Explain away

Make a speech

KEY QUESTIONS

• How can we use reflection and reflective writing to help develop mature, creative, resourceful

and insightful students who are life-long learners? [Life-long]

• How do we prepare students for the reflective writing elements of the HSC exam? [exam]

• How do we develop the skills – including writing skills – necessary for reflection and ‘self-

analysis’ during years 7-10? [skills]

• Are we preparing students for the demands of reflective writing at tertiary level? [tertiary]

The OECD on ‘reflectiveness’ (the heart of the ‘key competencies’)

Part 1.

“Thinking reflectively demands relatively complex mental processes and requires the subject of a

thought process to become its object. For example, having applied themselves to mastering a

particular mental technique, reflectiveness allows individuals to then think about this technique,

assimilate it, relate it to other aspects of their experiences, and to change or adapt it. Individuals

who are reflective also follow up such thought processes with practice or action.”

Part 2.

Thus, reflectiveness implies the use of metacognitive skills (thinking about thinking), creative

abilities and taking a critical stance. This requires individuals to reach a level of social maturity

that allows them to distance themselves from social pressures, take different perspectives, make

independent judgments and take responsibility for their actions.

Feedback on Stage 6 assessment tasks – an example of encouraging OECD style reflection?

THE HSC EXAMSample papers taken from the NESA site

‘Reflection’ (in the new HSC syllabus)

The thought process by which students develop

an understanding and appreciation of their own

learning. This process draws on both cognitive

and affective experience.

What is really being asked of a writer here?

Reflective writing asks us to put ourselves as writers under rigorous investigation

This is both a mindset or approach:

• Acknowledging the presence of the composer

aka calling BS on the supposed objectivity of

the essay

• Using supporting detail: anecdote, image,

data etc in a dance with the perceptions of the

writer

• The writer and reader are opened up as

objects of enquiry (NB connections to the

Textual Conversations Module A)

…and a set of skills:

• Personal response framed within an

intellectual discussion eg Lachlan Brown’s

keynote

• Mel Dixon’s points yesterday about weaving

analysis of Mod C texts into a reflection on

one’s own CRAFT

PREPARING STUDENTS IYears 7 to 10

Year 7 and 8 end-of-year Portfolio (Assessment task at Bellingen HS)Write 250-500 words in which you REFLECT on your learning this year. Here are three ways

you could do this:

• Reflect on the whole year in English. What have you learnt? What have you learnt about

yourself? What challenges have you faced and how have you/ might you overcome them?

• Reflect on one assignment from this year. What went well? What did not go so well? What

can you put in place to improve in your future learning?

• Reflect on one topic you did in English class this year. What did you enjoy? What was hard?

What did you learn? What else would you like to learn?

A Year 9 or 10 creative writing taskTask:

Part 1 800 – 1000 words

You must take an element of the novel you have studied and develop it into an engaging story of your own.

Possible elements for you to consider using are:

• Setting: for example, use the setting from the novel but create a new plot and new characters

• Characters: for example, select a minor character and tell a story based on them, or change a key aspect of the main character and tell

a similar story

• Conflict: for example, identify what causes conflict in the story, personality, attitude, poverty, outlook, and develop a story that uses this

conflict to create interest and tension

• Theme: for example, identify a theme from the novel and create your own story that explores this theme

Part 2 100 – 200 words

Describe the element of your studied novel that you selected and explain how you developed and adapted it. You will need to show an

understanding of the changes you made and the impact you wanted to achieve.

PREPARING STUDENTS IIYEAR 11

Reflective piece as part of portfolio assessment for Reading to WriteYou should write a 500-700 word reflection on the processes and experiences of writing the texts that you have

included in your portfolio. Consider:

• How the texts you read in class this term influenced or inspired your writing

• What you enjoyed and found challenging during the writing process

• How your past experiences (before year 11) have shaped your reading and writing, and how this term may

have influenced your future practices

Advice for the reflective piece:

• Get specific and detailed. Write about specific texts, language features and concepts

• The piece is to be ‘self-analytical’ in style: show us that you have been thoughtful about your own experiences

and can explain them succinctly

An example of student response to the year 11 task.

PREPARING STUDENTS IIIWhole text, language and ‘thinking/reflecting’

activities

Using NF eg memoir, ‘faction’, personal/investigative journalism, discursive essays and magazine articles…

Sentence starters

• “Until I heard … I had not realised that …”

• “it was so special to hear about … and then to realise that …”

• “we were all moved/shocked/in awe/ by the way …”

• “it was so powerful/confronting/overwhelming/wonderful to …”

• “it was an effective and powerful speech that …”

• “I have now come to understand that …”

• “I was totally challenged in how I used to think about …”

• “I now appreciate that …”

• “the presentation by … helped me to understand/identify …”

• “the key elements of belonging were explored …”

Templates: for example the 3D model

1st ‘D’: Describe paragraph

• Introduce the specific area/text/problem.

Key words and ideas: outline, provide information

2nd ‘D’: Disclose paragraph

• Longest paragraph of details; use stems eg ‘I wondered why…’ or ‘The novel’s ending made me feel…’

Key words and ideas: details, 1st person, explain experiences, choices, impacts

3rd ‘D’: Decide paragraph

• Brief and evaluative eg ‘I never realised that…’ or ‘Next time there is a group presentation I will…’

Key words and ideas: how feelings or actions impacted.

https://multimodalme.Blog/reflective-writing/

Thinking and reflecting activities:Use consistently across tasks, KLAs, differentiated (inc GATs) tasks

Scenarios for thinking about your learning experiences differently eg

• my opening activity today: explaining something to a young child or explaining teaching

to an alien

• The film of my term/year. Give it a title, a genre, write the advertising blurb, create the

cast list

• Describe your ideal boss/mentor/colleague/pupil

REFLECTIVE WRITING AT UNIVERSITYThis is what our students are heading towards in

an expanding range of courses:

TO APPEAR SOON IN ALTERED FORM ON THE WORDPRESS SITE

University reflective writing https://student.Unsw.Edu.Au/how-do-i-write-reflectively

What can I discuss?

• Your perceptions of the course and the content.

• Experiences, ideas and observations you have

had, and how they relate to the course or topic.

• What you found confusing, inspiring, difficult,

interesting and why.

• Questions you have

• How you:

• Solved a problem;

• Reached a conclusion;

• Found an answer;

• Reached a point of understanding.

• Possibilities, speculations, hypotheses or

solutions.

• Alternative interpretations or different perspectives

on what you have read or done in your course.

• Comparisons and connections between what you

are learning and:

• Your prior knowledge and experience;

• Your prior assumptions and preconceptions;

• What you know from other courses or

disciplines.

• How new ideas challenge what you already know.

• What you need to explore next in terms of thoughts

and actions.

“Gems and opportunities”

(From Dr Sherwanda Chism)

SUMMARY

Reflective writing

Reflection as a

mindsetReflection

as a whole-school

mindset

Models, templates, structures

Reflection vs Self-Analysis

The self as object of

disciplined study

HSC practice

Please follow, add, interact, collaborate on:

https://reflectivewritingnsw.wordpress.com/

thomas.gyenes@det.nsw.edu.au