Reflective Writing Finds A Place In Every Subject Area

Source: Al-karasneh, S. M. (2014). Reflective Journal Writing as a Tool to Teach Aspects of Social Studies. European Journal Of Education, 49(3), 395-408. doi:10.1111/ejed.12084

Content areas benefit greatly from the inclusion of reflective writing and this is handled best when we ignore the the boundaries between content areas. Social studies is often considered the closest subject to language arts and share many instructional strategies, one of the best is the practice of reflective learning. Al-karasneh feels that “Journal writing is an exploratory kind of writing that can help student teachers to reflect on their experience, identify their commitments, examine alternatives, and construct a highly personalised kind of new knowledge” this type of approach can be applied to any content area. The reflection benefit is not found in the skill put into the reflection, but rather the act of gathering, synthesising, and presenting learned knowledge in an organized manner.

The lack of boundary has been established with other teaching methods including frayer models, vocabulary exercises, assessment formats, and exit tickets. Reflective writing is a newer member to this party, but if given the welcome it deserves, can surely bring some life into learning across content areas.

Strategy Analysis: AVID Reflective Journal Template

Source: https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B9nUIBZ6JTbgUWg1Q3JQVkdyZHc/edit

AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination) is a great program for on grade level learners that can perform and succeed in advanced classes with a support program in place. AVID strategies come in many varieties which include practices such as WICOR, community building, and routine reflective practices. Let’s look at  the AVID reflective Journal Template taken from the source listed.

The template breaks down into three main categories:

• What I learned?
• What surprised me?
• What questions do I have?

The form concludes with an opinion section and space to list potential exam questions. The avenue for reflection that this resources takes is not one that encourages critical thinking skills. The questions are mainly recall oriented and the opinion section is the smallest on the page. There is barely enough room for a complete sentence. Much of the real estate of the organizer is spent on the three outlined questions that mainly focus on recall. The last item, What questions do I have? offers the most promising opportunity for real reflection but would lose steam on the engagement front after a few uses. The chance to ask authentic questions is important, but may be better done aloud so that the whole group can benefit from them immediately. AVID focuses on the innate ability of its students to boost morale and confidence to succeed. Confidence is a major part of the AVID program and keeping in mind that it is a specialized placement program that requires an application and acceptance, I still feel that reflective writing could be done in a more engaging manner than the template presented. Some ideas I feel would offer greater engagement:

• Write your partner’s test, you prepare the study guide.
• Groups create their own Jeopardy style game, complete with questions and answers.
• Mock talk show with celebrity guests that are “experts” on the topics covered.
• Sales pitch/commercial drama effort that boasts of the content learned.
• A letter to yourself in the (close) future: Have students write letters to themselves to be opened on testing day, letters serve as study guides.

There are many ways to incorporate reflective writing and critical thinking into regular practice. . . I say use them all.

Critical Thinking Stops Short WIthout Reflection

Source: http://www.hawaii.edu/intlrel/pols382/Reflective%20Thinking%20-%20UH/reflection.html

Critical and reflective thinking are closely related. According to the source article listed, reflective thinking (and by extension its writing) is an integral stage of true critical thinking. This leads us to believe that critical thinking can exist without being truly complete without reflective thinking but, reflective thinking is not possible without first employing critical thinking skills. Certainly the reflective process encourages the recall and assessment of knowledge, when paired with taught and capable critical thinking skills though, it leads to a higher level of assessment and decision that is only achieved when reflecting for a purpose. The guidance of a teacher is the perfect catalyst for this type of engaged analysis to occur.

Reflective thinking must evolve beyond summary and recall to be an element of critical thought processes. If students only think of, but not about the content then they are doing little beyond remembering. Guided reflective writing solves this issue by demanding analysis that is organized and presented in a familiar manner. Of course, that manner does not always need to be an essay or summary-type writing. The inclusion of a variety of formats, audiences, and delivery methods increases engagement and satisfies students’ desires to expand the manner in which they show understanding or ability.

