Diary as a Tool
The most substantial part of a Portfolio is the description and observation of your actions and experiences. To do that, you will probably need to record your actions and experiences in such a way that you can remember enough of them to make the observations meaningful. The most straightforward way to do this (for those of us with less than perfect memories) is to keep a diary or journal of some kind. "Diaries" can be written, tape recorded, or visual, but the point is to have some kind of reference tool when you compile all the information in your Portfolio. Written format is certainly the most common for both diaries and Portfolios.
The Quakers used journals to document their actions when they went "into the world for service," but they also placed a high value on reflection, in addition to pure observation. Some (not all) of the early documentation of Friends World students kept to the same model (still called a "Journal" at that time)-- observation integrated with evaluation and reflection. However, many were misled by the use of the ordinary word "journal" (meaning day-to-day record of events) for a specific format which really dealt with an entire learning process. This resulted in a fair number of Journals (as well as some more recent Portfolios) containing pure observation and very little else: "I had cornflakes for breakfast" kind of thing, or "What I saw when I got off the bus."
Not only is this a little pointless to read, but it usually ends up being frustrating to the author. For most of us, stopping at the level of a diary is not satisfying; in order for us to take any pride in our work, we want to engage our minds, not just eat breakfast. The growth from the chronological record of events (diary) to a thematic and meaningful look at those events (Portfolio) is a large part of what Experiential Learning is all about.
The point is that a diary is an important tool, but it is only one part of a Portfolio.
Workshop Discussion Sparks
- Observation vs. Interpretation
- How to maintain a discipline of writing regularly (see Rigorous Training)
Inspired and Creative
- Practice finding meaning and learning from the events of each day
- How have these events changed your perspective?
- How do they relate to your interests and goals?
Rigorous Training
- The hardest thing with a daily record of events is making it daily, that is, the discipline of writing something each day. Try setting a specific time of the day to write something-- anything, even one word. Once you've got this, just expand it.
AAAAAGGGHHHH!
- Make things simpler for yourself by finding the medium in which you work best:
- text (written or typed)
- photos
- tape recorded musings
- poetry
- stream-of-consciousness
- etc.
- You might surprise yourself by finding that one of these is much easier for you.
- It is easier to write about events or thoughts as soon as possible after they've happened. On the other hand, sometimes reflection and reconceptualization takes time, so be prepared to revisit your writings.
See Also
Contribute to the Portfolio Resource Guide!!!
Previous Page
Up to Category
Next Page
Contents
Index
Front Page
Friends World Home
