Task 2c - Reflective Theory Task

Reflection is used in every profession and social interaction.  It is a way of evaluating and improving one’s self in different areas of work, play and interpersonal relationships. The meaning of reflection is ‘careful or long consideration or thought’ (Collins, 2015). However this description doesn’t explain how we reflect more intricately, this is the difference between reflection and reflective practice. Although we may not be aware, we learn the application of reflection from as early as primary school such as reflecting on how you can better time manage yourself, in school/college we have parent teacher meetings to provide feedback of our work and personal efforts and attitudes. However when we leave the formal educational system and enter the professional and business communities, we only have ourselves to apply ‘self-reflection’.

Reflective practice can be described as ‘a process by which you: stop and think about your practice, consciously analyses your decision making and draw on theory and relate it to what you do in practice. Critical analysis and evaluation refocuses your thinking on your existing knowledge and helps generate new knowledge and ideas. As a result, you may modify your actions, behavior, treatments and learning needs’. (CSP, 2015) This definition describes exactly what the Reader 2’s practioners are promoting (postulating). They have all taken this definition and applied different methods to achieve this outcome. One such practioner is Dr. John Dewey. He theorized that, to achieve reflective thought, you had to experience situations at different levels but ‘……experience alone, however, even educative ones, are not enough…….,. What is critical is the ability to perceive and then weave meaning among the threads of experience’ (Rodgers, 2002).

As an educator and practitioner in the arts and academics I agree with his theory. Experience of the teacher is key into learning, whether that be in a classroom environment or dance studio. Without the experience to hold your thoughts against how can you reflect without that grounded fact that took place, and furthermore, without the experience and without the opportunity of reflection, how can you advance yourself professionally? Every day, I am learning and experiencing what works best to make sure that the children I teach are learning to their full capability. In this regard I am finding reflective journals very helpful, they allow me to ‘voice’ my ideas and plan for future classes based on the experience I have had, both negative and positive. Because of this practice I have experienced day to day improvements in my teaching style and positive reactions from my students. . For example, over the past couple weeks I have experienced that every child has a different learning style whether that be visual, kinesthetic, auditory etc. - In understanding this I have found Howard Gardner’s theory of different learning very informative. Howard Gardner theory focuses on multiple intelligences, and these can be grouped into certain sections, some are suggested above. ‘The Multiple Intelligences concepts and VAK (or VARK or VACT) learning styles models offer relatively simple and accessible methods to understand and explain people's preferred ways to learn and develop’ (1983 & 2003-2014, 2015). I have been self-reflecting in the way I carry out activities, explaining it in different ways to align with each child's learning style.  Sometimes I get the students to copy what I am doing, or get them to listen or show them a visual tool that I may have. While applying these different techniques I am also applying the technique of ‘reflect-in-action’ where you have to assess and change plans as situations develop. I am comfortable with this type of reflecting which is a fundamental skill used as a professional dancer. We all know that during a performance there are possibilities of things going wrong, you have to be ready to reflect-in-action, to make sure that you carry out the performance professionally and safely. I think this technique of reflecting also relates to where I think I fit in Kolb’s learning cycle.

Kolb’s learning cycle is constructed of four different stages that you can enter at. ‘Some people start to learn when they are involved in a concrete experience, (doing something), some people can do something but start to learn about it when they are watching the people around them doing it (Reflective observation), some people need to ‘work it out in their head first’ (Abstract conceptualization), some people start to learn when they start trying out ideas (active experimentation)’ (Akinleye, 2015). Below is a diagram of Kolb’s learning cycle-

 Figure 1- (McLeod, 2015)

 Kolb’s learning cycle is a unique method to reflect on an experience but also a fantastic model to help you understand your style of learning. For example I would consider that I most likely fit into the ‘Concrete Experience and Abstract Conceptualization’ stage of his cycle, because I learn the most when I first make a tentative plan in my head and then try it out,. This theory of learning by doing, also links back to Howard Gardner’s theory of different learners. In Gardner’s eyes, I am a Kinesthetic and visual learner, both have similarities however, the difference being one is for reflection and the other for in-learning experiences. In my profession both of Kolb’s reflective cycle stages are very accurate and ones that I consciously employ as reflective strategies. Within a group it is inevitable that there will be a variety of challenges especially with young children, you must be able to reflect on the spot, to resolve, make better and or adapt as to keep the interest focused and absorbing.

As mentioned in my earlier posts I am finding that the method of reflecting through writing is very therapeutic, however that I also felt that I wasn’t accurately recording the raw intensity of my emotions. To help augment my lack of descriptive (I am not a poet)  writing skills to capture my emotions I looked at Jennifer Moons theory about tacit knowledge, and how you can reflect in different ways to accommodate what works best for you. I looked at making lists of the emotions I felt on my work days. Using this as a base I also included visual images, to help represent my reflection of the day. I am finding this more helpful as I can now see from the photos exactly what I was feeling because in the photos I choose, I pick the specific ones that stands out to me to represent that emotion. They remain sharper and fresher than simple words can convey. Without this understanding and application of Moons theory, I wouldn’t have been able to achieve this simply but powerful reflection of my emotions.

After reading the ‘Reader 2’ and completed some of my own research into the area of reflection, I now understand that there are so many different ways of reflecting and how to represent those reflections. Even though we only have this section of work for a few short weeks, I will be continuing my journal and exploring the different ways that work best for me to represent my reflections. I hope by the end of the course, I will be able to see a humongous difference between my first and last journal. It will be interesting to see if my thought tracking has changed and if the representing of the reflections are similar or different.

Bibliography

1983, M. I., & 2003-2014, r. a. (2015, November 22). howard gardner's multiple intelligences . Retrieved from businessballs.com: http://www.businessballs.com/howardgardnermultipleintelligences.htm

Akinleye, A. (2015). Refelctive Practise. Reader 2, 5.

Brightside. (2015, November 14). What is refelctive practise? Retrieved from Brightside, Bright Knowledge: http://www.brightknowledge.org/knowledge-bank/medicine-and-healthcare/spotlight-on-medicine/what-is-reflective-practice

Collins. (2015, November 14). Collins. Retrieved from Reflection: http://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/reflection

CSP. (2015, November 14). What is refelctive practise and how do i do it? Retrieved from Chartered Society of Physiotherapy: http://www.csp.org.uk/faqs/cpd/what-reflective-practice-how-do-i-do-it

McLeod, S. (2015, November 16). Kolb-Learning Cycles. Retrieved from Simply Psychology: http://www.simplypsychology.org/learning-kolb.html

Rodgers, C. (2002). Teacher College Record. Defining Reflection: Another look at John Dewey and Reflective Thinking, 848.