11 Aug What does a Learning Journal look like?

The Learning Journal could include some or all of the following:

• a list of new terminology or key concepts used in the topic or with their meaning expressed in your own words
• a brief explanation of what the topic is about and why it is worth studying
• notes on questions you have studied in class
• screen shots of applets you have explored with annotations explaining how it helped your learning
• reflections on what you are learning and how you are learning it
• samples of the types of problems you can now solve, for example:
• problems you found difficult with annotations about how you corrected your errors
• problems you are proud of solving
• problems you found interesting with an explanation of why they were interesting
• a problem you particularly feel helped you develop your understanding with an explanation of why it was useful
• a mind-map showing the links between concepts
• a written description of an occasion when extra help was needed, sought and obtained, and how this influenced your learning journey
• a short film explaining how to solve a problem
• links to internet resources you found interesting or helpful
• formulae you may need to memorize and examples of how to apply them
• a revision sheet for the topic that you have created

What does a Learning Journal look like?

There is no set look to a Learning Journal and it is best to choose whatever structure or form works best for you. You may find that over time, your journal will start to change form as you become more comfortable with reflecting on your learning. This does not mean that you need to start again, but explain the adaption, and allow the journal to grow and change with your learning.

How should I begin writing a Learning Journal?

If you are unsure how to start, try:

• describing the experience you had in the classroom during the last lesson
• making notes about the activity you did today, who worked with you and how they contributed to your learning
• summarizing the purpose of the activity
• describing what helped or hindered your learning
• listing the things from today’s lesson that you already knew and things that were new to you
• listing the things you might do differently because of your experience in class today
• making a note of something that you need to follow-up on, revise or check with your teacher, explaining how you identified this
• using exercises done in class and at home to provide you with examples to illustrate your thoughts What is ‘reflection’ in Mathematics? Reflection is thinking for an extended period about your recent experiences and relating them to your past experiences. Reflection includes looking for things that are common to what we already know and for things that are different. In mathematics, reflection is thinking about the new concepts you are learning and linking them to things that you have learnt in the past, either in previous mathematics lessons or in other subject areas. Reflection includes thinking about how you solved a problem. It also includes thinking about how you can solve a problem more efficiently or more elegantly in the future. Reflection is thinking about how you can use the new learning you have acquired in a variety of situations.

The topic is about probability. The first journal is on multistage experiments from example 12 to 15. The second journal is on independent events from example 16 to 20. The third journal is on dependent events from example 21 to 26.

The examples should only select from my resources above.