STEP 4: 7 Strategies for Metacognition - Discussion Forum

I am strongly considering using this type of questioning for students who might be seeking reassessment for formatives.  I guess I'm at a level that I expect students to put thought and deliberation behind their responses on things I'm looking to assess more formally (after tons of informal assessments throughout the class period(s)) and so I do expect best efforts and quality work the first time through.  If one wishes to prove they have learned from their mistakes on a formative, I want them to first consider what went wrong the first time and why - not just fishing for how something might be graded.  That way I am much more comfortable about the actual learning than it degrading into something to do just to "get some points back".  Until we get to that point, I remain convinced that students will never (use of word intentional - I refer to students as a group, acknowledging that a very few might not fit this category) elevate their thinking and become truly reflective in their work.  The risk will be that a similar few will never take the challenge up to prove growth because they are more apathetic to the process.

Within our team, Science, Math & ELA had a collaborative learning journal in a Force and Motion PBL.  The students were instructed regarding how to complete the journal in ELA, and then we gave them time in Math and Science to complete their journals.  The journal was utilized in their final writing project. Darryl Duttenhefner and I have attached an example below.

I really like the idea of having the students keep learning journals and am considering incorporating this into my Spanish 1 and 2 classes for next year. I feel that this would be very useful for those students that are struggling. It will really make them reflect on what strategies are working and not working in their learning processes.

One of the biggest skills that students are lacking is study skill. Maybe is they take the time to reflect on what they are actually doing to study and learn this will improve their study skills.

I think journal idea is great, and I've tried something like it, but I fell into the trap of asking the wrong prompts.  I used journals as "little quizzes." With them thinking more about their own thinking, I can see how they will be learning to better learners.

I was just at AVID training, so I want to start with the Cornell Notes.  Students have to write a summary at the bottom of the page.  Since I have not done this before, I think this will be my main writing requirement for the start of the school year.  I do see where once they are better and more comfortable with writing that journaling will be natural next step.  Not only is all this writing in math new to them but it will be different for me too.  Usually, my writing was done on a summative test or a project.

I will be incorporating a reader's journal into the reading workshop.  Students will keep track of genres read, reflections and etc.  I have never used this before but feel it is going to give students a documentation of their journey to becoming life-long readers.

I have used learning journals often in the classroom, mostly to summarize student learning of a particular topic.  After learning more about the importance of metacognition, I think I will take a different approach to learning journals in my classroom.  Journals should be done often and on a regular basis if goals is to have students evaluate their learning.  Journals should be referred to often and students should use their thoughts to adjust their learning.

I like the idea of students keeping learning logs which may be helpful to them as well as to me as their case manager so that I am able to know where they need additional assistance and in which areas they feel confident.

Learning journals are a fabulous way to help students reflect on growth of learning. I have found that students express so much more in writing and the reflection is accurate and thoughtful!

Journals are a great way for students to get their thoughts and feelings out without feeling the pressure of giving an oral answer. They comfortable to reflect without judgment. This has a place in any classroom, and I don't believe should be graded due to this being comfortable for students.

I think journals are a good reflection tool for students to reflect on their own learning and preparation. I think it is also a good tool to use where they can feel "safe" in expressing how things are progressing.  Timely feedback from the teachers on the journals can also be successful.

JOurnaling is awesome when students are wiling. I think it is great as a pretest or even as a formative way to assess their knowledge, but again the option of prompted questions, discussion, journal, voice thread etc. needs to be there for the students who aren't ready to do that alone. 

i plan on using learning journals as part of digital portfolio for each leadership student. The learning journals will have prompt questions based on the leadership quality or the service learning action step.

Students in the STEM classes will reflect in short writing assignments as well as journals that relate to individual challenges.  We have implemented a Daily 6 reflective practice in the engineering design process.  Students will answer questions and upload pictures of their design as they work to improve it.  

I would like to explore using VoiceThread as an option to a written journal.  So many times I like to think and ponder out loud, and I wonder if this is true for students.  They could record their voice while responding to prompts.  It could even be a discussion between two students.  

I like adding this to my Reading Journals. I have students keep a goals page in which they record their reading goals as they progress through the year, but I think it might be even more powerful to create a goals section that models after this learning journal so to reflect on their growth toward their goals, what has helped them grow, or why growth might not be occurring as hoped for. 

In the project I am developing I plan on using many of these questions to set the stage for student to begin work on their projects.  Again, initially, some of these questions will serve as a baseline.  I will also use some of these questions in as peer review questions and self-evaluation questions. The reflects will be based on their initial knowledge and then their newly learned information.

Learning journals provide students a pathway to understand their own thinking. Providing students weekly questions helps to point them in the correct reflective direction.

Over time, students should be aware of these prompts and begin to use them on their own to engage in new techniques or continue successful ones.

I believe that students who monitor their own thinking through personal journals or technology grow considerably.  I will use all of these journaling questions in everyday lessons and project based learning projects.  I like how the students have to identify what worked well and what needs to be changed.  I like self reflection each day on google.  Blogs are a great tool and students are able to respond and encourage a new idea.

How and where might you implement this practice in the project you're working on?  Learning Journals fit in wonderfully with Pioneer Journals-students will be including voice and opinion as they pretend their are a pioneer child.  You may also use Learning Journals separately, as well, if you want students to make connections from past to present and be more specific and details.

What would you have your students reflect on? How might this help you to innovate formative assessment?  Students may compare and contrast past and present with Pioneer Life and Modern Life.  They may use Learning JOurnals to record facts when researching.  Students may write goals to be working on or new questions that they want to find answer for in Pioneer Life.

I will use these journal questions during my pbl projects and other assignments. I could use these with google forms, journals, or partner sharing during our morning meeting. I think my students will benefit from reflecting about their learning. 

I love the idea of using personal learning journals. I would try to set this up as a Google Classroom page and have student reflect weekly to these questions that have students reflect on how rather than what they learned. It would be a great tool to use throughout the entire school year!

We keep journals for everything else why not doing it for our learning! I love the thought of finishing up the day with a little self reflection on their learning.  I am consider adding this into my Google classroom.