Impact Of Reflection On Student Learning

Reflection on practice has different meanings, in my view it means constructive criticism: being honest with myself, becoming aware of and understanding my own strengths, and being able to review activities and constantly test assumptions related to our work. These have been my approach to critical reflection throughout the year. This is supported by Brookfield, he says that "Critically reflective teaching happens when we identify and scrutinise the assumptions that undergird how we work” (Brookfield, 1995, pg. 11-13). This is further supported by Ghaye, T & Ghaye, k (Ghaye, 1998); he argued that many teachers have benefited from learning through reflection. Their teaching and understanding of what is possible and less possible, impacts of activities on children’s learning and its boundaries have risen as a result of reflection.

This movie, The Classroom, which was very interesting to watch, discusses all that goes on in the school system, the good and the bad. But it also shows how things at home can affect the way the student acts during the school day. This movie definitely makes you look at students that act out differently, instead of punishing them maybe we should all look deeper into the issue and find a way for the student to thrive and use school as an outlet.

making Practice-Based Learning work Reflection on PRACTICE A resource commissioned by the Making Practice Based Learning Work project, an educational development project funded through FDTL Phase 4 Project Number 174/02 and produced by staff from the University of Ulster. www.practicebasedlearning.org Author Patricia McClure School of Health Sciences, University of Ulster www.practicebasedlearning.org contents Reflection on Practice 02

- According to the student, he has started a new class and he could not find where he could change the info that he has right now on his account.

Throughout this course, I have reflected on my learning. I have noticed my learning, for the most part, has not changed drastically, but instead it has become more refined. This is the first time I have actually taken the time to think about my learning process. Even though I have not spent a lot of time reflecting on my learning, I feel I now know more about how I learn and what I did find out can help me during the rest of the time I pursuit higher education.

In 1933 John Dewey (1933) introduced his theories and concepts on how people think. He identified a number of different modes of thought including reflection. He saw reflection as an aspect of thought, a rational and purposeful act that is more then mere thinking. Dewey contrasted routine action with reflective action, laying the roots of reflective practice in teaching (Zwozdiak-Myers, 2012, p. 5). In his notion of reflective action he described a willingness to engage in self-assessment, which required flexibility, analysis and social awareness (Pollard, 2005, p. 13). His reflection described a willingness to consider different possibilities and the ability and desire to recognize various opinions (Zwozdiak-Myers, 2012, p. 5).

Starting University can be quite the daunting experience. Moving to a new city, or on my part; an entirely different country, meeting new people, and adapting to the student lifestyle, your senses are constantly overloaded. With all these new impressions and responsibilities hanging on your shoulders, it is vital to take a step back once in a while, and reflect over where your life is heading. Doing this can play a key role in making the most out of your years as an undergraduate student. I will therefore with the support of Boud, Keogh and Walker’s (1985), as well as Kolb’s (1984) and Gibbs’ (1988) work on reflection, reflect over my own transition into Higher Education.

As a teacher, our responsibility is to plan effective lessons for our students to learn from. Although, the hardest part of being a teacher is grasping the student’s motivation to learn. Therefore, the educational philosophers Borich and Wong have different approaches to make us effective teachers motivate our students to learn new and exciting teachings. These different methods may include a wide range of how teachers run their classrooms, or what specific standards are being targeted, and maybe even how effective their planning techniques are. Not to mention, students may also expect positive expectations from the teacher and ways to help them succeed. On the other note, inviting students to learn may be easier than thought, in which may result in positive student behavior. Thus, my opinion of what Borich and Wong have to say about student learning is very beneficial to me so, that one day I may use their techniques in my very own classroom.

Reflective learning can be identified as a means to allow individuals to see ourselves in both a physical and metaphorical sense to see inside ourselves (Jasper & Ebrary 2006). It is about seeing things from a different perspective. Boyd and Fales (1983) defined reflective learning as a process of examining and exploring issues of concern that may be triggered by experiences and creates as well as clarifies meaning in the form of self. This leads to a change in conceptual perspectives. Reflective learning to me is an evaluation of yourself and how far you have come from where you began. Reflective thinking can help me analyze my past performance and think on how I can improve myself as well as develop the necessary skills I need to continually do better.

When something goes wrong or something unexpected happens during a lesson or activity, we ask ourselves questions such as, could I have done something to avoid it? These experiences usually make us grow and we learn from experience, and we will be better prepared to face the situation if it happened again. This introspection is generally called “reflection”, and all professionals have adopted it in order to improve their practice, but for educators reflection involves “critical thinking” about past experiences or current experiences that occur or are occurring in classroom settings and looking at them in a positive light on how to make improvements for their teaching

The term “reflection” comes from the Latin term reflectere which means “to bend back”. A mirror does this. It bends back the light so that you can see what your face looks like. In education, reflection means to look back at experiences of learning and think about them. The act of reflection becomes the bridge between experiences and learning.

Teaching can be a challenge, you never know what to expect and each classroom will be unique. However, you will always have to be prepare for teaching in a situation you may not be comfertable with. Educating students and practicing proper knowledge on subjects such as race, class, gender, sexual orientation and disability are vital in creating a safe and respectful classroom for all. School is often looked upon as a place of security for students and it is our job as teachers to help maintain that status.

While collaborating with my fellow classmates, Sarah and Tina, we decided to select teaching objects that would benefit 3rd grade student as they work through the five stages of the writing process. Sarah introduced an editing games that challenges students’ knowedge of grammar and syntax needed during the editing stage in the writing process. Tina brought a graphic organizer packet to the collaboration meeting that is useful during the prewriting stage. Finally, I introduced a book called, Go Away Big Green Monsters! as a prewriting activity.

It’s not easy for every person in the teaching filed to be a good and professional teacher without working hard on adjusting and being able to change and use different methods in teaching that they have not used. As a person who wants to be a great teacher in the future, I find that using different methods of teaching and being able to reflect on my teaching by trying new ways of teaching and getting feedback from my colleagues and my students are essential points that I should keep in mind and accept it. However, there are many teachers use the traditional ways of teaching and are not able to adjust or deal with new ideas. Perhaps, they don’t have strategies to follow up and help them to reflect their own teaching or they are not willing to change. According to the article that I have read which about reflective teaching as a strategy for teacher growth, there are four steps that teachers can follow to get feedback from professional experienced teachers. In this paper, I am going to write a brief summary of the article that I have read about reflective teaching, analyze the greatness and weakness points, and then synthesize my thoughts about the article.

The TV monitor can be an opening to adventures that students may never have the chance to explore. When I use cable television and video clips in my classroom my students get excited about what we are going to study. If a student is a visual-spatial learner the television or videos could be an excellent tool to use in order to meet their learning style. Alexander Golon explains “Visual-spatial learners are students who show advanced abilities with computers, maps, construction toys, and puzzles” (Golon). Throughout my paper I will explain how cable television and video clips can be useful tool because they appeal to different learning styles in the classroom and meet South Carolina’s state standards when used appropriately. Let’s face