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How to Write a Journal That is Good and Right (with Sample Entries)

How to Write a Journal That is Good and Right - Writing a personal journal is common in elementary school classes, and students gain valuable writing experience through this activity. Students become more fluent writers because they learn how to choose a topic that promises and develops ideas.

How to Write a Journal That is Good and Right
Journal Writing

They start by spelling and learn more about written language, including how to use capital letters and punctuation appropriately. But over time, some students experience boredom writing journals about themselves, their families, and their daily activities.

Read this article until it's finished so you know how to create an effective journal for publishing. If you succeed, the journal that you make is interesting to read, many companies are ready to accept you for cooperation.

They want to do other types of writing. Because teachers recognize the journal's value as a tool for learning, they wonder how they might adapt journal writing to other instructional purposes.

How to Write a Journal

All kinds of people, such as artists, scientists, dancers, politicians, writers, assassins, and children keep journals (Mallon in Tompkins and Hoskisson, 1995). People usually record in their journals the daily events of their lives and the issues that concern them.

This journal, usually written in the form of notebooks, personal notes, and is not intended for public viewing. Other journals may be called Journal  "work ", where the author's observations of records and other information will be used for other purposes; For example, farmers may record whether or log crops or gardeners about the bloom cycle of their crops.

Journals from several community leaders have survived for hundreds of years and gave a compelling glimpse of their writers and the time at which they lived.

For example, the Renaissance genius Leonardo da Vinci recorded its daily activities, dreams, and plans for painting and engineering projects in more than 40 notebooks.

In 1700 the Puritan theologian Jonathan Edwards documented his spiritual life in his journal. In late 1700, the American explorers Meriwether Lewis and George Rogers Clark kept a journal of their travels across the continent of North America, more to the geographic of personal use.

In the nineteenth century, American author Henry David Thoreau filled 39 notebooks with his essay. French author Victor Hugo takes a small pocket notebook to record the ideas they get, even in inappropriate moments such as when talking to friends.

How to Write a Journal That is Good and Right

American author F. Scott Fitzgerald fills in notebooks with audible pieces of conversation, many of which he later used in the Great Gatsby and other novels. Anne Frank, who wrote while hiding from the Nazis during World War II, was the most famous child diary writer.

The term Diary and journal are often used synonymously. The diary is sometimes considered more personal.  Whether a note written by children is called a diary or journal is not important; For convenience, we use journal terms to refer to the type of writing.

Purpose Of Writing Journal

Elementary school students use journals for various purposes, such as adults. Each type of journal focus is on the author and writing is private.

Students write spontaneously and freely organized and often have mechanical faults because students focus on thinking, not on spelling, capitalization, and punctuation.  Some of the purposes of writing journals in Tompkins and Hoskisson (1995) include:
  1. Record your Experience
  2. Stimulating interest in topics
  3. Explore the Mind
  4. Create a learning experience
  5. Develop interpretation
  6. Wondering, predicting, and hypothesized
  7. Engage Imagination
  8. Ask questions
  9. Activate initial knowledge
  10. Assumes the role of others
  11. Share experiences with readers in the world

Journal Type

1. Personal Journals

Students write events in their own lives and other interesting topics specialized in personal journals. This journal is the most personal type, sometimes students convey what they write, sometimes not. If the teacher reads these journals, they do not intend to correct the correct spelling or other mistakes.

Instead, they respond as readers who are interested, often ask and offer comments or responses about their lives.

Here is a list of topics that can be used for elementary school students:
1. Favorite place in town
2. Friends
3. Things that make sad tau glad
4. Music
5. Cars
6. Magazines that are liked
7. The dream I had
8. Cartoons
9. Shelter
10. Favorite Movies
11. If I'm a movie star
12. Poetry
13. Pets
14. Soccer
15. Astronauts
16. President
17. Humor
18. Motor
19. If I had 3 requests
20. My teacher
21. TV shows I watched
22. My favorite Holiday
23. What I want when it is grown up
24. How to be a superhero
25. Dinosaurs
26. My father/My mother
27. If I'm an animal or anything else
28. The book I read
29. Hobby
30. If I have a lot of money

Students can choose their own topics, but some students may struggle to determine what they will write. So there is a list of topics provided the teacher will be the ideal opener to write. The list can also be added by students. In other words, students can choose a theme that the teacher has not yet provided.

Privacy becomes an important issue when students start growing up. Most children are willing to share or convey what they write.

