Free journalling

Free journalling

Pencil and paper
Overview
Using this Resource
Connecting to the Curriculum
Marking Student Responses
Further Resources
This task is about writing about your learning in maths.

Write down some things about today's lesson.

Here is a list of ideas you may wish to choose from. Choose only one or two things to write about.

Starters for mathematics journals
 
1. What I learnt today in mathematics
- What mathematics did I learn?
- Describe how a method works.
- What are my opinions on the mathematical ideas I learnt today?

2.
How I felt today
- I was feeling ...
- What did I enjoy or find good?
- What didn't I like?
- My feelings about mathematics

3.
Things that I need help more on
- I find … hard
- I need to practise …
- I need to remember ...
- I need to improve at ...

4.
Thinks that help me learn, or about my learning
- Where do I learn new ideas from?
- How do I learn best?
- How am I improving?

5.
Things that were useful or interesting

6.
Things I found easy or I already knew

7.
Things that really make sense today
- I finally worked out how to ...
- I worked out a new way to …
- I didn’t know you could …

8.
Other things about maths

 

 

Task administration: 
  • After conducting a lesson get the students to spend five to ten minutes writing. You may get the students to write in their maths books, or to use a book dedicated to journal entries.
  • Show the students a copy of the possible starters. Emphasise that what they write about is their choice, and does not have to come from the list.
  • Encourage the students to focus on one or two of the starters.
  • Explain that they can communicate ideas to you through this writing.
  • Read the students’ journal entries. Note areas of strengths and weaknesses both for individual students and across the class. Try and give the students feedback, either in written form in their journals, or orally in a one-to-one conference or a group or class setting.
  • Get the students to repeat this exercise from time to time, either in their mathematics book, a journal or any other suitable place.
Curriculum info: 
English, Creating meaning, Writing
Keywords: 
journalling, estimation
Description of task: 
Students write about aspects of a lesson that they have just had. A list of possible starters is used to provide topics for the students to write about.
Answers/responses: 

Examples of student responses

The following responses are based on daily journals kept by nine Year 8 students during a unit on computational estimation. The series of lessons introduced students to a broad range of different estimation strategies. The items on the journaling starter list was compiled largely from these students’ own ideas of what they thought they may write about in their journals.

For more information about estimation, click on Computational estimation information.

The percentages quoted show how many of each type of response was written. For example, comments about "The mathematics I learnt today" accounted for 46% of the self-selected journal entries.

The mathematics I learnt today (46%)

•  What mathematics I learnt (30%)
 "I learnt a few new strategies and easier ways to solve problems."      
 "I learnt more about estimation and rounding."
 "I learnt why we add zeros when we multiply by 10, 100, 1000 … "
 "Today I didn't really learn anything new because I already knew [it]."
•  Descriptions of how strategies works (12%)
 "I learnt an easy way to do 100 10. I switched one zero so it looks like 10
1000= 10 000"
 "You can get an accurate but quick answer by rounding just one number e.g.
 8682 – 6124 is about 8682 – 6000 = 2682."
Opinions about mathematical ideas (4%)
 "I prefer to use front end (rather than rounding) on big numbers or on lots of numbers."
 "I like front-end because it's quick and easy and you can do it in your head."
 "I don't really like the front-end way of estimating."

How I felt today (17%)
Aspects that were good or that I enjoyed (8%)

   "It was good to practise [the estimation strategies]."
 "I enjoyed doing solid work today. We only had one thing to focus on rather than
 lots of little things."
Feeling confident about the mathematics (3%)
   "I noticed that I felt much more confident, and I'm really pleased with myself."
Other feelings (6%)
   "I am really tired at this time so that's why I added instead of multiplied."
 "I was a bit bored."
 "I like to make my own choices [where to sit]."

  

Things that I need more help on (12%)
   "I was a little bit stuck on some of the 1000 multiplications."
 Something I found challenging was working out about how much [my estimate] was out
 by."
 "I need a faster way to adjust my estimates."
 "I think estimating with division is tricky compared with adding or multiplying."

  

Things that help me learn, or about my learning  (10%)
    "I liked C and G's method."
 "I discovered how other people in my group estimate."
 "I am getting better at adjusting [compensating] my estimates."
 "I found it a bit easier, but more practice would be very helpful."

  

Things that were useful or interesting (9%)
    "I thought the front-end method is really useful and it will come in handy."
 "I found it interesting learning about 10, 100, and so on."
 "I think it has helped, especially the pages [where I wrote down useful ideas]."

 

Things I find easy or already know (6%)
   Most of this stuff I already know. Are we going to do anything more challenging."
"I found learning about simple estimating to be quite easy."
"Doing [compensation] with front-end was easy."
"The questions we did with money were quite easy, but did involve a little bit of thinking."

 

This task is designed to be conducted from time to time as part of a journalling programme that is run alongside your mathematics programme.

For further information on journalling, click on any of these:

Journalling in mathematics

Reflecting on reflective journalling

Self-regulated learning in the mathematics class