Annotated Bibliography of Resources for Educational Reform, Coherent Teaching Practice, and Improved Student Learning

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• Lewison, M. (1997). Writing became a chore like laundry: The problems and potential of using journals to encourage a reflective approach to teaching. The Professional Educator, 19 (2), 13-31.

Lewison provides practical descriptions of the potential problems and solutions to the use of journals to promote reflective practice. She recommends a less structured style of prompts and writing that allows the journals to become a life-long reflective tool for the teachers. She also found that although there was an overwhelmingly negative reaction by the teachers to journal writing, the teachers found the writing to be a beneficial tool in their reflective process. It was a love/hate relationship. She advocated three strategies for making reflective journal writing more effective: providing collaborative support, striving for sociocultural authenticity, and encouraging ongoing inquiry.

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