However, as the age and class increase, students ' willingness to deliver personal journals in front of the class begins to diminish. They just want to share with teachers they trust.  Teachers should know to respect the privacy of students.

How to Start a Journal and Write Entries
Typing Journal

Teachers should not impose students into sharing their writings when they do not want to do so. It is also important to explain to each student to value privacy, including not reading his or her friends ' journals without permission. To protect the privacy of students, many teachers who keep their personal journals on the shelves outside (certain) when they are not in use.

When students share personal information with the teacher through their journals, the second issue arises. Sometimes teachers can find out details about the problem of students and family life that they do not know how to deal with.

The content of child abuse, suicide, or drug use may be the way the child asks for help. Although the teacher is not a counselor, they have a legal obligation to protect their students and report problems that could interfere with their school's activities.

Sometimes students accidentally write a personal problem into a note as an attention-pulling tactic. If this happens ask students to discuss it with a counselor and ensure students ' safety is assured.

2. Dialogue Journals

Another approach to journal writing is journal dialogue. An approach in which students and teachers communicate with each other through writings (Bode, Gambrell, and Staton, in Tompkins and Hoskisson, 1995). This journal is interactive because of the conversation.

The journal gives each student and teacher the opportunity to communicate.  Opportunities that are difficult to obtain while learning is ongoing.

Every day the student writes an unofficial thing to the teacher about something interesting or the problem faced and the teacher gives a response.

Students choose their own topics and usually control the direction of writing. Staton in Tompkins and Hoskisson (1995), suggests several things to respond to student writings and resume dialogue, among others:
  • Recognize students ' ideas and encourage them to continue writing about their interests.
  • Support students by praising them about school behavior and assignments.
  • Provide new information on the topic, so that students will want to read the teacher's responses
  • Write the shortcomings students do.
  • Avoid not specific comments like  "Good idea" or "very interesting".
  • Ask a few questions.

Teacher responses don't need to belong, one or two sentences are enough. That said, it already takes quite a lot of time to respond to 25, 30 journals or more every day.

Alternatively, many teachers read and respond or give entries in student journals in turns. Teachers can respond to one group of students one week and another group next week.

The journal is not a series of teacher and student questioning, instead, students and teachers experience dialogue or conversation, and this exchange is built on mutual trust and respect.

Dialogue journals can be effective in addressing students who have behavioral problems or other types of problems in school (Staton in Tompkins and Hoskisson, 1995).

Teachers and students write about problems and identify ways to overcome them. At a later date the content reflects students ' progress in problem-solving, the teacher responds to student messages, asks questions of clarification, or offers sympathy and praise.

The Kreeft in Tompkins and Hoskisson (1995) argues that the greatest value of dialogue journals is that they bridge the gap between speaking and writing. The journal is a written conversation.

Dialogue journals are very effective in supporting the development of writing children who learn English as a second language.

Researchers have found that students with disabilities in the English language are more successful when they choose their own topics to write and their teachers contribute to dialogue with requests for answers, statements, and Other comments (Peyton, Seyoum, Reyes in Tompkins and Hoskisson, 1995).

Not surprisingly, teachers will find that students write more when teachers ask for answers than when teachers make comments that don't need answers.

Reyes in Tompkins and Hoskisson (1995) also found that bilingual students were much more successful in writing dialogue journal content rather than writing the responses to the books they read.

3. Writing Notebooks

Writing Notebooks is a special type of journal in which students record a variety of information about writing. Often students use this notebook to take notes on learning.

Its contents include ideas for writing, other content information, rules on the use of commas, and other mechanical information about punctuation, capitalization, and the things the author needs to know to write well.

Other information students retain include these examples:
  • List of ideas for the future, interesting settings, or character descriptions
  • Dialog snippets (heard or created)
  • Notes on the elements of the story structure, including the original, mid, and tip characteristics of the story
  • Bagan illustrates the poetic formula
  • The comparative list they were looking for in the book they read
  • Synonyms for words too often used, as said or beautiful or nice
  • Capital and punctuation rules
  • List of common words misspelled
  • List of homonym, etc.

By recording information about writing in a journal notebook, students create a permanent reference book.

Writing notebooks also serves to write folders where students write drafts of stories, poems, and other works from their works. Some students write long stories in chapters or episodes, which they bring to writing workshops, writing daily journals, or periods of free activity.