Blogging In Middle School: Becoming A Common Trend For Teachers

Source: http://www.ncsu.edu/meridian/win2006/MS_blogs/

Blogging is kind of odd. What started out as a combination of average people reporting their own news stories and people publishing their diaries for the world to read has evolved into a respected medium that serves nearly every interest under the sun. Entire social networks have been built on the idea that people don’t care who you are, but rather what you have to say. Accepting that blogging is a mainstay in  our current media culture and will likely outlast fading formats such as broadcast television, should we teach it in middle school? Research suggest that more teachers are including blogging as a form of reflective writing for themselves. Naturally if teachers are practicing it out of desire to do so, there must be some level of engagement that students can share in. The abstract presented below shows many teachers are already in position to model blogging reflective practices to their students.

Research examined 12 randomly selected blogs from a population of 38 teacher-created, teaching-centered blogs to determine whether they were useful reflective devices for practicing middle school teachers. The amount and depth of reflective practice, as measured by a researcher-created rubric, was examined as well. Results indicated that all participants engaged in some level of reflective writing. However, the depth and level of reflection varied within and among the blogs. The results reported here are useful for framing future research on the efficacy of middle school teacher blogs.

The usefulness of blogs is nearly unlimited in that they can adapt to a variety of content areas, standards, topics, and interests for teachers and students alike. The teachers examined in the study presented were teaching each other by socially sharing their blogging efforts. The same approach would work just fine for students to do the same.

Modeling Reflection: The Value Of Storytelling In The Classroom

Source:http://www.edutopia.org/blog/storytelling-in-the-classroom-matters-matthew-friday

I have known colleagues that despise storytelling, or as I like to call it “verbal reflection” in the classroom. especially when it is modeled by the teacher. Nevermind that storytelling is the original form of teaching or that those who could tell stories to younger people were in not only transmitting knowledge, but translating history to future generations. If we accept that for some people, teaching just comes naturally; this is as natural as it gets.

The Edutopia blog that serves as a source for this post highlights a solid list of the benefits of storytelling in the classroom:

The Many Benefits to Storytelling

When you tell your first story, there is a magical moment. The children sit enthralled, mouths open, eyes wide. If that isn’t enough reason, then consider that storytelling:

• Inspires purposeful talking, and not just about the story — there are many games you can play.
• Raises the enthusiasm for reading texts to find stories, reread them, etc.
• Initiates writing because children will quickly want to write stories and tell them.
• Enhances the community in the room.
• Improves listening skills.
• Gives a motivating reason for English-language learners to speak and write English.

I have yet to meet the teacher that doesn’t want to encourage on task discussion, engagement, motivation, community building, or active listening. Teachers sometimes overlook the need to model or reinforce common skills in the classroom. Many students are getting little out of reflective activities without some guidance on reflection as an act, translation from oral telling to written record, and the purpose of reflection. We teach standards, we teach content. we teach behavior. We should teach reflection and have some fun modeling it while we are at it.

I have seen the wildest of students settle in and find comfort in a story. At the end of the year, the things recalled most are the stories shared, especially the ones that don’t feel like lessons at all. Teaching and learning are enjoyable for all involved when it feels natural, when the approach is not harsh, and the act of teaching feels less like a lesson and more like an experience. Reflection, both oral and written are perfect for cultivating these types of experiences.

The Idea Of The Self In Reflective Writing

Source: http://www.crito.uci.edu/TLC/FINDINGS/REPORT4/s4.html

Secondary students struggle with identity at times. They have shed the playful exteriors and rapid fun-seeking mindsets that elementary education afforded them and are constantly reminded that learning is their “job”. The fun has faded and the work has taken its place and growing up and being more responsible have become their primary focus whereas in previous times they likely had no focus as they were busy being kids and learning from their mistakes.

As the report used as the source for this post explains, reflective writing among certain teachers is a large percentage of their assigned tasks. 25% of teachers polled assign long format essays on a monthly basis. The goal of these essays is to contain and assemble learned content into a written demonstration. The content is there, the writing practice is there, the self may get lost in a large sea of constant essay-based writing reflections.

I have posted much about the need to offer variety in style and format when it comes to reflective writing. Freedom and creativity are needed for students to become comfortable and remain engaged. The essay is not helping in this effort. While essays themselves are not inherently bad, they are in many ways leftovers of aging teaching practices that seek to summarize learning as demonstration of mastery. They do not align well with current cultural norms for output of writing (see my previous post on technology-based teaching), and they are many times just not fun. At all.

