Embed Size (px)
Citation preview
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/
