Question Doctor Diaz This week we ll look at practices and activities used by primary and secondary school teachers Let s begin by discussing journal writing activities Some teachers ask students to keep a journal and to regularly write down their thought

Question : Doctor Diaz
This week, we’ll look at practices and activities used by primary and secondary school teachers. Let’s begin by discussing journal writing activities. Some teachers ask students to keep a journal and to regularly write down their thoughts about a recent lesson or respond to a question presented by the teacher. There are also many teachers who never assign journal writing. Now, I’d like your opinion: Is journal writing a worthwhile activity to support learning? Why or why not?

Claire
I think getting students into the habit of writing reflectively can be very beneficial. Journal writing gives students an opportunity to develop their own ideas about what they’re learning whether it’s for a math class or a literature class. It could also give the teacher an informal way to gauge how well students are comprehending the lessons.

Paul
I’m not convinced journal writing is worthwhile in classes. Teachers have a lot of material to cover, and students have much to learn. Unless a student is particularly interested in journal keeping, the student might view journaling as just more busy work. For there to be a benefit, students would need to take it seriously. I don’t think all would.