4. Reading logs

Students write in reading logs about the stories and other books they read or listen to the teacher read out during the literary focus unit and read the workshop.

Instead of simply summarizing their readings, students contacted what they read with their own lives or other literature they read.

Students can also make a list of interesting or unfamiliar words, write down a quote that can be called, and take notes about the character, plot, or other elements of the story. The main purpose of the journal is for students to think about books, literary relations for their lives, and develop their own interpretations.

The journal exists with numerous names, including the Journal of the Farris story covering, the Journal of Literary responses according to Hancock, a literary journal according to Lima and a journal reading according to Wollman-Bonilla in Tompkins and Hoskisso (1995) but no matter what they call, Their goals remain the same.

Teachers and researchers, Barone, Dekker, Hancock in Tompkins and Hoskisson (1995) have researched the contents of Reading Log students and have identified several categories of responses among others:
  • Related questions to understand a text
  • Interaction with the characters
  • Empathy with character
  • Prediction and validation
  • Personal experience
  • Personal feelings, and opinions
  • Evaluation is simple and complicated
  • Philosophical Reflection

When students start writing Reading logs, their first content often recounts and plots summaries, but the more students gain experience reading and responding to literature, their content is more interpretive and personal.

Dian Nugraheni in Www.baltyra.com tells the American school students are given a printing titled "READING LOG". The content is a start and finish date, the title of the book, the author, and most importantly, the phrase and the part that is deemed interesting from the reading.

So, each day students "obliged" to read at home, for elementary school children are given 30 minutes. The next day, this "READING LOG" will be examined by the teacher, and then given a para. To make students happy, sometimes given gifts, although only stickers of fingernails.

Readings are borrowed from the library. For students who have not Lancer in reading can be read by more mature people, such as parents, older brother, and so on.

The types of Reading logs include

a. Dialoguing About Literature
Students can use dialogue journals to write to classmates or teachers about the books they read (Atwell, Barone, Dekker in Tompkins and Hoskisson, 1995). In this journal entry, students write about the book they read, comparing books to others by the same author or others that they have read, and offer opinions about the book and whether a classmate or teacher might Enjoy reading it.

This approach is a highly effective reading workshop when students read different books. Students pair together to make dialogue journals about the contents of the book. This activity provides the opportunity to socialize.

Depending on the student reading type, whether a relatively short picture book or a thick book, they can write the contents of a dialogue journal every day or once a week.

Before the student begins writing the dialogue Journal dialog, the teacher explains first their writing format, on how to capitalize and underline the book title, and about the importance of asking questions in their stuffing so that the respondent can Easy answering.

b. Double-Entry Journal
Special types of Reading logs are Double-Entry journals (Barone, Berthoff in Tompkins and Hoskisson, 1995). Students divide their journal pages into two columns, in the left column they write excerpts from stories or other books they read, and in the right column, they connect each quote with their personal life and literature that they read.

Through the Reading Log, students become more involved in what they read, personal-related note sentences, and become more sensitive to the language of the author.

Double-Entry journals can be used in several other ways. Students can write "read notes" in the left column and then add "reaction " in the right column. In the left column, Siawa writes about the events they read in this chapter. Then in the right column, they create a personal relationship with the incident.

Alternatively, students can use the title "Read Notes" for a single column and "Discussion notes" for the second column. Students write reading notes after the completion of reading. Then, after discussing the story or chapter of the book, the student adds a discussion note.

Like the Halanya with other types of Double-Entry journals, the second column of students used to make comments more interpretive.

How to Write a Journal Entry (with Sample Entries)
Keep a Journal

Low-level students can use the Double-Entry journal format for predictive journals (Macon, Bewell, danVogt in Tompkins and Hoskisson, 1995).

They label the left column by "predict " and the right column with "What happens." In the left column, they wrote or drew what they anticipated would happen to the story or chapter before reading it. Then after reading, in the right column, they draw or write what really happened.

5. Learning Logs

Students write in the Learning Log to record or react to what they learn in mathematics, SCIENCE, IPS, other materials. Fulwiler in Tompkins and Hoskisson (1995) explains: "When people write about something they learn it is better ".

Students write this journal to reflect what they are learning, find gaps in their knowledge and explore relationships between what they are learning and their past experiences.

a. In mathematics
Students use the Learning Log to write about what they learn in mathematics (Salem in Tompkins and Hoskisson, 1995). They noted explanations and examples of concepts presented in the classroom and gave reactions to the mathematical concepts they learned and problems they might experience.

