At different times during the screening of the film, you could stop and ask students to reflect on what they have viewed and predict future action. At the end, you could ask them to evaluate the film. At various stages during a unit, you could ask students to discuss key questions, reflect on their learning and negotiate new goals. From time to time, you can ask students to swap their learning logs and comment on each others' reflections. The notes students make in their logs can form the basis of an essay they write.
Learning logs are an excellent support for class and group discussion.
By asking students to reflect on a key question in writing before engaging in discussion, you give all students the opportunity to think carefully before making a response. In this way, more students become involved in the discussion and the discussion tends to be richer. Encourage students to use their learning logs to explore questions other than those you have set. Again, if they know that you will be using the learning log as an assessment tool, they will often be more likely to take it seriously. Encourage students, especially struggling writers, to use mind maps, sketches and diagrams as well as narrative.