What is an Activity Log?

The activity log is the place where you will record your observations for all field experience activities (school visits and on-campus activities with school age youth) and reflect on these experiences. The entries in your log will be based on observations of what occurs during these activities and reflections on your experiences in teaching roles.

Key log procedures:

• Make an entry for each activity (classroom visit or on-campus event)
  
• Follow the 2-column format shown below
• Provide detailed descriptions, analysis, and reactions

Format

For each entry the page should be split in half. Each log entry (class room visit, FFA Activity...) should have the following elements

Left Hand Column - Description

• Date (Each entry should cover one date)
• Time Spent (ex. 7:45 to 10:00 am)
• Course Overview - name, number of students, main topics OR Event Description
  
• Outline of Events - Briefly list what happened. Outline the actions taken by the teacher during the class.

Right Hand Column - Analysis and Reaction

List your reactions to the events listed in the left hand column. Items can include your analysis of what happened (the why's behind the items observed). Reactions, both positive (the teacher led the most amazing discussion...) and negative (I didn't expect a student to say something so mean about another student), should also be written in this column.

The final part of the analysis should state what you learned from the experience. You may have learned what does or does not work. You may have learned something about your philosophy of teaching. You may have developed a connection between the episode and an idea from a foundations or methods course. Often times an experience will raise additional questions. State them here and include possible ways to answer each question. You may decide to focus on a specific part of the class during your next visit. You may want to ask your cooperating teacher a question or raise the question to the class.

Evaluation

The points for the activity log will be given on a pass/fail basis. Failure to submit a satisfactory log at the end of the course will result in a final grade of "I" being assigned.

To earn a "pass" grade, logs must answer all of the following questions:

• Were entries completed for all visits? (both classroom and on-campus events)
  
• Are all entries complete?

1. Date, Time, Course Overview, Outline of Events
2. Analysis and Reaction

• Did the Outline provide a detailed description of the observation?

1. Were actions of both the teacher(s) and student(s) recorded?
2. Is it detailed? Use of quotes, rich description is encouraged
3. Does it stick to description, rather than slip into analysis?

• Did the Analysis and Reaction section include in-depth thoughts?

1. Does the analysis and reaction section focus on the events described?
2. Does the analysis and reaction section go beyond how the writer feels to include the why’s behind the feelings?
3. Does the writer include any conclusions from the experience? Conclusions may take the form of unanswered questions or dilemmas in addition to hard-and-fast principles.
4. Does the analysis draw on the writer’s past experiences, readings, or exercises from education coursework?

The activity log is the place where you will record your observations from visits to the field experience site(s) and reflect on these experiences. The entries in your log will be based on observations of what occurs in the classroom and reflections on your experiences in teaching roles.