Journaling

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Journaling

• The Reading to Writing Connection
• Workshop 3

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What is journaling?

• Journaling is a reading comprehension strategy
  integrating structured writing activities that
  are used to monitor learner understanding of
  reading passages.
• Readers collect data, reread, and analyze the
  findings in order to discover what they mean or
  how they can be used. Journaling can take many
  forms.

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What are some forms of journaling?

• Journaling can take many forms, such as
• note taking
• memos
• learning logs
• paragraph summary
• prediction, discussion or reflection writings

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Why Read and Write, whats the connection?

• Writing can be used to facilitate learning when
  students
• Have a clearly defined purpose to write.
• Use writing as a means for building knowledge.
• Think critically predict, question, summarize.

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Why Read and Write, whats the connection?

• Writing can be used to facilitate learning when
  students
• Make connections between text knowledge and
  personal knowledge.
• Apply their observations through writing.
• Use career-related vocabulary to explain a
  process.

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Why journal in the content areas?

• Writing is the most disciplined form of thinking.
  ( Murray, 1984)
• Journaling is not a separate activity, but
  integral to the thinking process.
• Journaling activities allow for the processing
  and retaining of key ideas.

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Why journal in the content areas?

• By journaling, learners can
• 1. Transform printed text into their own
  language.
• 2. Construct meaning with new information.
• 3. Explore, revise, and think on paper.

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How will journaling increase comprehension?

• Journaling increases learner comprehension by
  assisting in the
• Learning of new content
• Interpretation of new content
• Use of schemata to construct new knowledge
• Refinement of prior knowledge

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What advantages do journaling activities offer ?

• Journaling gives students structured activities
  to
• Summarize ideas
• Organize processes and sequences
• Explore ideas from the text
• Draw conclusions and reactions
• Self evaluate their learning
• Revise and think on paper
• Keep a record of their thinking

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What advantages do journaling activities offer ?

• Journaling gives students structured activities
  to
• Discover vocabulary and develop meaning
• Question, connect and apply their observations
  through writing
• Gather evidence to structure a process, procedure
  or argument
• Achieve a deeper understanding of text content
• Share their ideas with others in peer and group
  discussions

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What framework can be used when implementing
journaling activities?

• Before reading journaling
• During reading journaling
• After reading journaling

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Before Reading Journaling Activities include

• Directed Reading/Thinking Activity (DR/TA)
• Prediction journal

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Directed Reading/Thinking Activity (DR/TA)

• Is similar to K-W-L strategy, this journaling
  activity encourages active reading through
  activation of
• Prior knowledge
• Predicting
• Checking the accuracy of predictions

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Directed Reading/Thinking Activity (DR/TA)
Procedures

• 1. Students preview the passage.
• 2. Students complete first three sections of the
  DR/TA form.Teacher then discusses student
  responses to clarify any misconceptions
• 3. Students formulate a prediction of what they
  will read, this sets a purpose for the reading

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Directed Reading/Thinking Activity (DR/TA)
Procedures

• 4. Students read the text confirming or rejecting
  the predictions they have recorded.
• 5. Students conclude the activity by writing a
  summary in section 4 of the DR/TA form. This
  summary helps to reinforce understanding and
  build knowledge.
• 6. Discuss the summaries with the class.

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The DR/TA Activity Form

• Directed Reading/Thinking Activity

1. What I know I know
2. What I think I know
3. What I think Ill learn
4. What I know I learned
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DR/TA Summary Discussions

• A purposeful discussion of the summary should
• Examine and review key ideas.
• Focus on process and sequence, if a procedure is
  explained.
• Deepen student understanding of the subject.

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Prediction Journal

• The prediction journal is used as a before
  reading written response activity.

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Prediction Journal

• The prediction journal is designed to ask five
  key questions whereby students
• engage prior knowledge,
• make predictions,
• identify major concepts to be learned,
• clarify student purpose for reading
• Identify reading strategies used during the
  reading assignment

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Sample Prediction Journal

• What are some things you already know about the
  passage?
• What are some predictions about the passage?
• What concepts are you trying to understand by
  reading this passage?
• What do you hope to learn by reading this
  passage?
• What reading strategies might you use as you read
  the passage to help you understand?

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During Reading Journaling Activities include

• Writing to Learn
• Process Logs
• Discussion Journals

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Writing To Learn Strategy

• Can be incorporated across the curriculum
• Helps students personalize learning
• Encourages high-level thinking skills
• Assists in helping students construct meaning
  from the text
• Writing activities are brief

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Writing To Learn Strategy Steps

• 1.Select the concept you want students to
  explore.
• 2. Assign the Writing to learn activity
• any time during the class.
• 3. Give students three to five minutes think time
  to consider a response
• 4. Have students write five minutes on the topic.

