creating a learning journal
i'm back with another notebook post!
everyone who is passionate about a subject (or multiple!) could benefit from creating a learning journal.
what is a learning journal?
i would like to say i made up the term, but a cursory google search tells me that it's already a thing-- mostly for grade school students.
however, i think a learning journal could benefit anyone-- especially lifelong learners who don't have (and might need!) a structure/guide for their learning. let's talk more about what i invision a learning journal to be, and how you can make one!
the inspiration part 1: grimoires & books of shadows
i'll be honest, the inspiration for my article is the witchy practice of keeping a grimoire or a book of shadows.
however, like most of my notebook thoughts, i take issue with how social media presents keeping a grimoire/book of shadows. many "baby" (newbie) witches are advised to keep one, but told that they should be textbook-style repositories of information for the next generation. many witches dutifully copy down lists of correspondences they got off the internet, with no "flavor" to make it their own.
nay, what makes your grimoire/book of shadows special is YOUR insight. the "flavor" is your own experience. in my opinion, a learning journal of any type should be primarily focused on your own unique experience, and be a reference book second. you will learn more effectively that way!
(if you're curious, you can read my post about grimoires/books of shadows here.)
the inspiration part 2: bullet journals
my learning journal is incorporated into my bullet journal. it has everything from bread recipes to book notes, arranged chronologically. even if the bujo format doesn't exactly work for you, there are lots of ways you can tweak it, which we will address below!
if the chronological format of the bullet journal doesn't work for you in the long term, keep in mind that you can "process" your bullet journal and copy (or type up) the important stuff you want to be able to reference easily (like tried-and-true recipes).
(if you're curious, you can read my most recent post about bullet journals here.)
commonplace books?
it has recently become en vogue again to keep a commonplace book, which i think is great! historically, a commonplace book was a repository of quotations. i would characterize a learning journal as much more personal and hands-on, but if you want to yoink stuff from the commonplace book trend, you have my blessing!
how to keep a learning journal
analog or digital?
many people stress about whether to keep journals on paper or digitally. in this case, i don't think it really matters. i'm not going to judge you if you want to type your learning journal, but i personally use paper notebooks.
are you going to have one notebook per learning subject, or one notebook for all of them?
if you have one subject you're all-in passionate about, then journal away! but if you're a multipotentialite with adhd, like me, you may have MANY learning projects going at once.
it's up to you whether you want to put them all into one notebook or have separate notebooks for each one. i am personally very married to the idea of "one notebook to rule them all" but no judgement if splitting them up works for you!
if you feel overwhelmed, start with TODAY.
creating a journal about your learning journey can be overwhelming, even if you're a total beginner.
if you want to make a learning journal but the idea is weighing you down, think of
thoughts
experiences
notes
questions
from JUST TODAY.
remember, recording YOUR OWN INSIGHTS are the key to learning deeply through experience, so i recommend starting diary-style. you don't need to write an introduction.
once your learning journal is an established practice, you can go "back in time" and write about your journey in full, if you so choose. this could take the form of:
a list of books you've already read
expertise you've already gained
a manifesto
common myths about the subject
your top advice for beginners
or anything you can imagine!
date your entries.
i recommend dating your entries for later perusal. this can help you see your progress!
include a table of contents for easy reference.
a table of contents can help too! if you want, you can only include stuff on the toc that you want to reference later, rather than every single entry in your notebook.
cite your sources!
i cannot stress enough how glad you will be if you cite your sources as you go. i am not just saying this as a librarian in training-- there are a ton of reasons you should cite your sources.
if you are doing the learning journal on a subject you are also studying formally, you will be EXPECTED to cite sources. you can get in academic trouble if you don't!
you will be able to fact check yourself. maybe you wrote down a bread recipe you're excited to try, but forgot to record the measurements for the salt. if you write down where you got it, you will be able to make sure your information is correct and complete.
you will be able to learn more deeply from the same source. maybe you wrote down a great productivity quote, but later you are curious about the context. citing your sources will allow you to go back and reread and gain a better understanding the second (or third!) time.
if you don't cite your sources, you won't be able to help other people learning the same subject. maybe you want to write publically about what you're learning, or maybe you don't, but i'm pretty sure you'd want to be able to give a book recommendation to a curious friend!
when you cite your sources, make sure to include the page number in books, podcast episode number/titles, or other SPECIFIC information so you can find the information again.
(with all that said, there is no reason to do a formal citation format for your own, informal reference. just do your best!)
think about making yourself a curriculum.
i can't remember who came up with this idea, but it's not mine. (see why it's good to cite your sources?)
creating a curriculum, or any type of learning plan, can help with overwhelm and give you a place to start. this can be as informal as an ongoing reading list, or you can make a timeline for when you want to study each subject. i will be posting more about this, so subscribe if this interests you!
those are my thoughts on learning journals. let me know if you try it!