Learning doesn’t scare children. Essays do, the word “essay” does, standardized test certainly do. teachers should embrace what makes students comfortable. Creativity, flexibility to be themselves, and freedom in reflective efforts nurture comfort. The approach of “show me what you have learned” is much more friendly and welcoming than “show me that you have learned.”

So next time reflection os on the docket, put yourself in the shoes of the students and consider what would make them feel comfortable, what would engage them, what would you want to be doing with your knowledge if you were on the other side of the desk? Be sure to allow room and time for the self to be itself rather than forcing another rigid essay down their throats. If the reflection is as good as candy, they will eat it all by themselves.

Technology-Based Instruction As A Platform For Reflection

Source: http://www.edutopia.org/student-reflection-blogs-journals-technology

Technology has spent several decades making itself a staple in the classroom. Teachers have spent as much time struggling to keep up with changes. A major concern of many teachers is the rapid push for 1:1 technology and nontraditional teaching structures that follow such a change. When it comes to teachers facing such a current change there can be a few categories they fall into. There may be teachers who likely are young and fresh to the field and they themselves are digital natives that wholly embrace technology. These teachers are fortunate in that they have a natural level of comfort and savvy skill when it comes to technology. Another type of teacher may the experienced yet dynamic and adaptable type that has embraced every shift in pedagogy their career has seen with vigor and zest, these teachers nearly always do fine with change and technology is viewed as just another trend. Finally, you may have the seasoned vet or the younger teacher that remains mostly absent from technological advances, these people may be some of the best teachers but they are not terribly active with technology or the current dominating millennial culture.

It actually doesn’t matter which category you fall into as a teacher, what counts if how well one can actually teach and use what tools that are given to do so. In the presence of a great teacher, students will learn no matter what. Shining examples include high-achieving inner city schools in America and one room sheds that serve as community classrooms in rural impoverished areas such as Africa and sections of the Middle East. It is the teacher that makes the difference.

So in the face of a change that may not elicit feelings of comfort, what does the great teacher do? The simple answer is “make it work”, but that may not be a simple task. Great focus should be put on the “it” in this case. The “it” isn’t the tool, it is the learning process. The tools need not work, just the learning.

By tailoring the learning to the tool, the tool loses much of its intimidation and the teacher gains comfort. The students gain all over the place. A great example is the shifting of formats as students begin to embrace digital learning as a primary and daily activity. Teachers should not ask for excessively long papers when the students they teach are growing up in a world where the (online) media favors short and efficient pieces. Video content should be short (youtube style), but audio content may be longer (podcasts).  So where does reflective writing fit in?

The blog is the shining example here as it is essentially a reflection of one’s thoughts. Blogs were started as an outlet to respond to the world, and we know how great that sounds as teachers. Students will respond to the world if you we empower them to do so. A reflective piece that ends up on a piece of paper to be graded and discarded eventually garners much less respect from students and so less investment in thought and effort. It doesn’t matter if the world will never see it, only a teacher will see it. The blog post, up and out there for the world to see is a different thing. The audience (a major language arts topic) has expanded and so has the scope of thinking and potential for critical engagement that students need.  By channeling reflection into a blog, comment section, or online forum teachers can include real-world connection and authenticity that goes light years beyond a poster board or filler-paper scrawling ever could hope to.

Reflection Has A Role In Bloom’s Taxonomy

Source: http://www.peterpappas.com/2010/01/taxonomy-reflection-critical-thinking-students-teachers-principals-.html

A common thought about reflective writing is that it by nature it comes at the end of or after learning has occurred.  With careful planning, teachers can incorporate reflection and the critical thinking skills tied to it as part of the learning process instead of as an afterthought or final task. Bloom’s Taxonomy sets up a reliable and long trusted hierarchy of student interactions with knowledge. Professional Development trainer Peter Pappas has outlined some suggestions on his blog Copy/Paste, a sample is presented below:

A Taxonomy of Lower to Higher Order Reflection

Assume an individual has just completed a task. What types of questions might they use to reflect on the experience? How might those questions parallel Bloom’s Taxonomy?

Bloom’s Remembering: Retrieving, recognizing, and recalling relevant knowledge from short- or long-term memory.
Reflection: What did I do?

