Purpose Statement
The purpose of Reflection is to provide students with a
daily activity that promotes emotional and mental wellness. Practiced as a
discipline, it develops intellectual muscle and increases self-esteem. A daily
discipline allows time for reflection upon experiences, personal and academic,
which promotes assimilation and thus contributes to assigning meaning.
Cognitively, the continued practice develops fluency, fluidity and concentrated
thought. Both emotional and mental wellness are essential components of a
student's attitude toward learning and academic stamina.
Description of
Activity
The instructor's role is to engage the class in discussion
on the value of reflection and to advise students how to get started. The time
spent on reflection is mostly outside of class, with the exception of when
instructors integrate it in the regular class activities, as suggested in the
"Application" section below. The handout on "Reflection"
may be used in the discussion. The short-term goal of reflection is to focus
attention upon a subject, while the long-term goal is to extend the ability to
maintain concentration over increasing spans of time. Reflection can be tied to
assignments, such as close reading, writing opportunities, and thought
experiments. Instructors can tailor its use to their specific subject areas.
Reflection initially brings up issues that need to be acknowledged and dealt
with, thus clearing the pathway for new learning experiences. Developing
fluency, fluidity and concentration will deepen the student's understanding and
mental flexibility.
Description of what to present and discuss with students:
a. Preparation: Reflection is an activity best done daily. Preparation involves
finding a quiet, calm place to reflect, free of unwanted distractions. One
should spend about 15-20 minutes reflecting around the same time each day to
set up a habit pattern.
b. Stage one involves taking inventory of one's inner state of being, gleaning
the essence of experiences (what did I learn from…), and/or beginning with a
seed idea or question on a specific topic in preparation for an assignment.
c. Stage two involves developing different types of thought, depending on one's
purpose, and recording ideas.
(i) To develop fluency of thought, the student brainstorms on a given topic.
Options include talking into a tape recorder, spring boarding while free
writing (writing "and" after each idea), clustering, listing, drawing
a picture and adding components. The point is to push oneself for a large
quantity of ideas that may be sifted later (hold off the editor, if possible,
at first).
(ii) To develop concentration of thought, the student holds his or her
attention on the topic, and brings it back when attention begins to wander.
Just like a horse is tethered to a pole, one brings one's center of focus back
to the chosen topic.
(iii) To develop fluidity of thought, seek relationships between ideas and
record any perceived interconnections on paper, forming a graphic organizer or
diagram that may be used for further development.
Options include but are not limited to engaging in an inner dialogue regarding
the topic (pro/con), taking different points of view (how would I see this from
a political scientist's perspective?), thinking of the cause-effect
relationships involved in the subject, thinking through the implications of
choices, imagining various scenarios, seeking connections with other subject
areas, thinking of how one will use the ideas, pursuing the essential core idea
underlying related cases, visualizing a symbol representing main concepts, etc.
It is also important to list any questions that need to be pursued for further
study.
d. Stage three involves an ongoing readiness to engage in and record thoughts
as one goes about the day's activities. This could involve talking into a
compact tape recorder, keeping a small pad of paper and pen in a backpack, or
using an electronic device (i.e. PalmPilot).
Materials Needed
a. "Reflection" handout noting different types of
thought and stages of reflection to be given to the students. Please go to link
listed below to print a copy.
b. Student recording tools recommended: tape recorder, pad of paper and pen, or
electronic tool.
Application
a. Inform students that emotional wellness is enhanced by
taking time to think about important issues. Even if the student cannot solve
the problem that may surface during reflection, at least he or she acknowledges
it and makes a commitment to spending time in the future addressing it. This
frees the student to move on to important academic assignments with a clearer
mind and heart.
b. Encourage students to use short moments of reflection to alleviate test
anxiety and promote calmness before potentially stressful presentations or
interactions. Visual imagery type reflections may contribute to tranquility
(imagine being in a favorite place, or being with a person who is loved or
respected who strengthens or inspires one, etc.). Combine reflections with self-talk,
positive statements that focus energy, when necessary.
c. Promote reflection when describing class assignments by telling students you
want them to take time to think deeply about the subject. Role model reflection
by thinking aloud during class, by providing time in class for students'
reflection, and combine it with an in-class writing opportunity.
d. During a lecture, ask students to think about a question, which you provide.
Tell them to share their thoughts with the person next to him/her. ("Take
a few moments to think about ____. Share your questions, response or
conclusions on the issue with the person adjacent to you.") The lecture
can then proceed, often with increased interest.
e. Possible problems might include students becoming passive or self-obsessed
and failing to pass on to the period of developing concentration on a chosen
idea. If a person is not getting enough rest, a period of reflection may result
in sleeping. If a person is not mentally active, there may be no increase in mental
energy. If a person is unable to hold attention and practice metacognition,
i.e., be aware of when focus has strayed and bring it back again, then certain
methods can be tailored to that person's cognitive style.
Problems may need to be dealt with in office hours, or by giving out 3x5 cards
and asking the students to report on how the activity of reflection is working
for them outside of class. Instructor feedback may be written on the back of
cards, which are returned to the students. The sleepy person may need to rest
and adjust his/her time schedule. The passive person should integrate
self-questioning with reflection, and try to record ideas (go for fluency of
thought initially). The person who needs to develop metacognition should plan
short periods of time for reflection, intersperse movement, and should
periodically summarize what s/he has gained so far. S/he may need to be
convinced of the value of self-monitoring by thinking of examples in other
familiar areas in which it is taken for granted, like sports (e.g., Where is
the ball now? Where should I be on the court? What will the next play be? How
am I doing in improving my swing?). Make an analogy with mental work, and
discuss the advantages of monitoring oneself during study. Some people who find
themselves chronically off task (i.e., students with ADHD) report that they
benefit from putting a rubber band around their wrists, and lightly flipping it
when they notice they have gone off the topic or task. Others who wish to
sustain attention use white noise tapes with earphones or unintrusive, soothing
music.
One of the difficulties that may arise in developing fluidity of thought is a
person's inexperience with concept formation. This involves making a
distinction between idea and form. A simple example is the same concept may be
referred to by using several synonyms in a lecture; can the student isolate the
underlying concept? On a more advanced level, case studies can be discussed
from different points of view, all of which involve a predominant concept, such
as justice or freedom. Can the student identify the important shared concept
amongst the various cases? (E.g., civil rights laws apply not only to race but
to disability and gender.) Once the ability to identify a given concept amongst
particulars is increased, the student is more likely to be able to see
relationships between different concepts within a variety of contexts (e.g.,
stories, case studies, experiments, and courses).
Students who actually practice reflection regularly report back that it has
helped them to a great extent. They develop cognitive strengths, empathy and
imagination, all of which may be applied in every situation, and the process is
self-reinforcing.
Related Student
Services
a. Students who have difficulties with emotional adjustment
may be referred to the Mental Health Counselors in the Nurse’s Office. Payment
of the Student Health Fee enables each student to see a counselor six times.
b. Students who have unusual combinations of challenges may have multiple factors
affecting them cognitively and affectively. DSPS Specialists can be reached by
phone to discuss appropriate referrals on campus or in the community (Janet
Shapiro, DSPS Coordinator, 965-0581, ext. 2365).
c. Students who have no time to reflect often need financial aid so they can
work fewer hours. Please advise students to go to the Financial Aid office.
Links/Handouts
this
web page was created on 3/13/99 at 3:34:04 PM
and modified on 3/13/99 at 5:12:23 PM