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Writing To Learn Strategy

• Writing to learn discussion can be centered on
  the written response
• Writing to learn helps students reflect on
  information under discussion.
• Writing to learn helps students construct
  summaries.

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Writing to Learn Journal (sample form)

• Name____
• Class____ Date_____
• Concept ____________________
• Assignment__________________
• Response___________________
• ____________________________
• ____________________________
• ____________________________
• ____________________________

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Writing To Learn Journal

• After students have written the writing to learn
  journal, the teacher should
• 1. Conduct a purposeful class discussion.
• 2. Allow for peer reading of their written
  response.
• 3. Clarify any misconceptions on content.
• 4. Keep the written activity sheet as part of the
  students reading/writing record.

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The Process Log

• Asks the learner to explain new information or
  process written in their own words.
• A sample process log assignment may be
• Explain safety procedures to follow when
  conducting a process.

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The Process Log

• Ten process logs prompts ( writing assignment
  statements) are included in the guide manual,
  refer to Handout 28-1.

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The Process Log

• In some cases, students could develop their own
  prompts and respond to them.
• Sample prompt
• Write about one problem in yesterdays
  assignment that was hard for you.

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The Discussion Journal

• Discussion journals are written response journals
  composed while the learner is engaged in the
  reading process. The journaling activity monitors
  a learners reading comprehension and can
  identify troublesome passages needing
  clarification.

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Discussion Journal

• While reading the passage, stop, reflect on your
  progress, and respond to the following questions
  

What are you predicting the main idea to be? What are some ideas from the passage that you have read about? What major concepts are you trying to understand by reading this passage? Explain the reading strategies most helpful up to this pint of the reading.
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After Reading Journaling

• Three sample activities for journaling after the
  reading passage is completed include
• 1. RAFT
• 2. Learning Log
• 3. Reflection Journal

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RAFT Strategy

• RAFT means
• Role
• Audience
• Format
• Topic

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Using RAFT the learner considers

• The ROLE of the writer
• The AUDIENCE who will be reading the writing
• The FORMAT showing how the writing will be
  presented-a letter, memo, report
• The Topicwho or what is the subject

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Using RAFT

• RAFT enhances understanding of information text
  in nontraditional format.
• Students are placed in writing situations .
• Students process information.
• Refer to RAFT examples Handout 35-2

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What are Learning Logs?

• One of the most effective methods of writing to
  learn is for students to keep a learning log of
  reading activities. Learning logs foster
• 1. Reflection
• 2. Focus on content
• 3. Avoid students personal, private feelings

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Using Learning Logs Procedures

• Teacher selects process or content to explore.
• Assign the topic and give the students 3 to 5
  minutes think time.
• Have students write for five minutes on the
  learning log topic
• Discuss the learning log at a later date.

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Using Learning Logs

1. An ongoing record of learning
2. Reread the learning log at a later date and
   reflect on how ideas have changed.
3. Explain how fix-up reading strategies have helped
   your comprehension
4. Refer to Handout 37-1 for ten learning log
   prompts you may use.

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Reflection Journals

• After the reading passage is completed the
  teacher may choose to use a reflection journal
  writing activity.

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Why use a reflection journal?

• The reflection journal activity reflects upon
• 1. Main idea
• 2. Prediction/outcome comparison
• 3. Summarization
• 4. Real World connections

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A Sample Reflection Journal

• Reflect and respond to the following
• What was the main idea of the passage?
• How did the main idea compare to your before
  reading prediction?
• Summarize three ideas from the passage you have
  read.
• What have you learned form this reading that will
  help you in your career field training?

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Troubleshooting Journaling Activities

• Refer to Handout 42-1 for ten writing tips for
  students and teachers to use when implementing
  journaling activities with reading assignments.

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Journaling

• Improving reading comprehension with the Reading
  to Writing Connection.

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Credits

• Billmeyer, Rachel Barton, Mary Lee. ( 1998)
  Teaching Reading in the Content Areas If Not Me,
  Then Who?, McREL, Aurora, CO.
• Pennsylvania Literacy Framework ( 2002),
  Pennsylvania Department of Education, Harrisburg,
  PA
• Robb, Laura. (2003) Teaching Reading in Social
  Studies, Science, and Math, Scholastic NY,NY
• Stephens, Elaine Brown, Jean. (2000) A Handbook
  of Content Literacy Strategies 75 Practical
  Reading and Writing Ideas, Christopher-Gordon
  Publishers Norwood, MA.