Personal, Political, Theoretical: Learning Journals and Education

Abstract

This paper perhaps takes a rather unusual form as it is both a description of a pedagogic method and a demonstration of that method in practice. It was first given as a presentation to the Writing in the Disciplines group run by Sally Mitchell at Queen Mary, University of London in June 2001. It concerns the use of learning journals on a particular course, ‘Shakespeare in the Classroom’, during which my students, who are studying for BA degrees in English or English and Drama, engage in an intense and demanding practical experience: teaching a Shakespeare play to classes in years 6, 7 or 8 in local inner London schools (website at: http://www.english.qmw.ac.uMShakesinClass/HomePage.html).