So the task is to watch a couple of videos on YouTube about learning diaries and then to record a five minute summary or mediation.
The videos are:
How to write a great Learning Diary by Taitti Holmstrom
The importance of a learning diary for your development by Neil Spencer Bruce
First the vocaroo, recorded in one take and unedited of course!
Ramblings - Attempt at mediating the two videos.
So that was my attempt at a short mediation of the two videos and some extra thoughts for good measure. It wasn't that short. Sorry!
The first video is from an university lecturer that has decided to ask her students to keep a learning diary as an assignment, or more like a series of assignments. She goes into why keep a learning diary, some tips on how to write entries, what a learning diary is not, some more definite tips on writing and then a long diatribe on sources and how to quote them. I basically ignored that last part to be honest.
She believes that keeping a diary to work, reflect and build learning connections will produce a better quality of learning for her students. She also thinks that reflecting on what has been learned will enhance the students critical thinking skills.
She recommends to be analytical and reflective on the learning diary entries, and to use reasoning and arguments.
She then goes onto explaining that a learning diary should not be a set of lecture notes or a summary of the lectures only.
Her two main tips for great learning diary answers are:
1. Highlight concepts and theories learned
2. Bring your own observations and experience.
And they should be a balance between the two.
Lastly she goes onto a 'long' explanation on how to quote sources on your learning diary entries. I pretty much ignored all that.
The second video, in almost polar opposition to the first one, is from a musician (based on the setting of the video) and is a lot shorter.
He believes that keeping a learning diary, or digest, is very important.
He keeps his as a simple list of the things that he has learnt or experienced that day.
It should not be a challenge. It is just a list, and it could be about anything.
It should not be an exhaustive list, just the one that you most remember, anything that jumps out and resonates with you.
It should be short and succinct. A simple list.
He recaps the diary every so often, monthly and also at the end of the year.
And that is it. Two very different videos, two very different approaches to a learning diary.
And that is enough for this first exercise.
See you in the next one!
Just sent you the feedback - you did excellently the mediation of the videos (it is long because the videos aren't that short, jam-packed with information and showing very different points of view). The idea you should get is that there isn't any strictly correct way of keeping learning diaries: you should experiment with different stuff and see how it works for you.
ReplyDeleteA second task was writing a (draft) post about learning diaries and you. I'll be waiting for it in future entries!