Reflecting

Reflections Reflective Writing Reflective Journals

What is Reflective Writing?

Reflective writing will enable you to attain self-understanding by exploring personal attitudes, experiences, and memories As you write, simultaneously look forward (to goals that you might obtain) and backward (to see what you have accomplished so far)

Reflective Practice
Reflection is what allows us to learn from our experiences: it is an assessment of where we have been and where we want to go next.
~ Kenneth Wolf

Reflective Practice - definition

Intellectual and affective activities in which individuals engage to explore their experience in order to lead to new understanding and appreciation. (Boud et al. 1985)

Why Reflect?
Reflection helps learners to: understand what they already know (individual) identify what they need to know in order to advance understanding of the subject (contextual) make sense of new information and feedback in the context of their own experience (relational) guide choices for further learning (developmental)

Reflection involves:
Slowing down.. Pause to examine, analyse, inquire about complexities of life active choice to pause and examine not passive process Cognitive processes analysis, synthesis, evaluation Many different forms and functions many ways to reflect

Reflective practice Why do it?

Knowing how you learn makes you a more effective learner A journal provides a record of your progress Allows you to actively participate in your own development Clarifies your thinking

Levels of Depth within Reflection

Surface

Level 1 Level 2

Descriptive Writing Descriptive account with some reflection

Level 3
Deep

Level 4

where there is a willingness to be Reflective writing 1 - critical of the action of self or others with some self questioning

Reflective writing 2 - the view of others is taken into

account and the role of emotion in the art of reflection is understood.

Ref: Moon,J. (2004) A Handbook of Reflective and Experiential Learning: Theory and Practice. London: RoutlegeFalmer

Simple example: layers of reflection

1. 2. I took the dog for a walk this morning
Level 1: Descriptive

I took the dog for a walk this morning, which I dont usually do.
Level 2: Descriptive, some reflection

3.

I took the dog for a walk this morning, which I dont usually do. It really woke me up!
Level 3: Descriptive, reflection and awareness/learning.

4.

I took the dog for a walk this morning, which I dont usually do. It really woke me up! I think I will do that every morning before work.
Level 4: Descriptive, reflection, learning and future action.

Reflective Practice
Descriptive sentences Layered with your reflection using emotions
your awareness of yourself in the action.

Layered again with what you learned from reflection and awareness Layered again with how what you learned through your reflection has changed you
Future learning, thinking, behaviour, ideas

What to consider in reflective writing

your motivation your strengths and weaknesses your attitudes and ideas, and changes in these the skills you need for different components of your practice what (if anything) is blocking your progress the gaps in your knowledge and skills, and how you might best work towards filling these

Layers of reflection - exercise

Simple exercise What did you do in last nights class? When was the last time you did it? How did you feel about it? What steps might you now take based on what you learned last night?

What to write about:

Events Knowledge Skills Attitudes Behaviour Outcomes and learning What to do differently next time Reflection itself

Questions to consider
What were you trying to do? Intended outcomes How did you do it? What worked or did not work?

What did you learn from the experience

- positive or negative academic and personal

What are your strengths?

What are your weaknesses? areas to develop

What are your competencies or skills in this area? How do you change in order to improve?

Reflective practice: room for failure

To be an effective reflective practitioner, you must recognise that learning from what does not work is on the same path as learning what does work. There must be room for failure in the reflective process.

Learning Cycle

Personal Reflections
Priorities? Time management? Motivation? Direction? Strengths / Weaknesses? Identifying problems Developing an action plan

Reflecting A State of Mind

Learning Styles show preferences not everyone is as reflective some more action oriented etc Reflection can be encouraged by: Structuring in time schedule Using journal, diary etc realistic assessment gives strength

Experiential learning theory

It is not enough just to do, and neither is it enough just to think.
Learning from experience must involve links between the doing and the thinking

Your journal will be a place to

practice personal reflective writing work out ideas and concepts from workshop sessions and discussions record your experiences during the workshop and beyond continue to apply what you learn in workshop sessions to your research question(s) and project ideas

What Should You Write About?

Any new ideas that come to mind Responses to questions which arise in workshop discussions Responses to questions we pose Responses to reflective questions:
What information did you find useful today? What doubts do you still have about this info? How might you incorporate this info into your research plan?

How Should You Write?

However you feel like it Not worrying about grammar, spelling, etc. By taking risks Freely!

Practice!
Begin a reflective journal: respond to this question:
What is the education question or issue that is most pressing to you right now?