In reviewing these two lists, we realized that the assignments we formulate for our students often draw from the latter list far more frequently than the former. Introducing a journal into classroom use is not difficult to do. Either a spiral notebook or a binder will serve, and a larger size will allow students to add clippings and pictures as appropriate. Insist that students date each entry, and encourage them to write for at least 10-15 minutes each time they make an entry in their journal. Ask to see the journals occasionally during the semester, and allow students the freedom to remove or fold over a page that they don't wish you to read.
Student journals provide a number of benefits both inside and outside the classroom.
They can be used to help focus a class at the beginning of the period, or to pull together what has been learned at the end. They can often replace quizzes or worksheets as a measure of what students are learning. Journals allow a reticent student to establish an opinion about a topic before being asked to speak about it publicly, and the simple act of writing will often stimulate more careful reflection upon complex issues. Journal writing also helps students to relax when they write and helps them find their own voice and rhythm. Journals can be a way for students to respond to readings, films, and speakers, as well as to chart the evolution of their thought over a period of time.