I learned a lot using the different techniques for journal writing. Using the different techniques gave me the opportunity to experiment with my own writing. I enjoyed doing the journal entries because it got me out of the habit of the boring "note-taking" mechanism. While taking notes during reading, I always found myself doing a summary of the reading. I had more fun experimenting with the different journal entries, and found it to be more meaningful and easier to understand the text. .
The Learning Log entry for the Internet book forced me to analyze the reading and recognize important issues and concepts. While doing this entry I was relating the reading to my own experience with computers and to other materials I have read about the use of the Internet. This reading provided me with a new way of looking at the use of the Internet. When I was writing the journal entry I was answering the questions I had while reading the text. Everything became clearer after writing it down.
Doing the Double-entry Journal was easier than doing the other entries. It was easier to search for objective accounts and information in the Weaver book that I agree or didn't agree with, especially since it was about Whole Language, which is my research topic. I described my personal thoughts and reactions to the information on the left page of the journal. I also wrote about key issues from class discussion or readings on the right page of the journal. I wrote about what impressed me or annoyed me about the reading. I also thought about my beliefs and my philosophy as I was responding to the left side of the page. .
The journal entry that I spend the most time in and enjoyed the most was the Character Journal. It was challenging to do the beginning part. I didn't know what part of Ellin's journey to start writing about. I wrote and rewrote because I changed my mind frequently. Then I decided to write in "Ellin's journal" in the first person.