General+Journal+Prompt+Ideas

//Students thinking about their own work//

· When I study for a test, I … · Do you make corrections and/or ask questions about a returned test? Why/why not? · What are the benefits of journal writing for mathematics classes? · When I see a word problem, the first thing I do is…then I… · When I read a math textbook and see a word that I don’t know, I…  · How important is being neat and organized in general and when you are doing math? · Do you use tables or diagrams when solving problems? Why/why not? · How could journal writing be changed to be more effective? · What is your favorite problem solving strategy? What about it helps you?

//The students’ feelings about math//

· Explain how your parent/guardian feels about math · What advice about math would you give to a student who will have this class next year? · One activity/topic I liked from this week is… because…. · What scares you about math? · If you felt better about math what might you do? · My best experience with math was….? · My worst experience with math was….?

//Further questioning of topic//

· What is your favorite ….. why? · How would you describe ….. to someone else? · How do you use… in your life, if not then why not? Where may someone else use it? · Write your own definition for….. · Describe the practical use for …. · How could you find a shortcut for…..? · Explain how … is different from …. · The most important part of solving a problem is… · Write a lesson plan about how you would teach a specific math topic. · Find something you learned today that is similar to something that you already knew. Write about these similarities. · Write a multiple choice question about… and explain how each of the wrong answers could be logical. · Write a letter to your teacher explaining what you understand about the topic and what needs to be clarified. · The key idea of the lesson today was… · Describe the graph of…as if you were explaining it to a friend over the phone. · Write a word problem using ‘OF.’ What does ‘OF’ mean as a math procedure? · Write a possible test question for this unit. · What is the most significant thing that you learned in math class today? · What questions were still unanswered at the end of class today? · Describe the discoveries you have made about mathematics (patterns, relationships, procedures, etc.)