Bloom’s Understanding: Constructing meaning from oral, written, or graphic messages.
Reflection: What was important about what I did? Did I meet my goals?

Bloom’s Applying: Carrying out or using a procedure through executing, or implementing. Extending the procedure to a new setting.
Reflection: When did I do this before? Where could I use this again?

Bloom’s Analyzing: Breaking material into constituent parts, determining how the parts relate to one another and to an overall structure or purpose.
Reflection: Do I see any patterns or relationships in what I did?

Bloom’s Evaluating: Making judgments based on criteria and standards.
Reflection: How well did I do? What worked? What do I need to improve?

Bloom’s Creating: Combining or reorganizing elements into a new pattern or structure.
Reflection: What should I do next? What’s my plan / design?

If multiple pieces of Bloom’s are incorporated into the lesson or unit structure then multiple instances of reflection can take place at appropriate times. By allowing time and outlet for reflection to occur, students are tasked with utilizing and demonstrating critical thinking skills as part of the task. This approach serves as a diagnostic model as well as an opportunity for continued practice with both critical thinking skills and reflective writing practices.

Alternative Formats For Reflective Writing

Source: http://education.yourdictionary.com/for-teachers/teaching-kids-about-reflective-writing.html

Too much of a good thing is too much. When reflective practices become formulaic, they wear thin on students’ tolerance for repetition bordering on boredom.  Teachers need to encourage variety in styles and formats of all writing and reflective efforts are no exception. By simply changing up the format students will be writing in, teachers can breathe new life into waning engagement levels as the year goes on.

This starter idea comes from yourdictionary.com:

Teaching Kids About Reflective Writing

For students who are reading a play or novel for school, ask them to keep a reflective journal and write about each scene or chapter. They do not have to summarize the events, but rather, reflect on them and describe their thoughts, experience, and ideas while reading and thinking about the plot and characters.

• Encourage them to try different writing styles in their writing – a reflective poem, song lyric, or even a bulleted list of ideas might offer some insights to their thoughts, and will challenge them to practice writing in different ways.
• See if they are interested in writing their own short story in reflection of the events of the play or novel being read in class.

Much of this technique mimics a common intent of graphic organizers; change the layout of thinking to spur further thinking. By prescribing a style (one that relates to the content is even better) for students to fulfill, the task of reflection takes a backseat to the product of reflection. Students are often aware that the end product is what counts for them. Many times students are not concerned with primary or secondary directions but rather, the final product requirements and parameters. By changing the style of the reflection, teachers can offer some variety and break the monotony that may come from constant reflection.

Style is a major aspect of language arts instruction at the secondary level and can influence a variety of skills such as critical thinking, source evaluation, text analysis, and overall quality of writing. By combining reflective practices with instruction on styles and formats, teachers are driving the reflective practice toward more teachable moments.

Reflective Journaling To Promote Community Building And Teamwork

Source: https://www.teachervision.com/writing/letters-and-journals/48544.html

Reflective writing is best when it is focused and purposed. By practicing guided reflective writing, teachers can ensure efficiency and promote engagement. Students are more apt to become involved with a task when they buy in and are authentically vested in the task. Furthermore reflective writing need not be intrusive or dominating to be effective. Buy-in, engagement, and efficiency can all be manifested by sneaking in a little reflection of the mischievous kind; have students complain, or at least offer them a place to vent (and praise) the struggles they face when working in group-based projects or assignments.

Teachervision.com offers these ideas for teamwork based reflective writing:

Reflection on Teamwork (Middle School)
Group Members: Brian, Kristin, and CJ
Responsibilities: Brian – Leader (Paper), Kristen – PowerPoint, CJ – Outline

General Feeling: If we can get to the computer to work on Power Point and get some more info, we should be fine.

Progress: Today we got any information that was left out of the books. Our paper is started, and our bibliography is all caught up.

Concerns: I am concerned about getting everything done, I think we can do it but CJ is going to have to help.

Checklists, status updates, chunked-out stages, and all of the foresight in the world can be in place and yet some will still neglect aspects of their task. Teachers can benefit from some oversight on the front lines and sneak in a little reflective writing at the same time by utilizing community building efforts that reinforce accountability and teamwork.