An academic journal is intended as an opportunity to use both cognitive
and affective aspects of our experience in and out of the classroom.
You can write your thoughts or write about your feelings. Below are
examples of possible lines of thought/feeling:
1. cognitive out of the classroom:
when you read an article you found it difficult to follow you found an statement in an article that contradicted what you have learned in another context (it can be personal experience) (its possible that a class discussion later clarified this) you observed behaviors in your placement that illlustrate or contradict articles you've read or knowledge you have acquired in other places
2. cognitive in the classroom:
you find that jargon or words used in the classroom are not familiar to you you find that different positions seem equally plausible to you; or that some of them contradict your own experiences you find that a point made in discussion is confusing even after clarifications have been offered
3. affective out of the classroom:
you were filled with emotion as you read an article or a newspaper in the supermarket or saw a TV program about issues related to this course you felt X or Y as you read something you told someone about your readings for the class and that person reacted in a way you did/did not anticipate
4. affective in the classroom:
during a discussion you felt X or Y; it could be because of what was said, or of how it was said, or your classmates or instructors reaction, or maybe for some reason you still can't identify you experience something out of the classroom that is tied to the issues discussed in class or in the readings and it elicits strong feelings related to women and minorities in SME.
The journal consists of descriptions and/or reflections on the incidents.
Whenever possible, make reference to the specific article or if not an
article, to specifics of the discussion, TV news, conversation, etc. What
were your thoughts/feelings at the time? Do you have a sense of what
may account for that? Your own personal knowledge? Your awareness
of some kinds of behaviours or systems that are considered normal or oppressive
or ????
A good journal (that will receive a high grade) will be clear in its
references to incidents/articles. It will indicate that reflexion
has occurred about the what/why/how for what is being described -- i.e.,
it will be critical. It may also indicate how your knowledge has
grown as the quarter has gone by -- something that seemed obscure or difficult
in the beginning is clear now.