Dialogue Joournals

Question: What are dialogue journals in writing instruction?

Answer/Quote: “One of the goals of dialogue journals—interactive written communication between a teacher and students—is the students learn to communicate effectively in writing.”

Quote: “Dialogue journal writing, written interaction between teachers and students gives students the opportunity to write about topics of their choice, to focus primarily on the meaning of what they write rather than on its form, and to write to an audience who is known and who responds to their ideas rather than evaluating what they have said or how they have said it.” P. 310.

Comment: The authors found that the teacher’s filling the dialogue with questions, in effect, shut the students down. RayS.

 Quote: “The findings of this study of written interaction—that the teacher’s writing was not dominated by questions but characterized by contributions…--suggest that the success of the dialogue journal interaction lies precisely in the teacher’s participation as an active partner in a meaningful, shared communication.” P330.

Title: “The Effect of Teacher Strategies on Students’ Interactive Writing: The Case of Dialogue Journals.” JK Peyton and M Seyoum. Research in the Teaching of English (October 1989), 310-334.