Journal Writing

Every class from kindergarten to high school uses journal writing to develop, demonstrate and assess writing skills. While journalling has many advantages, it can also become a dry and dull activity for students. there's the risk of it turning into a list. First I..., then I... then I...

But, through the eyes of My Travel Teddy the journals can come alive because we are adding new dimensions - creativity and an audience. For example, instead of writing, "Last night I did my homework," the student can write, "My Travel Teddy asked me why I had to do so much homework. I wondered the same thing. I wish I were a bear!"

My Travel Teddy is a penpal activity so journals can be shared. the addition of an audience is a huge motivator. No longer is the student writing simply to finish the assignment, but to appeal to a penpal. Take this one step further and send My Travel Teddy to a celebrity and the student is even more motivated to produce quality work. The Student's Stories blogs on My Travel Teddy have been a wonderful way to inspire the students in our class to write, to read what others have written, and to add their comments.

There's an even more meaningful way to make connections to the past, and that's because the teddy bear itself has such an interesting history, dating back to 1902. That means in spite of the many technological differences that separate children today from previous generations, there is still the teddy bear. Just as a student can write in their journals about life today, we can also reach out and invite senior citizens to write or talk about their lives through the eyes of teddy bears they may have owned and loved.