The article describes use of dialogue journals (in which teacher and student communicate privately in writing) to improve the writing of learning disabled students. Dialogue journals provide a means for students to use reading and writing in meaningful, purposeful ways. (DB)

Educable mentally retarded students (N=6) made daily dialogue journal entries for 40 days. Analysis of topics, language functions, and syntax revealed that: students produced functionally relevant, interactive communication; topics were more appropriate to chronological (18 years) than mental age (10 years); and written linguistic production was…

A study of the impact of a self-directed contract learning course on participants' pre- and post-course scores on the Self-Directed Learning Readiness Scale, course evaluations, and student attitudes as reflected in diaries is reported, along with a discussion of the findings' significance for understanding self-directed learning. (MSE)

Recounts 1815-1817 travels of John Singleton V, an Anglo-Irish Protestant landed aristocrat (ca. 1793-1877), as recorded in travel journal bound with manuscript catalog for library of Quinville Abbey, County Clare, Ireland. Titles in private library's collection are noted. Thirty-seven library holdings cited in Singleton's travel journal are…

This anthology presents excerpts from the journals of 40 of today's most noted writers, along with their comments on the role of journal-keeping in creating their art. Besides being generally instructional to other writers and a lesson in how to create a personal journal, the anthology is a look at writers in the midst of creating. It includes…

This book offers an entire year of journaling ideas--some serious, some "silly," but all tied to the calendar year. In fact, the book's sections are the months of the year. Each idea in the book comes with a fact-filled introduction and aims to prove that writing does not have to be boring or dull. As a special feature, many entries in…

In recent years, articles about second language learning strategies and about second language pronunciation instruction have been on the increase. Surprisingly, there appears to be no published study to date that focuses on the relationship between pronunciation and learning strategies. This exploratory study focuses solely on documenting and…

A parent diary was used as part of an assessment of a 26-month-old severe-to-profoundly hearing-impaired child's expressive language. The diary data, which is appended, were used to obtain information about the child's expressive vocabulary, mean length of utterance, and verbal, semantic, and pragmatic performances. (Author/SEW)

Will McCall, noted educator and author, now in his ninetieth year, feels that the diary he wrote as an eight-year-old Kentucky mountain boy may be his most enduring work. Short excerpts from the diary are included. (Author/NQA)

Describes a four-part journal format for use by students in an interpersonal communication course. The four parts are (1) student assessment of skills; (2) goals; (3) strategies for implementation of goals; and (4) review. (JMF)

The author asserts that teachers must interest children more directly in the actual process of learning. She suggests having students keep "learning logs" in which they reflect back over their classwork and examine their intentions, observations, and feelings during the school day. She presents examples from several such student diaries.…

Discusses the need to train students to listen and includes excerpts from journals which students kept as part of a listening awareness program. (JM)

Provides background information on the process of making the DoHistory.org Web site funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities. Discusses the public reception of the Web site, the pros and cons of the process, the lessons learned, and the future of the Web site. (CMK)

Two surveys of university students examined the behavior of diary-keeping. Indications of motives for diary-keeping and the material entered in diaries suggests the behavior is a means of organizing one's life and for expressing thoughts, feelings, and emotions. The organizing characteristic of diary-keeping was often a useful strategy for…

The journals of students in introductory college science courses give insight into the bewilderment students feel about science. Problems fall into five categories: semantics; use of symbols; inability to evaluate their own progress; difficulty in assimilating quantities of new knowledge; and cognitive overload. Students should be encouraged to…