Reflective journals are personal records of students’ learning experiences. Entries in journals and learning logs can be prompted by questions about course content, assignments, exams, students’ own ideas or students’ thought processes about what happened in a particular class period. The design of the SGM-A SMC- DL journals focus on course content and therefore require more formal entries using correct terminology, facts, and connections to course content. This approach allows learners to write meaningful and authentic journals or logs.
All journal postings focus on the integration of theory and ideas. By reflecting on the integration of theories or ideas about course content individual learners should be able to connect to experiences and apply to the learning outcomes to assist in the development of their subordinate leaders. Reflective journaling plays a major role in the transformative learning process.
Army doctrine teaches that Journaling is a tool to help develop self-awareness. As an Army leader, self-awareness enables leaders to recognize their strengths and weaknesses across a range of conditions and progressively employ strengths to correct weaknesses.
When an individual journals they are developing their critical thinking skills. Critical thinking provides a basis for reflection and continual learning. This type of thinking is purposeful and helps find facts, challenge assumptions, solve problems, and make decisions. Critical and innovative thought are abilities that enable adaptability.
As a DL-learner, learning new knowledge requires linking the new information to already known information. This occurs by deeply processing the information that you want to learn. Deep processing is the ability to learn and recall information and depends upon what someone does with the information while trying to learn it. Deep processing requires analyzing the new information, picking it apart, using it, and connecting it to already-known information. A common way to practice deep processing is to relate the new information to known information. This is the most important factor in learning. Another method is to summarize the material you are learning into your own words.
Journaling is also a skill that helps develop reflective thinking skills. While reflective thinking is closely related to critical thinking, reflective thinking requires thinking through the gathered information in detail to organize it, apply principles, make connections, and form conclusions.
Reflective journaling is not simply a recounting of the course material but a learning exercise in which students express in writing their understanding of course content through reflections on the analysis of an event, experience or concept.
Army leader, you are constantly preparing yourself through lifelong learning and broadening experiences. Self-awareness enables leaders to recognize their strengths and weaknesses across a range of conditions and progressively employ strengths to correct weaknesses. Competent and confident leaders make sense of their experience and use it to learn more about themselves.
Journals and after action reviews (AARs) are valuable tools in gaining an understanding of one’s experiences and reactions to changes in conditions.
When an individual journals they are developing their critical thinking skills. Critical thinking provides a basis for reflection and continual learning. This type of thinking is purposeful and helps find facts, challenge assumptions, solve problems, and make decisions. Critical and innovative thought are abilities that enable adaptability.
Assignment Instructions: Throughout the module you were introduced to various concepts and theories. Describe the enabling learning objectives (ELO) from the module and reflect upon its concepts and theories. Furthermore, utilize the ELO and discuss your major takeaways from each and expound upon how you can utilize this newly gained knowledge and develop members of your organization for mission success.