Some class teachers give students a 5-minute time at the end of the math class to summarize the lesson of the day and give their reaction in the Learning logs (Schubert in Tompkins and Hoskisson, 1995).

Through these activities, students practice making notes, writing descriptions and directions, and using other writing skills. They also learned how to reflect and evaluate their own learning (Stanford in Tompkins and Hoskisson, 1995).

In addition to being beneficial to students, teachers use the Learning Log to informally assess student learning outcomes. Teachers can assess what students already know about the topic before teaching, find what students are learning, and examine the confusion and misunderstanding.

Teachers can also use stuffing to monitor students ' attitudes towards mathematics and assess their learning of the concepts after teaching (McGonegal, in Tompkins and Hoskisson, 1995).

Sometimes the teacher only reads this field, and at other times the Learning Log becomes the Journals Dialogue that teachers use in response to the students by clarifying the misunderstanding and giving the motivation to learn.

b. In natural Sciences
Natural Sciences Learning Log can use several different forms. One type is the Observation Log where students make stuffing every day to track the growth of plants or animals. For example, observing a caterpillar, the caterpillar turns into a butterfly for 4 to 6 weeks.

Each student keeps an Observation Log with a daily fill, where they describe the changes they observe using shapes, colors, sizes, and other words.

The second type of Learning Log is where students make notes repeatedly like cycles. Students can take notes during the presentation by the teacher or after reading, after viewing the movie, or at the end of each class period. Sometimes students create stuffing in a list form, sometimes in groups, graphs, or maps, and at other times in the paragraph.

Lab reports are the third type of Learning Log. Students write down the materials and procedures used in the experiment, presenting data on the observation chart, and then discussing the results. When students write, they assume the role of scientists, learn to make careful observations and to record accurately.

c. Social Sciences
Students often write down part of the theme cycle in social studies. Students write in response to stories and informational books, interesting words related to the theme, create schedules, and draw diagrams, graphs, and maps.

6. Simulated Journals

In this journal, students play the role of others and write based on the person's view. They can play a role as a figure in history when they read biographies or become part of social-themed learning. When students read a story, students can role-play characters in the story. In this case, students get a view of the life and history of others.

An example of a journal written by a Grade 5 student from America, playing the role of Betsy Ross
May 15th, 1773

Dear Diary
This morning at 5 am I woke up my husband John to work, but he did not want to wake up. I immediately called the Doctor. The doctor soon came. He told me out of the room, so I immediately came out. An hour later the doctor told me that my husband was dead. I'm so sad. I do not know what to do

June 16th, 1776
Today, general Washington visits me to discuss the creation of the flag. I was so surprised. I made the flag! I have made flags for the Navy, but this is too excessive. But I said yes. He shows the pattern of the flag he wants. He also wanted a hexagon star listed but I told him to list the five-pointed stars.

Ira Progroff in Tompkins and Hoskisson (1995) uses an almost similar approach called "dialoguing", dialogue, dialog, conversation.

In this case, students make the dialogue as if they were talking to historical figures or other figures. He suggests focusing on the writing of one's life and starting a journal with the important thing.

d. Young Children' Journals
Students can write a journal by drawing or can combine images and writings. Students can also write numbers, random letters, etc.

Despite the many choices of ways and objectives, writing a journal helps elementary school students to find the "power" of writing to record information and express ideas. Students always appreciate a peacock journal and are amazed by the number of their writings.

e. Teaching Students to Write Journal
The journals are actually typical to be written in notebooks. Binders are useful for long term personal journals, dialogue journals, and writing notebooks.

A booklet (note) is often used to write important things gained in reading, lessons, and experiments. Most teachers choose to keep the journals in class, so students can write each day. But students can also write a journal at home.

Students usually write in a special time every day. Most teachers ask their students to create personal journals and dialogue journals when they visit or after the holidays.

Writing notebooks is often done during learning to collect or record information about topics discussed, such as important quotations.

Reading Logs are made during reading literature and reading workshops. Learning logs and Simulated Journals can be written when learning mathematics, social sciences.

f. Introducing Students to Writing Journal
Teachers introduce students to write journals through learning where they explain the purpose of writing journals and procedures or ways to gather ideas, write fields and submit them to a classmate (presentation). The teacher also gave an example by writing on the board.

