Tutor Information Literacy Games & Strategies

Dialogue Journals

A dialogue journal is a written conversation in which a student and tutor communicate regularly--daily, if possible or at least two or three times a week--over a period of one semester or an entire school year. Students may write as much as they choose on any topic and the tutor writes back regularly to each student often responding to the student's topics, but also introducing new topics; making comments and offering observations and opinions; requesting and giving clarification; asking questions and answering student questions.

It is important that tutors do not correct spelling and grammar but offer the correct way in their own writing. The students will pick up on this when they read the tutor's responses. The underlined portions are examples. Do not underline in the text of the Dialogue Journal with the student.

The tutor's role is as a participant with the student in an ongoing, written conversation, rather that as an evaluator who corrects or comments on the writing.

The following are examples with the student's writings and the tutor's comments; the student's mistakes and the tutor's corrections are underlined:

March 17

Student: I will try & bring my lunch ery day from now on becaus the turky stew & other lunches put me sick. I hate them.

Tutor: You are wise to bring your own lunch. That is usually what I do everyday, because I have such good food at home that nothing served here could taste so good, and I love turkey sandwiches. What makes me sick is food that is spoiled. Do you like chicken?

March 18

Student: Turkey is my favrite too. I like chickens, we have a hen that layd a egg. What do you feed chickens here?

Tutor: Chickens will eat scraps of bread, wheat, seeds, water and some insects. I don't know if they have a favorite food or not. I had a chicken once; she laid an egg too. Do you play games with your chicken?