Personal Learning Journals at BGI

I think this is a terrific idea! Last year, I started a private blog for members of my LPD group (for this assignment: Create an on-going artistic expression of your journey through BGI that you can share with your Learning Circle.) While I mainly posted in response to assignments, I also managed to include some things that frustrated me, entertained me, or inspired me. I could embellish my thoughts with photos, lead my group on journeys through links, and even spark discussion in the comments. It seemed invigoratingly interactive.

Another plus to having a learning journal throughout BGI is that it's a great reference tool. I've been keeping a personal blog for years, and between that blog and the LPD blog, I've managed to catalog so much of my learning journey and can't count the number of times I've looked back at an entry. I look back to remind myself of particular events or details, but I also occasionally read back throughout my entries and relive my experience at BGI. I don't know anyone whose memory is perfect, and I'm sure most students at BGI would love to have a learning journal to look back on. (This doesn't mean they won't bitch about it, but when it's all over they'll be grateful. Like with Accounting!)

There is so much that can be done with an online journal. It can be private, and only shared with a few people. Or it can be public, open to the BGI community and even family and friends. If families and spouses were able to read a student's journal, they would be more involved in that student's school life. They could comment on an entry, a different student could respond, and voila! There's now a bond between two people that wasn't there before. This could also keep alumni connected to the community. And even help foster friendships between current students! I'm "Facebook friends" with several BGI people who I only had a few casual conversations with. But we can comment on each others statuses and forge a connection that way. Learning journals could be used as a similar tool. It's a personal choice, of course, but there are so many possibilities.

Obviously, I am very much in favor of incorporating online personal learning journals into BGI's curriculum. Please feel free to share my link with anyone in the BGI community.