93 Why Create a Learning Journey Journal?
The time it takes to learn a concept and/or skill is up to you, the people around you, your access to materials/technology, and your learning environments (Brandt). All the people, spaces, and forms of access matter because all learners have different backgrounds, needs, and forms of support in their lives that impact learning. A class, which is meant to support you in learning new ideas and skills, can get you started, but the learning journey does not end with the semester, year, or even after graduation. We are always continuing to learn. Thinking of yourself as a lifelong learner can also alleviate some stress and help you in your learning journey as it takes time to develop new skills and learn (Bazerman et al.).
As an example, think about learning a new language. You can take a semester or even two years for some college degrees learning a language with the help of your professor and community of classmates, but once you end your language courses, you have to continue practicing and using the language in order to continue developing. If you stop, you may forget what you learned because you are not practicing. So there may be a moment of recap where you realize “I need to practice more; it has been a while.” The same can be said for writing and really a variety of skills in the arts and sciences: learning to write, learning to cook, learning to dance, learning to code, learning to draw. It is not that all is forgotten, but that you may need to freshen up on your practice.
While many articles or books like Gladwell’s Outliers give frameworks regarding time to build mastery, there is not a perfect timeline that is applicable to all people (Erikson & Hawell). Everyone has different learning journeys and needs that make up the best practices for them, but ultimately learning requires time, practice, and is a lifelong process because you will always have experiences in your life where you learn new skills and concepts or even learn something new about a topic you are familiar with and/or passionate about.
Additionally, it is important to remember that all learners have lives outside of the classroom, outside of learning a new skill. And while you can implement what you learn in a variety of spaces, this doesn’t mean you need to be so strict with yourself and your learning that you remove the joy, the failures, and the moments of rest required. When we do that, we tend to dislike learning or maybe forget about the flexibility and time that comes with learning.
Therefore, creating a learning journey journal can assist in your development by allowing you to live, feel joy, and practice the skills you want to improve on–and also see the growth that matters to you. At the end of the day, the growth you see in yourself and the goals you want to achieve in learning are just as important as the outcomes of the class.
In order to capture your learning journey, there are many approaches. What is important though is to record your journey in ways that feel good and important to you. Documenting your learning journey should come from you and be created in ways that hold meaning to you–especially since you will continue to learn outside of the classroom and outside of this specific course.
To start this learning journey journal, it is important to know about SMART goals because sometimes we get so ambitious that we may set goals that cannot be achieved in the time frame we have, and that might make you feel sad or guilty about your learning. Below is a chart that breaks down the acronym of SMART with definitions and examples. The SMART goals below align with the learning journal journey but apply to other aspects of goal setting in your life as well. Look back to this chart when checking if your goal is SMART.
“S” stands for Specific.To make sure your goal is specific, you will need to write what your goal is and why it is important. Addressing the “what” and “why” will help you understand the goal more fully. Questions to ask yourself:
Some things to consider when making a goal specific is to just write the what and why without worrying too much about vagueness. While you do want to be specific and clear, you will have time to recalibrate your goals, as most people do, so just write the what and why as it comes to you. As you move through the other acronyms, your goals will naturally become even more specific! |
“M” stands for Measurable.To make sure your goal is measurable, you will want to think about how you can track your progress and when the goal has been accomplished. Question to ask yourself:
Some things to consider when making your goal measurable is that if you feel stuck, you might need to rethink what the goal is. Or you can move to the next section. SMART goals are not linear because when you plan a goal, you may not know how to measure it until you think about your goals in other ways using the acronym. |
“A” stands for Attainable.To make sure your goal is attainable, you will need to plan actionable steps that help you achieve the goals. Questions to ask yourself:
Some things to consider when making your goal attainable is thinking about the responsibilities you have in this class and others. Again, it’s okay to move around and even change the goal as you move through SMART. |
“R” stands for Relevant.To make sure your goal is relevant, you will need to ask how this learning goal applies to the class you’re in, your career, and your life in general. Questions to ask yourself:
Some things to consider when making your goal relevant are to think about the following: your progress in this class, your career, and life outside of the classroom. You can also look at the learning outcomes of the course, a particular writing assignment, and even a job description for a future career you want to help you think about why this learning experience is relevant. Considering the relevance also helps you understand your goal better and make it more specific. |
“T” stands for Time-bound.To make your goal time-bound, you will need to consider all the steps above and ask yourself what time frame is best for you to complete the goals in mind. Question to ask yourself:
Some things to consider when making a goal time-bound is that not all goals can be completed in a certain time frame. You may find that you need more time. Also, you may find that the goal is a continuous practice that does not necessarily have an end point. If that is the case, break the goal down more so there are time frames aligned with the goal you have in mind. |
The SMART goals are here to support your learning but by no means here to put your learning in a box and make you feel overwhelmed. You will have sections in the journal that ask you to make your goals SMART. Making SMART goals is one part of your learning journey; you don’t need to make goals perfect because goals are ever-changing and some people need to constantly recalibrate their goals. If you start to feel frustrated, just write what you think you can do and move on. Creating a SMART goal is also a skill that with time will become easier. Just knowing about this framework and trying to make your goals SMART will help you.
So if you make a goal, and it’s not working out, which may make you feel sad, you can then think maybe I didn’t make this goal SMART for me? It’s really important to celebrate the goals you can accomplish and move the other goals to a category of “at a later time, I will eventually be able to X.” Because you will eventually accomplish the goals that may seem too big right now. Another important consideration is that the goals you make and how you define them as SMART should consider your needs and your timeline as SMART goals will be addressed by everyone differently.
So, take your time and enjoy learning and developing in ways that hold meaning to you, and remember this is for you! This is your reflective learning space.
Learning Journey Journal Guide
You can use the template for the Learning Journey Journal via Google Slides and personalize it according to your style, or you can use the other options below. The goal, ultimately, is to set your own learning goals in this course and keep track of your progress in ways that are meaningful to you!
Learning Journey Journal Guide (Google Slides)
Learning Journey Journal Template (Google Slides)
Other Journal Options:
If choosing another journal option, refer to the Learning Journey Guide so that you can respond to the prompts. Remember, design is fun especially when expressing yourself, but try not to get too caught up in a design that you get overwhelmed and/or end up not reflecting on your learning.
Digital:
- Jamboard (PC/App)
- Padlet (PC/App)
- Canva (PC/App)
- WordPress (PC/App)
- Genially (PC)
- Paper by WeTransfer (Apple app free)
- Word (provided by TWU)
- Penly (android app free)
- Kilonotes (android app free)
- TikTok (private to you)
- YouTube (private to you)
- Any other option that allows you to journal your learning journey in ways that are meaningful to you
Pros to digital journaling: you have an infinite amount of pages, free, and can use images, gifs, videos, colors, etc.
Cons to digital journaling: may not be the way you like to express yourself; some apps are not free; some apps/programs have design/space limitations; you might spend too much time on design.
Paper:
- Any kind of journal/notebook you own or want to buy
- Any other option that allows you to journal your learning journey in ways that are meaningful to you
Pros to paper journaling: You can express yourself using all kinds of materials available to you and move freely on the page as you would like. Don’t have to worry about free images, stickers, etc, or be limited by free templates.
Cons to paper journaling: you may have to buy supplies; you may run out of paper; you may be limited by the design and space of the journal/notebook. You may mess up the page and have trouble erasing/starting over.
There are many pros and cons to both digital and paper/physical journaling. Choose an option and/or program notebook style, etc. that works for you!
