Lab Journals

One thing that makes BBA unique is the combination of theory and practice. We don't just read educational theory, we put it to work in the lab. We don't just build neat stuff in the makerspace; our work is purposeful and reflective. Toward this end, we would like for you to keep a journal on your learning through Lab Projects as the weeks progress. We want you to pay special attention to the choices that you make as you explore multiple ideas, leverage social and material resources, and seek feedback. It would be useful to draw on how your experiences connect to models of learning from critical pedagogy, constructivism and constructionism.

In addition, we’d like for you to use this space to reflect on how you draw on your prior interests, if at all, to inform your projects. For example, if you enjoy writing fiction or making film, maybe you draw on them as you work on projects and develop new skills. (You don’t have to.) The form of this journal is entirely open. The content doesn’t even have to make sense. You could jot your thoughts, draw, illustrate with diagrams, doodle, write prose, poetry etc. Most importantly, have fun with it.

Deliverables

  • Lab journals should be online somewhere,accessible without the reader having to create an account. Blogger and Wordpress blogs, personal websites work well; Twitter could work.
  • Post at least once a week.
  • Lab journals will be accessible to the BBA community. We will post a protected index of lab journals, so you can keep up with your peers' processes if you want to.
  • You don't have to identify yourself on the journal.
  • Your lab journal is not your portfolio: It's great if it's messy, incomplete, and full of ideas you're not sure about. Snap pics and post ephemeral stuff. Later, you may be glad you have it.
  • Some people feel private about their process. Some people feel strongly about keeping lab journals on paper. If this is you, let's check in and we can work something out.

Assessment

The teaching team will periodically respond to your lab journal as colleagues and co-designers. The content of your journal won’t be assessed. It is mandatory to maintain it though.

Accessing your lab journal

Please fill out this form so we know how to access your lab journal.