Weekly Journal Entries can include/focus on:

• Issues/concepts of organic gardening as you perceive them; personal opinion and experience; or statements of belief – “I believe that this week's effort was especially well done because….” 

• How your thinking, opinions, and beliefs about gardens are changing/may change through experience, as well as what factors are influencing those changes.

• What have you come to understand about gardening, and how did you come to know it?

• Problems, areas of ambiguity, and how you resolve problems.

• Observations about gardening techniques, etc., ….what resonates with you or what you dislike.

• Something you are learning, discovering, uncovering, and how you are learning it as an on-going process; what factors contributed to your successful learning? Unsuccessful learning?

Criteria for grading journals:
• Reflective – not just descriptive!

• Submitted once each week in a timely manner, a page in length, at the least, with a developed idea.

• Evidence of analytical, thoughtful weighing of course concepts & their meanings.

• What have you learned from this experience?

Because the journal is a more personal reflection, you will not be posting this to others.  When you upload it, only the instructor will see your work.

“I really enjoyed writing the journals.  The deeper thinking it required helped increase my awareness of myself, helped see certain things in a different light, and even helped to resolve some issues.  It definitely helped me clarify and state my intention for the garden I was creating for my daughter.  This enabled me to keep that goal/intention in mind throughout the process, which was also very important.” –Student from Spring 2018