The Journal
Keeping a diary can be tedious and not fun, but it is almost always helpful. How can something as old-fashioned as a journal help you develop your creative thinking?
One of the essential elements of self-directed or self-determined learning is the ability to reflect on one's actions, activities and progress, think about them and see them in the context of the world around them. Journaling is now primarily perceived as somewhat archaic, possibly associated with adolescent literary creation.
The creation of a diary can be approached in several different ways:
1.The diary as a literary form. In this conception, the result is an everyday text with an epic or poetic character rather than the dimension of any systematic evolution. Its author must capture in it the essential features of the day and represent and interpret them in a certain way. It is a suitable method for developing daily reflections and a tool for creating and encouraging creative writing. Daily "examination of conscience" is a standard part of the spiritual life in most religions and a favourite activity of most children. So, there is no reason why an adult or student should not also engage in it.
2. Activity diary. This diary version is based on the idea that you store information about what you did, read, and learned in one place. It can be thematically reduced (i.e., focused on intentional learning or even just one learning area) or more broadly conceived. It should be a portfolio and can be linked to self-quantification tools like Toggl or Fitbit data if you're into physical activity.
3.A diary offering a structured but broader perception of an individual's educational progress. It can be written, for example, once a week (although it does not fully correspond with the diary's name) and puts into a broader context what the person has to learn in a given period. By looking at things from a distance, one can see them through different eyes, in context, and combine aspects of theoretical knowledge and practice.
The question, of course, is what purpose such a diary should serve, as the focus of each of these approaches is slightly different. First of all, we would like to mention the psychological dimension - writing is necessary for people in general, as it helps them cope with the world and see it differently. The second dimension has to do with the ability to learn - if one is to leave the measurement of pre-directed content and forms of education (which one must do sooner or later), one should have a tool that enables one to do so, which may be journals. It is a helpful tool for developing creative writing, modifying learning strategies, and such.
Diary is also an advantageous because it is not initially demanding (one can work almost only factually, with a bit of commentary). However, it can grow sufficiently with the person and still leave room for deeper and more demanding reflection. Equally importantly, it is a regular activity that is relatively easy to follow and complete.
Regarding modern technology, whether it must be only written diaries or whether multimedia data, external sources or "evidence" can also be included. These references can be beneficial and exciting in retrospective analysis and longer-term evaluation.
A diary can be a private affair that one writes for one's reflective study or, on the other hand, it can be an open inspiration or sharing with others. In such a case, however, it is necessary to consider an appropriate form. Some middle ground may be to work with a mentor, where you write the journal for your private use, and from time to time, you may consult its content or selected points with a person you trust, a teacher or someone like that.
Where can you create a diary? Although there are many diary services, we recommend either a note-taking tool or a blog that can be set up as private:
Evernote: The ideal tool if you're all about private notes. You can work well with tags, search, and add multimedia content.
Medium is one of the most well-known blogging platforms, offering a lovely look, features for user interaction, and an overall modern environment. The so-called publications are helpful, allowing you to group thematic articles from authors who join the editorial team.
Penzu is a unique tool for working with the diary, combining it with the journal. Thus, connecting the planning dimension with the reflective one is easy.
Tumblr is advantageous in making both longer texts and multimedia content fast and convenient. Blogger or Ghost are equally well suited.
Momo note is a straightforward tool for writing either diary or post-it notes.
Google Docs may be a robust solution, but if you like the environment you're used to working in, it can serve you well, too. You can write one long text (I recommend always starting at the top and "pushing down" the old text) or create separate documents for each day. Word or any other tool can be used similarly.
