The basic purpose of keeping a journal is to help you reflect on how you learn. [This is a metacognitive strategy!] It will also help show me your thinking process as we progress through the course. It should show how you are “engaging” with the course material and how the instruction is reaching you. Thus it should be questioning, reactive, and open-ended. Grammar, mechanics and neatness will not be graded, but you must spell check and grammar check before submitting.
Basic guidelines:
- There must be at least 2 entries per week.
- Entries must be typed. Please print them two-sided to ‘save a tree.’
- Each entry must be at least one solid paragraph long. [If your journals are too “skimpy,” I will let you know.]
- Each entry must be dated.
- Entries should be kept in a loose leaf folder, so that entries can be added throughout the semester. Staple together each set of entries.
- Each submission should contain all the entries, not just the latest weeks’ installment.
Journals will be collected every two weeks, generally on a Thursday, on the following dates:
- Thursday, Sept. 15
- Thursday, Sept. 29
- Thursday, Oct. 13
- Friday, Oct. 28
- Thursday, Nov. 10
- Wednesday, Dec. 7 (second to last day of class) – 6 entries due, instead of 4
Mark these dates on your calendars now!
At times, there will be directed journal questions given as part of your HW. These should be answered as part of your normal weekly entries. Other possibilities for discussion are:
- Aspects of French you find very easy – or difficult – or enjoyable — and why.
- Specific things you are struggling with in terms of grammar.
- What you thought of a particular classroom activity or HW assignment.
- Ideas that have helped you learn something better.
- Things you find helpful.
- Mnemonic devices you have created.
- Suggestions of things that you would find helpful — and why.
- Tutoring sessions.
- Questions about how to really “get” something.
- Questions about why we are doing things in a given way; etc., etc.
- Cultural differences you find interesting.
- Cultural tidbits you have picked up on, read about, noticed in the newspaper, etc.
Grading: Journals will be given an intervening grade of:
Check + + Check + Check Check – Check – –
After the final submission, the entire journal will receive a grade out of 100%.
