Reflective Thinking
I believe reflective thinking is such an important part of learning. I think students will retain so much more of what has been discussed in class when they are given the opportunity to reflect at the end of the day.
I really like the idea of reflective thinking . I feel it will really help my students with problem solving and learning new skills.
Anthony,
You make a very good point about reflective thinking and how it needs to be developed. It is a sequential process that students need to follow so they can arrive at an expertise level that will enable them to be problem solvers in their field.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
reflective thinking is essential when teaching technical trouble shooting skills. it can take a long goose chase of a proccess for inexperienced learners to find solutions.the goal is to get them on a short track and avoid facts that mis- direct them.by continuously viewing the questions and answers they find,they begin to see what is usefull and what is not. this experience does grow there knowledge base.
Robert,
This is such a good way to check for understanding throughout the course. I know this model will be valuable to other instructors that are looking for ways beyond just quizzes to measure knowledge and skill growth.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Your perception of reflective thinking at the end of a class is so true. After each lecture, I asked the students to place in their journal what they understood or did not understand about the lecture. I also, asked them to reflect on how the history lesson was related to the last lecture? Finally, I have the students reflect on how they might have handled the social or economic situation differently? I have found that by using this method, it allows the student to ask about important concepts they might not have understood yet, needed to know. It also combines the historical process and indicates the relevancy of decisions from one generation to another. Finally, It allows the student to play a more active role in their own education as they take information, analyze that information, and apply their thoughts.
