Journal Keeping: How to Use Reflective Writing for Learning, Teaching, Professional Insight and Positive Change

by Dannelle D. Stevens, Joanne E. Cooper

** By the authors of the acclaimed Introduction to Rubrics** Major growth of interest in keeping journals or diaries for personal reflection and growth; and as a teaching tool** Will appeal to college faculty, administrators and teachers One of the most powerful ways to learn, reflect and make sense of our lives is through journal keeping. This book presents the potential uses and benefits of journals for personal and professional development―particularly for those in academic life; and demonstrates journals’ potential to foster college students’ learning, fluency and voice, and creative thinking.In professional life, a journal helps to organize, prioritize and address the many expectations of a faculty member’s or administrator’s roles. Journals are effective for developing time management skills, building problem-solving skills, fostering insight, and decreasing stress.Both writing and rereading journal entries allow the journal keeper to document thinking; to track changes and review observations; and to examine assumptions and so gain fresh perspectives and insights over past events. The authors present the background to help readers make an informed decision about the value of journals and to determine whether journals will fit appropriately with their teaching objectives or help manage their personal and professional lives. They offer insights and advice on selecting the format or formats and techniques most appropriate for the reader’s purposes.

Genres: Teaching, Writing, Self Help, Education, Nonfiction, Journaling

286 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2007

Reviews

[Jacquie · Rating 4 out of 5]

While I have known about journal keeping I recently learned it can be a useful teaching tool even for a science-based curriculum. This book presented information and ideas anyone could use to get started with journaling.

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Though this book had some obvious and repetitive sections, it is also a remarkable synthesis of the research into journal keeping. More important, it provides excellent ideas for how to use journals in a variety of (primarily) academic contexts.

[Sandy H · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is not about personal journaling but rather about using journaling as an educational and professional practice. I’ve been wanting to improve my ability to be reflective on my work and got a lot of helpful suggestions for techniques from this book.

[Nicole Brewer · Rating 5 out of 5]

The inspiration for my soft new blue Walgreens journal 📘 for reflecting on the next chapter of my academic life. It’s so rewardingly tactile. The ideas and suggestions in this book are already inspiring clarity and creativity and curing my perfectionist tendencies.

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

Useful and practical. Very much focused on handwritten journaling, but then so are my students so that works. Good on matching journaling to assessable rubrics. So focused on being practical that it's kind of plodding, but I've got to get this course planned and it helped.

[Austin · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was hard for me to read, I personally thought it was boring.

[Lientur Alkaman Kurüfilu · Rating 5 out of 5]

Un must read para todo ser humano

[Marlena]

Recommended by Tomorrow's Professor listserv (January 2010)
"The Book on Journals: But where Stevens and I found agreement on what journaling often is and shouldn't be, she and Joanne Cooper, coauthors of Journal Keeping: How to Use Reflective Writing for Learning, Teaching, Professional Insight, and Positive Change (Stylus 2009) have a deep understanding of the good that can come from journaling."

[Diana · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was disappointed but judging from the fairly good ratings that I am seeing I may be biased. I was looking for writing prompts to use in reflective writing but this book is more for school students and teachers in educational institutions. Perhaps I should have been careful to read the subtitle before buying the book. Definitely not a book for serious teachers and facilitators of writing workshops to heal or those who are looking to find inspiration for reflective writing.

[Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVED this book. It has equiped me with a number of skills that will help me on my lifelong journey of learning and discovering who I am. It's my kind of self-help book!

I loved it so much that after returning my library copy I'm going to buy it for reference in the future.

[Bakari · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book is written in academic style, mainly I would say for professors and researchers in the field. It's not a really dry read, and I did learn a little more about the uses off journaling, especially in academic and professional settings. I would recommend though if you want to learn about journal writing for your own personal use, this not the book to read. I would have read and annotated the book faster if it were published as a Kindle ebook.