Writing & New Age

Lesson 2: Resources For Establishing Your Writing Goals.

Section 2-2: Developing Your Journal.

At this time we should begin to construct a journal for documenting our answers to questions such as in the foregoing list. Utilization of a journal to record your development will assist you in your writing performance enhancement.

I. Your Journal:

A journal is the place to write down thoughts, comments, and questions on this course and your independent writing project. The process of working together and what you are learning will be aided through keeping a journal. You can organize reflections on your project and production process. You should document your work and experiences for self-evaluation during and at the end of any project and|or lesson plan. This provides a place to write questions and comments for response recognition. It also helps with your personal assessment by providing additional insight into your online instruction and overall writing experiences. Journal entries can be prompted by specific questions posed in this platform, by loosely guided topic suggestions, by generalized reflection statements, or by a combination of all three. Your journal can be used along with your design|idea books that will be focussed more toward technical questions, design issues, and ideas. These are important in the achievement of goals and in the development of your literature.

II. Materials required for your journal development:

• Paper and pencil or pen (a good pen-so that your fluidity is never cramped by stress).
• A basic notebook can be used (i.e.: a 3-ring notebook, spiral notebook, simple folder, or your can create your own notebook using a template of your own design).
  
• Your project journal questions and|or your online class journal questions.
  
  
  
  III. What To Do:
  
  
  1. Plan how your journal will be used during this class and for your own project. Ask yourself the following questions:
     
     
     • What kind of information do you want to capture in your journal?
       
     • What kinds of prompts will help you capture this information?
       
     • How will your journal be used during your individual assessment?
       
     • What kinds of questions will help you gather necessary materials?
       
     • What are some specific questions you would like answers to?
       
     • Will mentors or other reviewers be asked to respond to your journal entries?
       
  
  
  IV. Guidelines for your journal:
  
  
  • Create a home for your journal in your private space. If at all possible, make this space close to where you like to write. If you carry your journal during the day, it is important to have a place to store it when you arrive at home.
    
  • Make certain that you have plenty of your favorite pens.
    
  • Make certain to store pens with your journal. In our home pens are always disappearing. I keep extras with my journal and make it a habit of putting them back each time I finish writing.
    
  • If you draw or paint in your journal, make certain that you have your drawing supplies with your journal. Drawing and painting in your journal can aid tremendously in your literary development as ideas flourish through variations of artistic formats.
    
  • If you add pictures or memorabilia to your journal keep scissors, glue, tape, and other materials handy.
    
  • If you like to complete timed writings, make certain you add a timer to your journal supplies. (You may purchase a kitchen timer or small electronic timer at most discount stores.)
    
  • You may want to purchase, create, or garner an artistic container for your journal and supplies. The presentation you supply your journal will enhance your appreciation of it and your writing performance.
    
  
  
  
  
  V. Storing Your Written Journals:
  
  Once you begin filling and keeping your journals you need to decide how to store them. Here are some ideas:
  
  
  • Mark the outside of your journal with the dates of entries (use start and stop dates). You can tell at a glance what is inside this way and that makes it easier to find specific entries when you want to.
    
  • If privacy is not a concern keep your filled journals on a bookcase shelf in chronological order.
    
  • You may consider filling a box you keep in your closet or another storage area (be certain you mark the outside of the box utilizing a self-generated code if you are concerned about your privacy).
    
  • Whatever your storage options are make certain you have room for one more year's worth of journals in your active storage. (Once the current year of storage is full you can decide how you want to add to the storage space.)
    
  
  
  We will integrate journal writing into this lesson series. You need to make entries at reflection relevant moments (after or before discussions, for significant activities, etc.).
  
  

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  Footnote:
  
  

  St. Paul the Apostle: Patronage of reporters, a journal is similar to a report process-it is to record data and St. Paul can assist this endeavor.

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