The Topic: Journal Writing Easier - You don't have to be a great writer, perfect speller, or creative thinker to keep a personal journal. Journal writing means that you regularly write down your thoughts and experiences.   Harder - A journal is a continued series of writings made by a person in response to their life experiences and events. Diaries contain a description of daily events. A journal may include those descriptions, but it also contains reflections on what took place and expresses emotions and understandings about them. It doesn't matter what you call your writing, either a diary or journal, as long as you see the distinction between these two ways of writing.   Conversations Within: Journal Writing and Inner Dialog by G. Starnes http://www.journal-writing.com/ Here is an on-line workshop on journal writing. Similar Website: 2) Writing the Journal by C. Kingston http://www.writingthejourney.com/   Descriptive Writing with V. Hamilton http://teacher.scholastic.com/writewit/diary/ Capturing an event through descriptive writing involves paying close attention to the details by using all of your five senses. In this workshop, the noted author shares some writing tips and guidelines that will help you use your powers of observation to write and publish your very own descriptive writing.   Echoing Whispers: Journal Writing Resources http://journal-writing.webdjinni.net/ This site concerns both private and on-line journal writing. It is dedicated to improving and understanding oneself through the use of free writing, creativity, and self-analysis.    Secret Diary http://www.spies.com/~diane/journals.html This website contents include journaling habits, tips, journal books and web resources, and published journals. Related Websites: 2) Diarist.Net http://diarist.net/ 3) Journaling Your Life by H. Arce http://h.arce.tripod.com/journalingyourlife/ 4) Memoir Writers http://www.memoirwriters.com/      Explore journal writing with one or more of these activities:   Begin a Journal. Visit websites like (1) Secret Diary (http://www.spies.com/~diane/journals.html), (2) How Do I Start Keeping a Journal? (http://www.suite101.com/article.cfm/journal_writing/53081), and (3) Journal Writing - The Beginning (http://www.suite101.com/article.cfm/3768/100686), both by C. Martzinek from Suite 101 to gather ideas. Then begin keeping your own journal. Follow the tips and guidelines, but make it your own personal journal. Remember there are no absolute rules.   Decorate a Journal Cover. First start with selecting your journal; it could be a spiral-bound notebook, a blank book available at book and stationary stores, or you could make your own journal using plain white filler pages bound together (fasteners, yarn, staples) with construction paper covers. Then decorate your cover by drawing pictures, using a graphics software program on the computer, or cutting and pasting pictures from old magazines to make your own unique journal cover.   Create a Nature Journal. You can get some ideas and startup information from the following sites: 1) Back to Nature by K. Dahl from FamilyFun http://familyfun.go.com/raisingkids/learn/activities/feature/famf78nature/famf78nature.html 2) Create a Nature Journal http://www.kidsplanet.org/defendit/new/journal.html from Kids' Planet Defenders of Wildlife 3) Create Your Own Nature Journal from National Wildlife Federation's Ranger Rick's Go Wild http://www.nwf.org/kidzone/kzPage.cfm?siteId=3&departmentId=152 4) Field Journal Activity http://www.enviro-explorers.com/journalactivity.html from Iowa Department of Transportation 5) Keeping a Nature Journal http://www.sierraclub.org/education/nature_journal.asp by B.J. Gisel from the Sierra Club 6) Keeping a Nature Journal by K.M. Porterfield http://www.kporterfield.com/journal/Journal_Nature.html 7) Nature Journal as a Tool for Learning by K. Matsumoto http://www.newhorizons.org/strategies/environmental/matsumoto.htm 8) Nature Journaling http://www.care2.com/channels/solutions/outdoors/357 9) Winter Nature Journal http://www.care2.com/channels/solutions/outdoors/358   Start a Journal Jar. Look at the writing prompts provided at (1) Journal Jar Ideas (http://www.omnicron.com/~fluzby/sister-share/journal.htm), (2) Writing Prompts/Journal Topics (http://www.canteach.ca/elementary/prompts.html), (3) Creative Writing Prompts (http://www.creativewritingprompts.com/), and (4) Journal Writing Ideas (http://teachers.net/lessons/posts/1492.html). Then put together your own Journal Jar and chock-it full of startup ideas. Use it in your own journal writing activity.   Few More Sites 1000 Journals http://www.1000journals.com/ One thousand blank journals are traveling from hand to hand throughout the world. Those who find them are to add stories and drawings and pass them along.   Best Resources for Writers http://www.gotexan.com/pdme/index.htm Other Similar Sites: 2) Indispensable Writing Resources http://stetson.edu/~rhansen/writweb.html 3) Resources for Writers from R. Bush http://home.earthlink.net/~rodbush/Writers.htm 4) Writing from eduScapes 42eXplore http://eduscapes.com/42explore/writing.htm   Creative Journal http://www.creative-journal.com/ Here you will find articles, techniques, a visual gallery and more designed to spark the creative flow for you when writing.   Journal for You http://www.journalforyou.com/index-2.html This website from a journal enthusiast focuses on writing for personal growth and creative enhancement.   Journaling from S.C.O.R.E. Language Arts http://www.sdcoe.k12.ca.us/score/actbank/sjournal.htm This website describes several different types of journals. Related Website: How to Keep a Writing Journal 2) http://www.gmu.edu/departments/english/composition/students/journaling.html    Journaling Page http://www.powr.net/skyward/journaling.htm This site provides some basic startup information for beginners.   Journal Writing and Adult Learning by S. Kerka from ERIC Digest http://www.ericfacility.net/databases/ERIC_Digests/ed399413.html This article focuses on several types of journals, exploring their value in assisting adults through their learning journey and summarizing advice from the literature on effective ways to use journals. Another ERIC Article on Journaling: 2) Effective Use of Student Journal Writing by G.R. Cobine http://www.ericfacility.net/ericdigests/ed378587.html   Journal Writing - Why and How? from Right Mind Logic http://www.rightmindlogic.com/why_and_how.htm This webpage has a few helpful hints for journaling.   Personal Journaling http://www.writersdigest.com/journaling/ This online site for the journaling magazine has an archive of previous articles.     Websites For Teachers Journal Ideas for the Classroom by J.K. Blaylock from Suite 101 http://www.suite101.com/article.cfm/3768/100934 Do you have a time where your students spend time writing in a journal? Are you interested in developing a special time for students to develop journals? If your answer is yes, then this information is for you.   Journaling Strand Overview from Tools for Understanding, University of Puget Sound http://www.ups.edu/community/tofu/lev1f/jourframe.htm Why use writing to teach math? Because by making the thinking process concrete (i.e., having students articulate their thinking in journals), writing gives students and teachers valuable information about how students are learning math.   Journal Writing Every Day: Teachers Say It Really Works! from Education World http://www.education-world.com/a_curr/curr144.shtml Some teachers check journal writing and work on polishing skills; others use journals as the one "uncorrected" form of writing that students produce. Some teachers provide prompts to help students begin their writing. Others leave decisions about the direction and flow of student journals up to the students. This curriculum article provides lots of ideas for your classroom.   thoughts feelings diary notebook altered point of view personal history opinions beliefs writing fears figurative language stream of consciousness reflection dreams organize communicate lists description create freewriting guided imagery dialogue writing prompts problem solving unsent letters lists clusters family history experience memory hopes memoir biography scrapbook storytelling journaling        Created by Annette Lamb and Larry Johnson, 7/99. Updated 9/03.