When I started my course, I had expected to use this blog as a journal. It hasn't really worked out, as a blog is much too linear for the way I have been working. About the time that I started the course, I had been experimenting with Google Sites, and I started to keep a few notes there - and found that the flexible structure worked very well. So here I am, making a blog entry about how I have maintained a journal. It all seems very odd.

Using a Google Site, I have been able to structure places to make notes that also help with the planning of my work. Perhaps I can explain this better by setting out some of the steps that I took. The course started with a learning contract, which I created as a fairly straightforward document, although I chose to use Google Docs to present and negotiate the contract. The site started with the creation of a course overview page, with sub pages to be set up for each module.

Unsurprisingly, the next step was to set up sub pages for Module 1. That's the way I work - breaking down complex ideas till I get to a level where I can begin to explore them. The basic structure was to create a page for each learning outcome, but it became clear that additional pages would help to organise notes. Two of these are a page where I could refer quickly to the learning contract, and another for assessment notes.

The learning contract page is a dynamic import of the original Google doc. It has been useful to compose some notes in Google docs and display them in the site. Another useful feature is the ability to show the course calendar in the site.

I found that I could use the structure to make notes in a less linear way, add links wherever they are needed and edit easily both notes and structure. I shared the site with one other course member, but have been strangely coy (for me) about sharing with others. Part of this is the awareness that, with major crises happening in other aspects of my life, I have not got much beyond the planning stage.

The eventual aim is to develop the site to draft final versions. I can only hope that the detailed planning leads to a cohesive portfolio.