EDUC 1023 Introduction to Language, Literature and Literacy for Educators

Writer’s Journal Tasks and Reflections

What do I write in my reflections on my weekly journal task?

These are some questions you can think and write about-
What the task was:

 What text type? What genre?

 Are you familiar with this type of writing?
What you thought and felt while writing it:

 Was it difficult/easy to write? Why? Why not?

 How confident are you at writing? Why and why not?
 What knowledge did you draw on when you were writing? e.g. memories,
experience, other texts you read, a story somebody told you etc.
What you have learned:

 Have your thoughts about your writing and yourself as a writer changed over the
time that you wrote these journal tasks?
 What would you identify as the most important things you need to include as a
teacher when teaching writing?

See the next page for the list of journal tasks and reflections

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 This table shows you all the tasks you need to submit for Assignment 3 in Appendix 2
Wk Topic Journal Task Reflections
1 The world in a Writer’s Journal. – observation of a familiar object. Write a reflection on this
language and Observe objects in an environment that is very familiar to you. journal entry.
language in the Select a taken for granted object and closely observe it. Write
world. about this object in your Writer’s Journal. Try to describe it in
such detail that someone could draw an accurate picture of it
The student as a from your description.
writer.

2 Language and Writer’s Journal – observation of a natural place Write a reflection on this
Literature: Walk in a natural environment. Closely observe your journal entry.
making meanings surroundings. Look at items in the environment from different
in social contexts. angles, from a distance and close up. Pay special attention to
colours, how many shades of green there are, the play of light
The student as a on leaves etc. Then write a short descriptive piece, as though
writer. this were a scene in a story. You might want to write in the
environment or take photographs to view later to assist your
writing.

3 Literacy and Writer’s Journal – people watching. Write a reflection on this

Multiliteracies. Sit at a café and discretely people watch. Identify someone journal entry.
who interests you and note aspects of their appearance,
The student as a mannerisms, movements etc. Imagine what their life might be
writer. like. Write a character sketch based on the person you have
observed.
4 Language and Writer’s Journal – ‘Eavesdropping’ Write a reflection on this
Literature - ‘Eave’s drop’- this week capture snippets of conversation from journal entry.
culture and real-life situations and/or the media and record them in your
power. writer’s journal. Can you extend them into dialogues in which a
story is explored?
The student as a
writer.
5 Talking together – Writer’s Journal – Memory Lane Write a reflection on this
collaboration and ‘Memory Lane’ – recall something that affected you journal entry.
peer-group emotionally, try to re-capture feelings/thoughts. Use metaphor
‘interthinking’. (i.e. a symbol or set of symbols to represent the
feelings/thoughts). Record the metaphoric representation in
The student as a your writer’s journal.
writer.

6 Multimodality – Writer’s Journal – Metamorphosis. Write a reflection on this

diverse ways of Briefly observe a living creature. Watch its behaviour; how it journal entry.
meaning. moves, where it goes. In your journal, describe the world
The student as a through its eyes; interpret the world though its thoughts
writer.
7 Multimodality – Writer’s Journal – Children’s Story Write a reflection on
exploring Use one of the children’s books on the unit list as a model and whichever journal task you
multimodal texts. draft a story for children in your writer’s journal, you may want completed.
to illustrate it also.
The student as a
writer.
8 Early writing. Writer’s Journal – In the News Write a reflection on
Identify a current issue in the news. Research the issue by whichever journal task you
The student as a reading about it from different sources and write a short piece completed.
writer. about the issue in your writer’s journal as if you were a

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 This table shows you all the tasks you need to submit for Assignment 3 in Appendix 2
Wk Topic Journal Task Reflections
journalist.

9 Developing Writer’s Journal – ‘The Essayist’. The task for this week is a
writing. Reflect on your experience of writing the assignments and combined reflection and
record in your writer’s journal the tensions and challenges you journal entry. It is only one
The student as a experienced as you wrote. Why is it that writing is sometimes a piece of writing this week.
writer. ‘struggle’ and how did you work through your challenges?

10 Grammar and Writer’s Journal – Portrait of the Writer. The task for this week is a
writing. Imagine you are someone other than yourself and that you are combined reflection and
writing a biography of you, the writer. Where would the journal entry. It is only one
The student as a biography begin (e.g. in childhood; earliest memory of writing)? piece of writing this week.
writer. Bring the biography up-to-date by analysing the significant
moments in your journey as a writer.

11 Spelling, word Writer’s Journal – Polishing the Edges This is not a new journal
detectives and Select three pieces of writing in your writer’s journal and refine entry, as such, but asks you
writing. them, ready to be included in the assignment. to polish three you have
The student as a already written. It is helpful if
writer. you leave the original journal
entry in the journal.