Module 1: Task 2b - Reflective Writing

I've spent several days trying out the different methods of journal writing. For most of the methods, at the end of each day, just before I settled down for bed, I would try one of them out. It was interesting to see how apt some of the methods were, depending on what had occurred that day, and to note that some worked better than others. Many of the methods I tried out, I had never used before. So, I'm very pleased to have carried out this task, as I now have added a few more ways of writing my journal that I had never thought about using before.

I've listed the different journal writing methods below and written a short brief of my opinions and experiences of using each of them. I wonder if any of you share the same opinions or have had similar experiences.

Description

The description method is one I'm very accustomed to. I still find this very useful to document my day. I find that I am aware of having to be liberally descriptive in what I write down as I know that I won't have any other aids to help me recall the events of the day in the future. I'm also not limited to what information I can include in comparison to methods which make use of graphs and charts. I enjoy using this method a lot. I think combining images and diagrams with this method would have to be one of my favourite methods of documenting my day in a journal.

Initial Reflection

I obviously could not try this method out by waiting until the end of the day. At work, I always have my notebook to hand so I can quickly jot down my initial observations and opinions. I thought that this method was similar to using the description method of journal writing, however not as detailed. Because whilst working, I don't have the opportunity to stop and log every detail in my journal. I found it very useful for capturing fresh thoughts and opinions however somewhat limited to how much I could write down at any one time. In an ideal situation, I would use this method and then expand on my records later on using the 'description' method described above.

List

I found writing lists to be all right. It was simply a case of writing down the titles of events that happened in bullet/numerical form without any great detail.

e.g.

I. Drove to the Airport
II. Checked in/ Boarded the Plane
III. Journey
IV. Landed in Valencia.
V. Took Taxi to Hotel.  and so on...

You can see that the lists are great for logging the essentials of key events. However, although it is quick to write some information down in list format, the list does not show much detail. I found that I had to spend more time trying to recall details of the events than I would use with other suggested journal writing methods. If I were to try this method again, perhaps I should consider including a little more detail in the lists to help me to remember what occurred throughout the day more accurately and efficiently.

Evaluation

Evaluating my day's actions/performance was something that I'd never considered doing before. It was interesting to look back at my actions on any given day and to write down how effective or productive I had been. I tried using the evaluation method two different ways. The first, was similar to a list where I marked myself out of 5.

e.g.

Rehearsals RFX - 12/04/2015

Performance - 4/5
Attitude - 4/5
Mood - 3/5
Focus - 4/5
Stamina - 5/5
Collaboration - 4/5

The second way I used the evaluation method was considerably more descriptive than the above (list) evaluation method. It included information containing my thoughts and opinions on what I could have done better for next time, reasonings for my evaluations and a lot more information in general. I think this method is great and I shall more than likely be using this method of journal writing again.

e.g.

Performance - "In the morning, I was somewhat tired. It took me a while to gain concentration and to become motivated. I shall, in future, have to ensure that I have enough sleep the night before and that I am fully awake, ready to work as my colleagues would expect."

Graphs, Charts and Diagrams

I initially thought that using graphs and charts would have been very useful. However, I found that it wasn't as straight forward to decide on what to base the charts/graphs on. (x,y axis: my fatigue levels, concentration levels, my mood throughout the day).  I tried a few charts and graphs, but I found them to limit the information that I wanted to present. The diagrams, however, were useful. Again, they don't always depict all the information but they definitely helped me to remember the key events and my emotions and moods of the day. I won't dismiss the graphs and charts yet as a journal writing tool, as I may find them to be more useful with further practice.

What if?

I found that the 'What if?' method can be naturally appended to the evaluation method making it a lot more useful and specific. When writing in my journal, I would have to think about and assess the events and actions throughout the day and write down different 'what if?' scenarios or suggestions. After trying this method out, I wouldn't recommend this for documenting information. However, I would recommend it for use when drafting and implementing action plans, both in terms of production/performance and even health & safety. Using this technique can add a different, more meaningful dimension to your journal.

Another View

This method was completely new to me. I decided to write from the point of view from my notebook which I use to annotate the choreography and other notes for my work. I have to say that I found personifying my notebook rather time-consuming and somewhat difficult. (Expressing it's thoughts and opinions). Although an interesting method and amusing to read back, This is not the most effective way of writing a professional journal for me. Nevertheless, I still hold the opinion that including another individual's (not an object's) view in a journal could be very useful. This I would be willing to try again.

Summary

Conducting this task has proven to be very interesting. I've learned several new things and learned to look at the methods I knew already from a different viewpoint. I am aware that I have preferences, as stated, but I don't intend to exclude any of the above from my future work as some have proven to be more than useful for the reasons given in this post.