Purpose Statement
The learning log activity helps students develop
responsibility for their learning and to take an active role in their own
education. It also serves as a positive reminder of all that they have done and
learned by attending class.
Description of
Activity
A set of learning logs (one for each class session) is
distributed to the students to be inserted into their class notebook or binder.
At the end of each class session, 5-10 minutes are set aside to allow students
to write in their learning log for the day. (Students write a brief description
of the activities or lessons covered in class, and what they learned.) This is
a good opportunity for the Instructor to review what he or she thought were the
most important, or key concepts covered in the class.
After a few log pages are completed, students begin to see the benefit of
keeping them. They serve as excellent reference materials for review and study.
They are also very helpful for students who are absent: they simply ask a
person nearby to share their log and go over the lesson, activity, or
information that was missed.
Materials Needed
Five minutes at the end of each class is all that is
necessary to make these Learning Logs successful. If time at the end of class
runs short, learning logs can be completed the first five minutes of the
following class. Again, this serves as a helpful way of clarifying any
lingering confusions or questions about the material covered, as well as serving
as a bried review of the lesson.
Application
If you decide to use the learning logs in your class, I
recommend that you do use them consistently. It is good role modeling to begin
a project such as this and follow-through with consistent use: this will begin
building a positive study habit for your students.
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web page was created on 6/6/99 at 6:25:09 PM
and modified on 6/6/99 at 6:25:09 PM