HUMAN RESOURCES

ADVANCED/SENIOR LEADERS COURSE

42A

Blackboard

Student Journals

ADVANCE SHEET

Version 2.1

August 2015

U.S. ARMY SOLDIER SUPPORT INSTITUTE

Noncommissioned Officer Academy

Human Resources Advanced Leaders Course

BLACKBOARD STUDENT JOURNALS

ADVANCE SHEET

Date prepared: January 2013

Last update: August 2015

1. OVERVIEW. The purpose of the Blackboard Student Journal is to provide an opportunity for reflection. It allows the student to describe what they learned and assess their participation. This process may provide added benefit during counseling and mentoring over the duration of the course. The journal culminates in an end-of-week review of self-reflection and may be used as a personal course After Action Review (AAR).

·  Self-reflection provides students and instructors the opportunity to assess educational needs and concerns.

·  Self-reflection also contributes to one’s own development and supports lifelong learning.

·  Weekly review of the journals allows instructors and course leadership to identify themes and make immediate course corrections as needed.

2. STUDENT INSTRUCTIONS.

·  Create your Student Journal on Blackboard no later than Day 2 of your course.

·  Use of the Blackboard Student Journal is a mandatory evaluation and assessment component of the ALM 2015 model and is required for all students. Each student will be assessed for their Contribution to Group Work when completing the journal entries.

·  Only you and the instructor are able to add comments to your Student Journal entries. However, Student Journals can be made public by the instructor so all enrolled users can read all entries to a Journal topic, if necessary.

·  Complete one entry for each module in your Blackboard Student Journal using the K-W-L Chart. The K-W will be done at the beginning of each module and -L will be done at the end of each module.

Beginning of Module

K / What you currently KNOW about a topic
W / What you WANT to know

End of Module

L / What has been LEARNED and is yet to be learned

·  At the end of each training week provide a short answer to the following questions:

·  What surprised you the most about the classes / training conducted this week? (This could be about your own reactions to what went on, something that someone did or anything else that occurs).

·  List a concept or task that you found most challenging or frustrating.

·  Identify an action taken this week that you find most affirming or helpful.

·  What recommendation would you make to improve a lesson or a block of instruction?

3. CREATING YOUR BLACKBOARD STUDENT JOURNAL. Logon to Blackboard and click on the “My Student Journal” link on the left hand side.

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