I consider myself a highly reflective practitioner. I reflect daily, more than daily... infact when time allows I reflect on experiences or outcomes when they are taking place and constantly make changes to my practice in response.
According to a survey cited in Finlay (2008, pg.4), there are five levels of reflection: Rapid, Repair, Review, Research, and Retheorizing and reformulating.
I feel that I have experienced each of these levels:
• Rapid reflection - by making 'just in time' changes to my practice;
• Repair reflection - by making changes on the go to improve outcomes (foresight rather than hindsight) when responding to teachers or students needs;
• Review reflection - I am constantly involved with this level of reflection as a mentor for 6 teachers as part of their TIC (Teacher Improvement Cycle)
• Research reflection - through my Teaching as Inquiry process, where I read research, collect data, and compare my practice to relevant research, over a sustained period. Informed changes are then applied to my practice and shared with my colleagues locally and globally through the Apple Distinguished Educators Network.
• Retheorizing and reformulating – I feel I have done this level the least but are now addressing this through the Mindlab course.
I am a very visual learner and after watching this weeks video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QoI67VeE3ds&feature=youtu.be ‘the penny dropped’, I may be a reflective practitioner but I am definitely not a highly successful online reflective practitioner!
I have reflected regularly online (monthly in a public forum for an ADE reflective journal, which can be viewed within this website) while watching the reflective video I made the connect with the ‘seeing in the context of other learning’ as my current reflective process is almost in an isolated month by month diary where nothing interconnects and the reality is each month intertwines with the before and the after yet I am not capturing this.
After reading Finlay’s article I realise I am merely being ‘descriptive’ and alluding to my self-awareness and critical thinking online, I do it, I just don’t articulate it publicly. I am left wondering, is it necessary for me to share it publicly and for what purpose, appreciating that in the short term this current blogging reflective process is for a post graduate assignment. But in the long term, who’s it for…..the ‘so what’ which is mentioned in the reflective writing video.
I found, Gibbs (1988), diagram useful when considering the cyclic nature of reflection and I feel it would be useful to move me from my current style of descriptive blogging when I end up merely stating what has happened, by following more of an inquiry process when I write I would delve deeper.
According to a survey cited in Finlay (2008, pg.4), there are five levels of reflection: Rapid, Repair, Review, Research, and Retheorizing and reformulating.
I feel that I have experienced each of these levels:
• Rapid reflection - by making 'just in time' changes to my practice;
• Repair reflection - by making changes on the go to improve outcomes (foresight rather than hindsight) when responding to teachers or students needs;
• Review reflection - I am constantly involved with this level of reflection as a mentor for 6 teachers as part of their TIC (Teacher Improvement Cycle)
• Research reflection - through my Teaching as Inquiry process, where I read research, collect data, and compare my practice to relevant research, over a sustained period. Informed changes are then applied to my practice and shared with my colleagues locally and globally through the Apple Distinguished Educators Network.
• Retheorizing and reformulating – I feel I have done this level the least but are now addressing this through the Mindlab course.
I am a very visual learner and after watching this weeks video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QoI67VeE3ds&feature=youtu.be ‘the penny dropped’, I may be a reflective practitioner but I am definitely not a highly successful online reflective practitioner!
I have reflected regularly online (monthly in a public forum for an ADE reflective journal, which can be viewed within this website) while watching the reflective video I made the connect with the ‘seeing in the context of other learning’ as my current reflective process is almost in an isolated month by month diary where nothing interconnects and the reality is each month intertwines with the before and the after yet I am not capturing this.
After reading Finlay’s article I realise I am merely being ‘descriptive’ and alluding to my self-awareness and critical thinking online, I do it, I just don’t articulate it publicly. I am left wondering, is it necessary for me to share it publicly and for what purpose, appreciating that in the short term this current blogging reflective process is for a post graduate assignment. But in the long term, who’s it for…..the ‘so what’ which is mentioned in the reflective writing video.
I found, Gibbs (1988), diagram useful when considering the cyclic nature of reflection and I feel it would be useful to move me from my current style of descriptive blogging when I end up merely stating what has happened, by following more of an inquiry process when I write I would delve deeper.
This diagram aligns with the MOE’s Teaching as Inquiry Model http://nzcurriculum.tki.org.nz/Curriculum-stories/Case-studies/Teachers-as-learners-Inquiry/Teaching-as-inquiry
which as NZ educators we are all familiar with. I’m not sure why I hadn’t thought of using this before?
I certainly have some work to do on the online component of my reflecting but are left thinking wondering if the online forum is the best place, I think an old school journal may work better for me.
References:
Ministry of Education.(2012). Supporting future-oriented learning and teaching: A New Zealand perspective. Retrieved from https://www.educationcounts.govt.nz/publications/schooling/109306
Finlay, L (2008). Reflecting on 'Reflective practice'. Accessed online: http://www.open.ac.uk/opencetl/resources/pbpl-resources/finlay-l-2008-reflecting-reflective-practice-pbpl-paper-52
Gibbs, G (1988) Learning by doing: a guide to teaching and learning methods. Oxford: Further Education Unit, Oxford Polytechnic.
which as NZ educators we are all familiar with. I’m not sure why I hadn’t thought of using this before?
I certainly have some work to do on the online component of my reflecting but are left thinking wondering if the online forum is the best place, I think an old school journal may work better for me.
References:
Ministry of Education.(2012). Supporting future-oriented learning and teaching: A New Zealand perspective. Retrieved from https://www.educationcounts.govt.nz/publications/schooling/109306
Finlay, L (2008). Reflecting on 'Reflective practice'. Accessed online: http://www.open.ac.uk/opencetl/resources/pbpl-resources/finlay-l-2008-reflecting-reflective-practice-pbpl-paper-52
Gibbs, G (1988) Learning by doing: a guide to teaching and learning methods. Oxford: Further Education Unit, Oxford Polytechnic.