Interactive JournalsHow to make your journal content-rich and creative

PurposeInteractive Journals are intended to:

Create a review “warehouse” for your ISU reading Encourage active readingHelp you process what you readOrganize connections within the text Organize connections between texts Encourage creative thought

Content RichWhat INFORMATION should be in my journal?

Quotations from the readingQuestions about the readingNew VocabularyInformation about/examples of Literary TermsOriginal writingOutside connectionsPersonal thoughts on the texts

Journaling MethodsWritingSketch notingMind mappingChartingCollagingConnectingOther (let me know)

WritingPlain recording of thoughts and ideasSentencesParagraphsListsPoint form notesDefinitions

Traditional writing methods must be in your journal

Sketch NotingVisual representations are added to text Great method for people who are “doodlers”

Colorful “Day Doodle” is one example- imagine a character in the “Saturday” place with doodles and notes about him/her as a journal page.

Mind MappingOrganizing notes around a central idea and brainstorming from that. Free-association note taking.Often a theme, motif or image is the centerpiece with examples from the text, personal thoughts, connections to other pieces, etc- in the offshoots

Color organizing makes for easily identifiable thought streams

ChartingCharts and graphic organizer style layouts can include both text and sketches

CollagingPasting items into your journal where they can deepen meaning.Pictures, copies of sections of text

The act of “collaging” an idea from text into a visual is a form of processing which deepens our understanding if done with purpose and intention. Keep your eyes open for “artifacts & ephemera” that might work in collage pages.

ConnectingAdding items (in any of the style methods) that relate to the current text

PoemsSongsTED talks/You Tube videos/Feature filmsStories/novels/cartoonsNewspaper articles/world eventsArt

These items will be useful when you create your presentation.

General Guidelines for Journals

Should be content rich!We aren’t adding doodles, collage, charts, etc for their own sakes. These are always used to process our current content and to add deeper meaning.

Should ALL incorporate traditional writing plus at least 2 other styles.Should include color when possible to create more compelling visual organization.Should be with you EVERY DAY. You never know when an idea will strike.