draw their…

A demonstration writing project involving 97 primary through secondary students with learning disabilities is described. Students developed journals containing ongoing written dialogues with teachers, who also corrected student errors through examples in their own responses. Procedures, integration with writing curriculum, and results of journal…

Research suggests that the informal language of journals is very important. Language scholars such as J. Vygotsky (1962), J. Moffell (1968, 1982), P. Elbow (1973, 1982), and M. Shaughnessy (1977) believe that human beings find meaning through exploration in their own talking language. To add to the evidence in this area, a study conducted in an…

Student journal writing can connect reading, writing, and discussing through activities that accommodate diverse learning styles and that further students' linguistic development. The various uses of journal writing can be incorporated into one compact student notebook. A notebook for an English class might consist of a dialogue journal as a…

Teachers in the social sciences have found that journals can be useful tools in their classes. Depending on the needs and preferences of the teacher, a variety of formats can be used: highly structured journals based on regular teacher-directed classroom and homework assignments or completely free-form diary-like personal types. No matter what the…

Discusses the educational value of engaging mathematics students in writing a journal. Provides a table showing the relationship between writing topics and the potential benefits. (Author/YP)

Offers guidelines on using student journals and microthemes in writing across the curriculum programs, drawing from the experiences of faculty at Queensborough Community College. Includes sample assignments. (DMM)

Using a writing journal with adult literacy students is an effective way to introduce them to writing while working with their reading, self-esteem, and confidence levels. One type of journal that combines the skills of reading and writing is the reader response journal. In these journal exercises, the students read a story or section of a story…