Teachers can also explain the types of journals, where the journal is an informal activity, Journal-writing objectives, listing information, and a writing standpoint based on the type of journal.

g. Journal Writing Program
Students write journals on a regular schedule or can each day. Once they know how to write a good note, they can do it independently. Students are then asked to read their journals of any type of journal they have written.

Low-grade students can present a picture journal they make. If the activity takes a lot of time, students can create groups, and presentations can be done in the group. So all students have the opportunity to present their journal. Teacher and student BIA give responses to topics written, word selection, humor, etc.

Minilessons
In teacher Learning explains, teaches about procedures, concepts, strategies, and journal-writing skills. Learning is important when students learn new types of journals or when they have difficulty in performing writing procedures and strategies. Two strategies that students often use writing journals are quick writing and clustering.

Quick writing
The strategies students use in writing the journal without preparation or importunes. Students, Reflec write what they know about the topic. Students write about the topic about 5 Smapai S10 minutes and leave their minds into Tanpafokus writings in both writing and revision styles.

This strategy was actually called "freewriting" and was popularized by Peter Elbow in Tompkins and Hoskisson (1995). He mentions that freewriting is a way to help students focus on the content rather than mechanics (text forms).

Elbow explains that the focus in the mechanics makes writing "dead" because it does not allow students to naturally be of expression.

Quick writing can be assigned to check what students are learning and give the opportunity to clarify the wrong concept... After students have written, they usually convey their results in a small group, and one student per group is delivering them in front of the class. This percentage process takes 10 minutes, so the whole activity takes approximately 20 minutes.

Before learning a new topic, the teacher could ask students to write quickly about the topic. It is to know how much of their knowledge of the topic is, linking their personal experiences, and stimulating attention. Examples:

1. Before discussing a recent event, students are asked to write quickly about the things they know about the location of the event
2. Before studying reptiles, students are asked to write fast about snakes
3. Before studying the substances in the food, students are asked to write fast about fast food or junk food
After learning is done, students are asked to write again about the topic that has been discussed, applying what they have learned. After that, compare the results of the writing with previous results to see what they've been having. It is like a pre-test and post-test but in the form of quick writing.

3. Clustering (grouping)
According to Rico in Tompkins and Hoskisson (1995) clustering is a strategy whereby students collect and group the information they have learned in diagrams or posters. Students also use grouping to organize ideas before starting to write.

Clustering The shape can be like a mesh diagram with topics in the center. The main idea is written around the topic with more detail written next to the main idea. For now, we know it more with the term mind map.

h. Tailor The Needs of Each Student
Journals can be easily adjusted according to students ' needs. Students who do not have much experience with a journal may be more successful in a personal journal or a dialogue journal because of the focus on their lives than the literature or a brand learning theme in the curriculum.

Researchers have stated that students who learn English as a second language are more successful in using the types of dialogue journals than in other types.

For students who have difficulty writing, speaking, or expressing themselves in a language, there is something to do:

1. Drawing Journal Entry
Students can draw what they think of the prophecy, or can draw before writing it. The important thing is that students explore their thoughts and feelings or record what information they learn.

2. Talking before Writing
Students can talk about topics to generate or narrow ideas before writing. At the time of talking, students can find words and sentences to express ideas then they use when writing.

3. Dictating Entries
Teachers can write down what students dictate then write them to students. Then students read the writing again with the teacher. They can also take keywords or phrases to use as image titles.

4. Sharing in Small Groups
Delivering is part of writing, but some students may not feel comfortable presenting them in front of the class. This student may be more comfortable to convey it into a small group.

5. Focusing on Ideas
Students focus on ideas rather than writing as they are aimed to increase writing skills and exploring ideas about what they have learned. Therefore, in the later judgment that must be Dioerhatikan the teacher is an increase in the students ' ideas and insights not a form of writing.

We keep many things in our heads, but we put less on paper. All thoughts and ideas that bounce off can sometimes feel overwhelming. You must list tasks, hopes, dreams, secrets, failures, love, loss, joy and sorrow.

Ideas come and go, feelings pass. How do you remember everything? How do you arrange it? A great way to keep your mind organized and clear in your mind is to write it in a journal. Writing is a great exercise for anyone and expressing yourself in a private place is a great way to stay sane.

Now you know why keeping a journal can help. But how do you keep a journal? This is very personal, and you must do the best for you. But I will give you a few tips to help you get started.