Journaling
Overview
Journaling allows students to reflect on their thinking and feelings, process their learning, and connect new information to what they know, supporting their identity development and Sense of Belonging. As a more informal form of expression, journals can be safe spaces for students to make their learning visible and to share their difficulties, questions, and emotions about a topic. Expressive writing tasks where students can affirm their identity and values can also help mitigate the negative effects of Stereotype Threat and bias.
Example: Use This Strategy in the Classroom
Watch how this middle school teacher uses journals to support students' reflection on their participation. By allowing students time to journal their responses to different prompts first, students are able to reflect on their own participation and share this in a way that supports Metacognition. The teacher also discusses the importance of making students who may be shy feel safe and recognized through journaling, thus improving students Motivation to participate in class.
Design It into Your Product
Videos are chosen as examples of strategies in action. These choices are not endorsements of the products or evidence of use of research to develop the feature.
Starting at 11:29, watch how Seesaw uses a journaling format to help students record their learning. Students can record their learning and reflection in multimedia formats such as pictures, videos, and audio clips. They can also use recommended Vocabulary and templates to help them develop their Disciplinary Literacy in science. Similarly, bringing in new relatable formats such as “selfie science” creates the incentives and Motivation for students to engage in what they are learning outside of the classroom.
References Journaling
Borman, G. D., Pyne, J., Rozek, C. S., & Schmidt, A. (2021). A replicable identity-based intervention reduces the Black-White suspension gap at scale. American Educational Research Journal.
Campbell, C. (2009). Middle years students' use of self-regulating strategies in an online journaling environment. Journal of Educational Technology & Society, 12(3), 98-106.
Dredger, K., Woods, D., Beach, C., & Sagstetter, V. (2010). Engage me: Using new literacies to create third space classrooms that engage student writers. Journal of Media Literacy Education, 2(2), 85-101.
Faircloth, B. S. (2009). Making the most of adolescence: Harnessing the search for identity to understand classroom belonging. Journal of Adolescent Research, 24(3), 321-348.
Flinchbaugh, C. L., Moore, E. W. G., Chang, Y. K., & May, D. R. (2012). Student well-being interventions: The effects of stress management techniques and gratitude journaling in the management education classroom. Journal of Management Education, 36(2), 191-219.
Fritson, K. K. (2008). Impact of journaling on students' self-efficacy and locus of control. InSight: A Journal of Scholarly Teaching, 3, 75-83.
Guzzetti, B., & Gamboa, M. (2005). Online journaling: The informal writings of two adolescent girls. Research in the Teaching of English, 168-206.
Kennedy, L. M., Oviatt, R. L., & De Costa, P. I. (2019). Refugee youth's identity expressions and multimodal literacy practices in a third space. Journal of Research in Childhood Education, 33(1), 56-70.
Kliewer, W., Lepore, S. J., Farrell, A. D., Allison, K. W., Meyer, A. L., Sullivan, T. N., & Greene, A. Y. (2011). A school-based expressive writing intervention for at-risk urban adolescents' aggressive behavior and emotional lability. Journal of Clinical Child & Adolescent Psychology, 40(5), 693-705.
Omerbašić, D. (2015). Literacy as a translocal practice: Digital multimodal literacy practices among girls resettled as refugees. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 58(6), 472-481.
Pytash, K. E., Kist, W., & Testa, E. (2017). Remixing my life: the multimodal literacy memoir assignment and STEM. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 61(2), 163-172.
Ramirez, G., & Beilock, S. L. (2011). Writing about testing worries boosts exam performance in the classroom. Science, 331(6014), 211-213.
Sage, M., & Sele, P. (2015). Reflective journaling as a flipped classroom technique to increase reading and participation with social work students. Journal of Social Work Education, 51(4), 668-681.
Taylor, H. E., & Larson, S. (1999). Social and emotional learning in middle school. The Clearing House, 72(6), 331-336.
Walker, S. E. (2006). Journal writing as a teaching technique to promote reflection. Journal of Athletic Training, 41(2), 216.
White, J. W., & Hungerford‐Kresser, H. (2014). Character journaling through social networks: Exemplifying tenets of the new literacy studies. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 57(8), 642-654.
Additional Resources
Additional examples, research, and professional development. These resources are possible representations of this strategy, not endorsements.
Factors Supported by this Strategy
More Metacognitive Supports Strategies
When annotating, students engage deeply with a text and make their thinking visible while reading.
Checklists and rubrics help students understand expectations as they navigate more complex tasks and assignments.
Setting overall goals with actionable steps for achievement can help students feel more confident in their skills and abilities.
When students reframe negative thoughts and tell themselves kind self-statements, they practice positive self-talk.
Student reflection on learning, particularly when done collaboratively, is critical for moving knowledge of content and strategies into Long-term Memory.
When students engage in a dialogue with themselves, they are able to orient, organize, and focus their thinking.
When students monitor their comprehension, performance, and use of strategies when reading and writing, they build their Metacognition and actively participate in the reading process.
