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Faith
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| Posted: March 16 2005 at 5:23am | IP Logged
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Hi all,
Do any of you keep a daily journal of what you do all day? I have done this very briefly from time to time, but lately I have felt the urge to make this a habit. I was wondering about the practical logistics of this. What kind of journal do you use? Where do you keep it and when do you journal each day. I am not really talking about a real journal full of thoughts or a prayer journal or anything like that. Just basically a running account of what your kids are learning and other kid related observations.
I guess my real impetus for this is that I am thinking of enrolling in the Clonlara School for high school. They tend to be unschoolish and have the student record everything they do. Their philosophy is that anything that is learning should go towards credit. Before I ask my 14 yo to get into this habit, I would like to establish it for myself.
Thanks!
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Mary G
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| Posted: March 16 2005 at 5:36am | IP Logged
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Faith:
This is how I keep my records just in case anyone ever says, so what did y'all do last month for school? I always have a basic plan of attack for the day, but sometimes rabbit trails or something pops up and we follow that for the day -- by keeping track in a planner (just jotting down what we read or did) I know what we did last week, last month or even back in the Fall. I also keep a running list of all the picture books (mine at home are 6, 5, 2) and read-alouds so if I want to remember the author or title I have some record.
Hope this helps.
Blessings!
__________________
MaryG
3 boys (22, 12, 8)2 girls (20, 11)
my website that combines my schooling, hand-knits work, writing and everything else in one spot!
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amyable
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| Posted: March 16 2005 at 6:41am | IP Logged
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I do, sort of - in my state we must keep some kind of record of our schooling, so I jot down what we do that day in a kind of shorthand: MCP p21, WRTR review phonograms, read aloud book X,Y, and Z, nature walk, etc. all in their different boxes in my planner.
But the details and fun of it, I usually "blog". I'm a computer junkie and think so much better when typing than writing with a pencil. One of my blogs is linked below in my signature, but I've kept (and keep) others. I don't do it every day, but enough that I can look back and get an idea of what we were up to and how it was working. I started the one linked below recently to keep track of the more "unschooling" aspects of our school that we do now that spring and summer are coming and I'll have a newborn.
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Amy
mom of 5, ages 6-16, and happy wife of 
The Highly Sensitive Homeschooler
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MacBeth
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| Posted: March 16 2005 at 8:57am | IP Logged
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I journal at night as I never know what paths we might take during the day. The journal is not only for obvious school activities, but for any observations about learnign patterns and skills, accomplishments, goals, etc.
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God Bless!
MacBeth in NY
Don's wife since '88; "Mom" to the Fab 4
Nature Study
MacBeth's Blog 
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tovlo4801
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| Posted: March 16 2005 at 10:16am | IP Logged
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I have not done any sort of journal yet, but I began using a school tracking software program called Homeschool Tracker this year. I'm slowly figuring out how it will best work for me. It does allow space to write notes about each assignment and it has a space to journal for each day. I'm seriously considering doing this because there is so much in a day that get's done that isn't related to any specific assignment.
God Bless,
Richelle
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Faith
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| Posted: March 17 2005 at 8:09am | IP Logged
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Thanks all for your replies. I actually drafted up a two page spread daily journal entry on microsoft word. I am thinking of going to Kinkos and getting it printed up so it can be doubled sided, etc and thus making my own custom made homeschooling journal.
But I have a question for you bloggers! I am intrigued though shy about blogging. On the one hand I think, like Amy, I do better typing things up on the computer, than journaling the old fashioned way. Also, I think the idea that there might be a remote possibility that someone might actually read it will make me more accountable. On the other hand it seems a little too public! And, the clincher is, I have no idea how to do it!
How does one start a blog anyway?
Thanks and Happy St. Patrick's Day!
Faith
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amyable
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| Posted: March 17 2005 at 12:03pm | IP Logged
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Faith wrote:
How does one start a blog anyway? |
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It's pretty easy to start a blog - I use a free service called blogger, and if you go to http://www.blogger.com they pretty much walk you through it right there. You need to set up an account, name your blog, then pick your template or "look" you want (if you know html you can modify it). That's practically it! Then when you log in to Blogger again your blog will come up and you can click on "modify your settings" or "create a post" or edit ones you have. It's harder to add things into your sidebar like different links, but it's not impossible with a little guidance. There are tutorials on blogger too, to help with your questions.
I know what you mean about it seeming "too public" - I don't write everything I would write in a paper journal a home, but it's fun to see it online and I can upload pictures, etc. You could always try it and then stop if you don't like it.
Amy
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Amy
mom of 5, ages 6-16, and happy wife of
The Highly Sensitive Homeschooler
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JSchaaf
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| Posted: March 17 2005 at 12:19pm | IP Logged
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If you're not quite ready to blog you can just type into Microsoft Word or similar program-that is what I do. I type much faster than I write and so can get alot more things down. My journal tends to get personal-homeschooling leads to parenting, parenting stuff leads to marriage and home stuff-I get it all out onto paper but it's not public. I don't print it out but save it onto a disk. Later I can go through and print out the homeschool stuff for my kids to read and edit out the more personal things. I love the look of journals from bookstores. But I never get past the first few pages! I've been journaling on computer for a few weeks now, and it's been very cathartic. And funny to read about things I was so upset about (Like my 5 yo dd, when she couldn't find tape to put her drawings on the wall, used glue stick instead) These are the things I want to remember for when SHE has kids!
Jennifer
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stefoodie
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| Posted: March 17 2005 at 2:50pm | IP Logged
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you can blog public and private entries. i'm not sharing mine yet because i haven't sorted them LOL, but when you post to your blog there's a checkbox to designate whether it's for public or private.
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stef
mom to five
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4Real Forums : Living Learning
Topic: Journaling your days
