EDL 301 Student Development in Residence Halls WRITING
- Slides: 9
EDL 301: Student Development in Residence Halls WRITING REFLECTIVELY
Reflection Prompt Please take five-ten minutes to reflect on the following prompt Think back to training – what was this experience like for you? How were you challenged by training? What topics do you wish you had learned about or would like to learn more about?
What is reflection? “Reflection is a form of mental processing – like a form of thinking – that we use to fulfill a purpose or achieve some anticipated outcome. It is applied to relatively complicated or unstructured ideas for which there is not an obvious solution and is largely based on the further processing of knowledge and understanding and possibly emotions that we already possess (Moon, 2001). ”
Experiential Learning Cycle Concrete Experience Active Experimentation Reflective Observation Abstract Conceptualizing
Two kinds of reflection: Reflection-on-Action Reflection-in-Action
13 Reflective Thinking Strategies Free-writing Clustering or Mind Mapping Associative Writing Dialogues Heuristics Tree Diagrams Questions Focused Attention Replay Life Trajectory Complaints to Commitments Emotions Inventory
Why reflect? Surface Learning vs. Deep Learning Surface Learning: concerned with memorization of material for short-term retention Deep Learning: concerned with understanding the material and the synthesis of knowledge “It is not sufficiently simply to have an experience in order to learn. Without reflecting upon this experience, it may quickly be forgotten, or its learning potential lost. It is from the feelings and thoughts emerging from this reflection that generalizations or concepts can be generated. And it is generalizations that allow new situations to be tackled effectively (Gibbs, 1998). ”
Tips for Good Reflective Writing Use rich, descriptive language Question yourself and your behavior Consider alternative points of view Do not exclude emotion Focus on the content and the process Incorporate previously known knowledge as well as knowledge gained after-thefact
Reflect again! Knowing what you know about the concept of reflection and what it takes to be an effective reflector, was what you wrote for the initial reflection prompt an effective reflection?
