Reflective Journal
Reflective Journal
Detailed description as if to an outsider. Often you will use your journal to record detailed descriptions of some aspect of your internship environment, whether physical, behavioral, or organizational. When you write them, you will not have a clear idea of what you will make of these details, but you will sense that they might be important later. These descriptions should sound as if you were describing them to someone who was never there. Journals allow you to sound naïve.
At times you will want to speculate as to why something that you have observed firsthand is as it is. You might derive your explanation from a lecture you have heard, a book you have read, or your own reservoir of “common sense”. Having posited an interpretation, you will want to continue with your detailed observations on the topic to see if you want to stick with your hypothesis or alter it. Journals allow you to change your mind.
Here are a few of the ingredients that go into a keeping a great journal: * Journals should be snapshots filled with sights, sounds, smells, concerns, insights, doubts, fears, and critical questions about issues, people, and, most importantly, yourself. * Honesty is the most important ingredient to successful journals. * A journal is not a work log of tasks, events, times and dates. * Write freely. Grammar/spelling should not be stressed in your writing until the final draft. * Write an entry after each visit. If you can’t write a full entry, jot down random thoughts, images, etc. which you can come back to a day or two later and expand into a colorful verbal picture.
Key questions to answer
Describe your experience.
What would you change about this situation if you were in charge?
How have you challenged yourself, your ideals, your philosophies, your concept of life or of the way you live?
Was there a moment of failure, success, indecision, doubt, humor, frustration, happiness, sadness?
Do you feel your actions had
Detailed description as if to an outsider. Often you will use your journal to record detailed descriptions of some aspect of your internship environment, whether physical, behavioral, or organizational. When you write them, you will not have a clear idea of what you will make of these details, but you will sense that they might be important later. These descriptions should sound as if you were describing them to someone who was never there. Journals allow you to sound naïve.
At times you will want to speculate as to why something that you have observed firsthand is as it is. You might derive your explanation from a lecture you have heard, a book you have read, or your own reservoir of “common sense”. Having posited an interpretation, you will want to continue with your detailed observations on the topic to see if you want to stick with your hypothesis or alter it. Journals allow you to change your mind.
Here are a few of the ingredients that go into a keeping a great journal: * Journals should be snapshots filled with sights, sounds, smells, concerns, insights, doubts, fears, and critical questions about issues, people, and, most importantly, yourself. * Honesty is the most important ingredient to successful journals. * A journal is not a work log of tasks, events, times and dates. * Write freely. Grammar/spelling should not be stressed in your writing until the final draft. * Write an entry after each visit. If you can’t write a full entry, jot down random thoughts, images, etc. which you can come back to a day or two later and expand into a colorful verbal picture.
Key questions to answer
Describe your experience.
What would you change about this situation if you were in charge?
How have you challenged yourself, your ideals, your philosophies, your concept of life or of the way you live?
Was there a moment of failure, success, indecision, doubt, humor, frustration, happiness, sadness?
Do you feel your actions had