Page 52 - Foundations of Learning, 4th Edition (Revised)

We have discussed the importance of the Life Vision Portfolio; now you can see how writing down your
goals is a significant part of the portfolio. Writing in itself helps us to clarify our thoughts and feelings. It
is a powerful and empowering tool for college and for life. You will be asked to do various kinds of writing
assignments in college; we will address those in more depth in Chapter 11. There are also several types
of journal or portfolio writing.

Journal Writing

Journal writing is a process by which you write and record
many different types of things including thoughts, ideas, feelings,
experiences, important information, things learned or discovered,
assessments, notes, terms, pictures, and drawings, to name a few. Your
LVP is a kind of journaling assignment, with a specific aim and use.

Journal writing gives you an opportunity to reflect on what you have learned, articulate and generalize
concepts, learn from problems or difficulties, and know yourself better. Keeping a journal of this growth
is a powerful tool.

Different types of pages in your journal can be designed to serve different purposes. Consider the following
forms or pages for use in your journal.

Free Writing pages are for reflecting on experiences and expressing yourself both in words and
various other forms including sketches, drawings, mind maps, figures, and formulas. These pages
are a place to capture the “ah-hahs” and significant thoughts.

Collection Points are for collecting information from discussions, meetings, and lectures. The
space on these pages can also be used for “to do” lists, outlines, and documenting research efforts.

Self-Assessment pages are for assessing your performance on a regular basis. Self-assessments
allow you to better understand what you are learning and how much you are growing. A good model
for self-assessments is the SII Method of Assessment which involves looking for Strengths, areas
for Improvement, and Insights. See Chapter 13 for more information about assessment.

Reading Logs document your critical exploration of texts and assigned readings. A Reading Log has
three sections: 1) before you read, 2) while you read, and 3) synthesis and analysis after you read.
The purpose of the Reading Log is not to replace highlighting and writing in the book, but rather
to provide a place where new discoveries and important data can be recorded as well as analysis
to help you, the reader, make greater sense out of the reading. Blank copies of this form appear on
the course resources website.

In summary, journal writing is a powerful process you should use to facilitate the creation of your Life
Vision Portfolio. Journaling allows you to become better at processing information, recording development,
and assessing learning as it occurs in and out of the classroom. The resulting journal becomes a working
document that records your growth and literally grows as your learning skills grow.

46 Foundations of Learning