Reflective Writing Skills PDF

THE SKILL OF REFLECTIVE WRITING - And how to do it well HPED 1040 Lesson Objectives The student will: ○ Understand the skill of reflective writing ○ Differentiate between effective and ineffective reflective writing ○ Practice the skill of reflective writing WHAT IT IS...

THE SKILL OF REFLECTIVE WRITING - And how to do it well HPED 1040 Lesson Objectives The student will: ○ Understand the skill of reflective writing ○ Differentiate between effective and ineffective reflective writing ○ Practice the skill of reflective writing WHAT IT IS? Reflective writing is: ○ Analytical ○ Writing in the first person (i.e. “I”) ○ Free flowing ○ A way to communicate your response to thoughts and feelings ○ Subjective ○ An opportunity to gain self-knowledge ○ A way to achieve clarity and better understand what you are learning ○ A tool to challenge assumptions ○ A way of diving deeper into meaning and critical reflection ○ Looking forward and projecting into the future WHAT IT IS NOT? Reflective writing is NOT: ○ Purely descriptive without analysis, interconnectivity, or critical thought ○ Just conveying information and regurgitating details ○ Objective judgment (e.g. about whether something is right without reflecting on the wrong) ○ What you think you should write ○ A summary ○ A standard university essay WHY? The process of thinking deeply involves critical analysis and takes time but leads to greater insight about ourselves – our assumptions, beliefs and motives. The act of writing down our thoughts formalises this process and often enables us to clarify ideas and identify themes more easily. Reflective writing can help you to develop academic skills, better understand a topic you are studying, and enable you to review your progress at university. HOW? Free Writing This technique is sometimes used as part of reflection and involves deciding on a particular experience, problem or incident and writing down any feelings, thoughts and ideas that come to mind, without stopping to judge or correct grammar or spelling. Free writing is done for a set period of time (e.g. 3, 5 or 10 minutes) and can be a great way to get started. It may enable you to access your inner thoughts, which may have been suppressed, thus leading to greater honesty. By reviewing your writing afterwards, you can identify key themes. Combining free writing with a reflective writing model can be useful for making changes and planning future actions. HOW? The DEAL Model Describe what happened? What did you learn? Examine what the experience means? Why? Apply how valuable the lessons were to Learning? (Ash & Clayton, 2009) HOW? The Driscoll Model WHAT? SO WHAT? NOW WHAT? (Driscoll, 1994) HOW? The Schon Reflection Model Reflection in Action This is the reflection that takes place while you are involved in the situation. Reflection-in-action involves using analysis of observation, listening and/or touch or ‘feel’ to problem solve – where reflection leads to a change a view of self, values, beliefs, and actions. It is like ‘thinking on your feet’ but the focus is on gaining a new perspective, rather than just solving the problem. Reflection on Action This is reflection that takes place after the situation, when you look back and analyse and scrutinise the actions and their subsequent outcomes. This reflective practice occurs in the quiet aftermath of action, providing a valuable space for introspection and critical evaluation. It’s a moment detached from the immediacy of decision-making, where the richness of experience can be thoroughly examined. In this reflective stage, you are encouraged to dissect their experiences, questioning the effectiveness of their strategies and the appropriateness of their decisions. It prompts a deep dive into the ‘why’ and ‘how’ of actions, fostering a culture of enquiry that challenges the status quo and propels personal growth. (Schon, 1983) Dewey’s Model of Reflective Thought (Schon, 1933) Reflection Scoring Activity Think about a time where you had to work in a group. How do you feel about group presentations / group work? Reflection Rubric Skill 3 2 1 0 Depth of The reflection explains the student’s The reflection explains the The reflection attempts to The reflection does reflective own thinking and learning processes, student’s thinking about demonstrate thinking about learning not address the thinking as well as implications for future their own processes. but is vague and/or unclear about the student’s thinking learning. personal learning process. and/or learning. Analysis The reflection is an in-depth analysis The reflection is an The reflection attempts to analyze The reflection does of the learning experience, the value analysis of the learning the learning experience but the value not move beyond a of the derived learning to self or experience and the value of the learning to the student or description of the others, and the enhancement of the of the derived learning to others is vague and/or unclear. learning experience. student’s appreciation for the task. self or others. Making The reflection articulates multiple The reflection articulates at The reflection articulates at least one The reflection does Connections connections between this learning least one connection connection between this learning not articulate any experience and content from other between this learning experience and content from other connection to other experiences and/or future goals. experience and content experiences and/or future goals, but learning or from other experiences the connection is vague and/or experiences. and/or future goals. unclear. Style & Uses stylistic, clear language that is Uses language that is Uses language that is vague or Uses language that is Language precise and engaging with a notable basic but appropriate. imprecise. unsuitable, with little sense of voice and awareness. or no awareness. Relevance The content exceeds the The content meets the The content meets the minimum The task was not requirements of the assignment. requirements of the requirements of the assignment. performed correctly. assignment. Score? /15 I had to be a part of a group presentation in high school. It was horrible. Score? /15 I had a group presentation on the life cycle of a dragonfly when I was in Grade 11. The act of working in a group required that the work be evenly distributed. Communication was key during the course of this assignment as having only one class a week, limited the amount of time we could communicate during class. Therefore, time outside of class was arranged to meet and complete the assignments to the best of our ability. This experience solidified my notion that group work is complicated and difficult. During this assignment, as with other previous experiences with group work, I was the only one who actively wanted to succeed. Some group members missed multiple meetings. Most of the workload was done by one person (i.e. me), and the entire experience was not fulfilling. However, what I did find satisfying was that I was able to learn about something that I was interested in, as I want to become an entomologist. The experience of group work during this instance also allowed me to develop and enhance my skills conflict management skills, which can be applied to my education in the future. Score? /15 I had a group presentation when I was in Grade 11 that went terribly. First, we were supposed to spread the working evenly, which did not happen. Communication was key during the course of this assignment as having only one class a week, limited the amount of time we could communicate during class. However, some group members missed group meetings and failed to communicate that they were unable to attend. I feel that group work is not ideal and the entire experience was not fulfilling. I did learn about the life cycle of a dragonfly though! ACTIVITY: Another Type of Reflection Find a clean, quiet and safe place to sit for 20 minutes on your own with the land (go outside preferably). Dress appropriately for the weather. If you are unable to go outside at this time, find a place where you can sit with a plant or watch the sky or look outside. Turn off ALL technology devices. For the first 15 minutes, sit, observe, and think about this question: “What did you observe?” Taste, touch, smell, hear, see, feel? Use 5 minutes to write down you reflection. Now return to the classroom. ACTIVITY: Pair, share, and grade Now find a partner to share and critically appraise each other’s reflections respectfully. Assignment: PWAPJ Dimensions of Wellness: Part C (3 x 5% =15%) PWAPJ PART C Instructions DUE: October 13, 2024, 11:59pm November 10, 2024, 11:59pm December 1, 2024, 11:59pm REFERENCES Ash, S. L., & Clayton, P. H. (2009). Generating, deepening, and documenting learning: The power of critical reflection for applied learning. Journal of Applied Learning in Higher Education, 1(1), 25-48. Dewey, J. (1933). How we think. Buffalo: NY: Prometheus Books. (Original work published 1910). Driscoll, J. (2017). Practising clinical supervision: A reflective approach for healthcare professionals. (2nd ed.). Baillière Tindall Elsevier. Schön , D. A. 1983. The Reflective Practitioner: How Professionals Think in Action , New York : Basic Books.