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Process Journal
Addresses EVERYTHING
Especially Criterion B Strand ii
presents a detailed and accurate plan and record of the development process of the project
and
Criteria D strand iii
presents excellent reflection on his or her development as an IB learner through the project
The Process Journal is your way to record the development of your Personal Project. It can take any form that you like. In the past, Process Journals have been;
- written down in a spiral notebook
- kept as a running blog
- completed as an APJ
- recorded as a video diary
- saved as a series of audio recordings
Whatever helps you to record the progress of your Personal Project is OK.
Remember that you will prove you addressed all four objectives of the Personal Project (Investigating, Planning, Taking Action and Reflecting) based on evidence from the Process Journal. Your supervisor will help you to record needed information, but it is your responsibility to get it all recorded and use it in your final report.
The process journal is:
The process journal is not:
· used throughout the project to document its development
· an evolving record of intents, processes, accomplishments
· a place to record initial thoughts and developments, brainstorming, possible lines of inquiry and further questions raised
· a place for recording interactions with sources, for example teachers, supervisors, external contributors
· a place to record selected, annotated and/or edited research and to maintain a bibliography
· a place for storing useful information, for example quotations, pictures, ideas, photographs
· a means of exploring ideas and solutions
· a place for evaluating work completed
· a place for reflecting on learning
· devised by the student in a format that suits his or her needs
· a record of reflections and formative feedback received.
· used on a daily basis (unless this is useful for the student)
· written up after the process has been completed
· additional work on top of the project; it is part of and supports the project
· a diary with detailed writing about what was done
· a static document with only one format.
Recording the progress of your Personal Project in the Process Journal is important, but it is not enough. You must also record your efforts to develop as an IB learner. As you work through the Personal Project, you should think about how you are growing in the IB Learner Profile and the IB Approaches to Learning (ATL).
The IB Learner Profile is a list of 10 Characteristics that IB students are encouraged to develop as we grow and learn. The IB wants students to strive to be
- Principled
- Reflective
- Inquiring
- Caring
- Knowledgeable
- Thinking
- Open-Minded
- Communicator
- Risk-Taker
- Balanced
The ATL are skills you need to be able to persevere in your learning both in, and out of, school. They are divided up into 5 Major Categories, with several subsections.
Communication
Communication skills
· Exchanging thoughts, messages and information effectively through interaction
· Reading, writing and using language to gather and communicate information
Social
Collaboration skills
Working effectively with others
Self-management
Organization skills
Managing time and tasks effectively
Affective skills
Managing state of mind
· Mindfulness
· Perseverance
· Emotional management
· Self-motivation
· Resilience
Reflection skills
(Re)considering the process of learning; choosing and using ATL skills
Research
Information literacy skills
Finding, interpreting, judging and creating information
Media literacy skills
Interacting with media to use and create ideas and information
Thinking
Critical thinking skills
Analysing and evaluating issues and ideas
Creative thinking skills
Generating novel ideas and considering new perspectives
Transfer skills
Using skills and knowledge in multiple contexts
The Process Journal can be in whatever format you would like. On the following page is a template for a journal entry that you can copy and fill out, or use as a guide when you use your own Journal. There is a version online that you can use in your and fill out electronically.
Process Journal Template