The Student, Journal Writing, and Assessment.

Journal writing gives students opportunities to practice writing in a way relevant to their experiences and not merely as an exercise in writing for writing's sake. There are many opportunities for a student to write about subject matter learned from ongoing lessons, as examples from the journal of a sixth grader illustrate. Listening to current events on the radio or watching them on television provides excellent subject matter for writing journal entries. Dramatizing social studies learning assists students to breathe life into the curriculum, and this can be accomplished through journal entries. Entries can complement other projects, as the example of a journal written to accompany a student's map illustrates. Journals help students feel a sense of ownership in their writing, and they allow them to choose an intrapersonal or interpersonal manner as they express themselves. Self-evaluation of the journal provides another learning opportunity. (SLD)