Agricultural Education Field Experience Journals

The journal 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 journal will be based on observations of what occurs in the classroom and reflections on your experiences in teaching roles.

Key journal procedures:

Format

We will follow the journal format outlined by George Posner in his book Field Experience: A Guide to Reflective Teaching, Fifth Edition (2000). This format is outlined below. For a more detailed explanation please read Chapter 3 and Appendix B of Posner’s book.

A. Heading

Name (Not needed if you use a bound notebook)

Date (Each entry should cover one date)

Time Spent (ex. 7:45 to 10:00 am)

B. Sequence of Events

Briefly list what happened. Record all events, even those that seem insignificant at the time.

C. Elaboration of One or Two Significant Episodes

Posner uses the definition that an episode is "an event or sequence of events complete in itself but forming part of a larger one". He suggests selecting events that are significant to you (ex. bothers you, excites you, makes you challenge assumptions, reinforces ideas). Describe the episode(s) in detail. Be as specific as possible, using word-for-word quotations when you can. The sooner you write things down the clearer your memory will be.

Refer back to the four common features as you write your elaboration. Try to avoid inferences about how people felt or what they thought. Save these inferences for the next section, Analysis.

D. Analysis of Episode(s)

Interpret the episode, including the feelings and thoughts that may have been behind the different behaviors observed. Identify what may have caused the episode to occur and what was significant about it. Try to figure out what you accomplished. Identify problems that the episode raised. Plan for future actions.

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

To earn a "pass" grade journals must meet the following criteria:

  1. Were entries completed for all visits?
  2. Are all entries complete?
    1. Heading
    2. Sequence of events
    3. Episode
    4. Analysis
  1. Episode description
    1. Are all four common features of teaching noted? Learners (what they said and did),  Teacher, Subject Matter (content of the lesson), and Context.
    2. Is it detailed? Use of quotes, rich description
    3. Does it stick to description, rather than slip into analysis?
  1. Analysis

a.       Does the analysis focus on the episode described?

b.      Does the analysis go beyond how the writer feels to include the why’s behind the feelings?

c.       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.

d.      Does the analysis draw on the writer’s past experiences, readings, or exercises from education coursework.

e.       Does the analysis lead to any plans for action? Will the writer do something as a result of the experience next time he or she teaches?