Today’s post is the fourth in a quick series relating what I’m learning through my work with the WNY Young Writers’ Studio, how this is informing my perspectives about change in the field of education, and where my efforts might be best placed as someone who hopes to inspire it.
My discoveries are taking me down a path that wasn’t necessarily intended: toward kids, their needs, and the potential to help them advocate for themselves and what works for them as learners. Reflection enables the beginning of this process, and over the last few days, I’ve shared how the thinking and work of various experts has begun to shape my own.
Oxford Professor Graham Gibbs first defined the reflective cycle in his 1988 text Learning by Doing: A Guide to Teaching and Learning Methods. His work enables a fairly straight forward approach that tends to work well with even the youngest learners, in my experience. The graphic below demonstrates how I intend to adapt it for use with Studio writers and teachers this week. I’m wondering which elements of the cycle will present the greatest challenge. I’m planning to investigate this a bit during our session. For some reason, I find it harder to reflect on my writing and work than I do my actions or behaviors. I’m not sure why. Plan to ask kids and teachers to think about the same.
And how about you? When does reflection happen with ease? Where do you find yourself challenged by it?
