Using Reflective Thinking
What are some of the benefits of reflective thinking in relation to problem solving?
One benefit of reflective thinking is the ability to evaluate and then reevaluate occurences to understand fine details, and then apply those findings to future problem solving objectives that require the use of your new understanding.
Relection can save one from disasterous results. That's what I tell my students when they are annoyed with the process of education. Think, pen it, and sleep on it before making your final decision.
Medhin,
Right you are and when applied this way your students will have a wider base of experience from which to draw when they are in need of doing reflective thinking to solve problems.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
The benefits of reflective thinking are listening , understanding and taking the effort to analyze before you quickly solve the problem. This approach will give you the opportunity to think through and make sense out the given scenario with out thinking.
Mary,
When faced with problems that require stepping back and reflecting on possible solutions individuals need to know how to not only step back but how to come up with proposed solutions. As you say so many problems cannot be solved with just a quick reaction but need time and effort to be resolved.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Many times problems are can not be solved in the moment or on a whim. Reflective thinking allows you to meditate on an issue, giving time for your sub-conscious to absorb the problems and issues and develop possible solutions.
One benefit would be to see if you will do the same thing again, if I make a repair to a car and it doesn't fix it then I would reflect upon my steps and see where I went wrong. I feel that to look back is to learn what you did wrong and fix that step of the repair.
The biggest benefit is that it opens up more choices and options for you. Things that you may not have thought possible without reflecting on a problem or situation.
I think reflective thinking makes you analyze all the possible outcomes and narrows the possibility of making a bad decision. Each decision we make should be made with some reflection thinking otherwise we are just guessing.
Melville,
I did not know specially where such resources might be located but I do know I spend time looking at websites in the elementary and secondary areas for ideas of how to craft such questions. There are numerous suggestions that are made on these websites. I take their ideas and suggestions and then make the age appropriate and shape the questions around my content and come up with the questions I want to ask of and leave with my students for the next session of class.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Reflective thinking seems to be the main opportunity to turn mistakes and perceived failures into successes. Just like in the Wendy's example, the reflection came as way to address a challenge. I find myself using this type of thinking for hours and even days after my class periods as a way to improve my own skills and classes. I'm now wondering how I can leave my students with a question to ponder at the end of each class that will encourage this kind of thinking. Do you know of any resources that currently exist for instructors that assist in crafting specific types of questions geared towards these goals?
Thank you,
Melville
Chris,
Good way to get students to consider the options in a solving a problem. If they do not take the time to reflect on the situation they will often make a mistake or select a solution that is not viable. The more experience they have at reflecting the greater their problem solving skills will become.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
To look back and reflect on what the situation was, how you handled it and what could have been done differently, makes you see that situation in a different light.
Michele,
With our instant culture for the most part we humans do react too quickly. A good problem solver is that individual that can pause, reflect, consider and then propose a solution. My father used to call the pause part "doing a walk about". The "walk about" gave him a chance to think everything through and then come up with a solution. As we were living on a remote ranch where it was up to us to come up with a solution or deal with dire consequences we had to be very good at problem solving or we were not going to survive.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Many times people feel pressure to react quickly. It is however, important to understand that to decide to reflect is a quick decision. It is a decision to stop and evaluate all the information. It is a decision to not decide quickly.
Lars,
Good advice for problem solvers to follow. Stepping away at times can be very helpful because you can reset your brain and think about the problem in a different way. This new perspective is often just what is needed to gain the insight that will lead to a solution.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Using reflective thinking helps decision making by allowing the person to step back and analyze the situation. Often you can get so involved in a problem that you lose sight of other issues that my impact your decision. Reflective thinking can help you make a better decision by stepping away from the issue for a miniute and gives you time gather your thoughts for a better decision.
Traci,
Good caution for students to remember. Thank you for sharing it with us. As we know if you over analyze too much nothing ever gets done. There comes a time that action is required.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
I agree. I DO see the important value of listening and reflecting on options and possible outcomes, but balance is key. You can't delay decisions due to overanalyzing or over-reflecting on matters.
