Looking back at what problem you have gives a perspective as to what is working and what is not working.
Miriam,
Good point about reflective thinking and I especially like your last sentence because one's growth is dependent to a large degree on not repeating the same mistakes over and over again. As the old saying goes, "we need to learn from our mistakes".
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Reflective thinking can benefit problem solving because it will not only lead to a solution but will also take into consideration the consequences. If more thought was put into making decisions this could help to avoid the problem. Reflective thinking can also help if the person not only finds the solution to the problem but recognizes the cause to avoid it in the future.
Paul,
Good point and something we need to work on with our students. Reflective thinking needs to be a part of our skill set as educators and we need to share this process with our students so they can make it a part of their operating format.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Reflective thinking may help to stop people from using a one-dimensional approach to solving a problem. This type of approach may solve something in the short term, but lead to another problem or a worse problem. As our world "speeds up" reflective thinking seems to diminish. This may lead to inability to solve problems on a long-term basis.
Zekrayat,
The key is your comment about them needing to "step back" and think about the total situation before acting. This is what really helps students to develop their critical thinking skills.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
I agree. I find that students are quick to respond to a question without really thinking about what I am actually asking. For example, when asking for an etiology to a cardiovascular disease the students only look at one type of symptom they patient may have or sign on an echocardiogram. Once I have the students take a step back and have them assess ALL of the images, views, and measurements it then becomes clear they must take everything into consideration prior to assuming what the disease or cause actually is.
Mike,
Well put. As a rancher faced with many different situations both animal and mechanical I can appreciate your comments about the need for reflective thinking. It seems that frequently reflective thinking is required because I have never experienced such a situation before and am operating without any direct experience but with a little "think time" I can get the tractor running or cattle rounded up and solve my problem.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Reflective thinking allows an individual or individuals to take the time to think about many possible ways of solving a particular problem. Often, reflective thinking can reveal there are many best solutions to any single issue that achieve beneficial results such as saving lives, time and or resources. -Mike
Erin,
Good points about how to expand the development of your students' problem solving and critical thinking skills. The results will be so valuable for your students as they enter their career fields.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Some of the benifits of reflective thinking when looking at a problem is that you can see small detatils that make a huge difference in the long run. For example a student trys just thinking about one question they have at the end of each lecture. Not only are they reflecting on the lecture itself but are developing study skills in the long run, because they are critically thinking about how they are intaking information in the lecture. Do they need to focus on the powerpoint more, should they ask more questions in class, should they focus more on a particualr area at home study. Reflecting by questioning their own knowledge helps them develop study skills tailored to their own needs.
Joe,
Listening is a powerful form of learning. You make a good point.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
I agree lots to be seen if we can just remain quiet an just look an listen.
Andrew,
There is a saying that goes "Ready, aim, fire." Many people use the saying "Ready, Fire, Aim." and the results from this are often not the best. You make a good point.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
I believe that if you take a step back and think about all the possible out comes it gives you the best chance of making the right decision.
Joseph,
Great analysis of how reflective thinking can be the value added component of our career and life successes. We need to keep our eye on the basics as you mention and then build from there sequentially.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
When we were young, our caregivers sometimes taught us lessons, in the "Hard-Facts" that most just took for granted. For instance, placing a child's hand on an ice-cube, and saying the word "Cold", leaves a lasting impression. Without reflective thinking, we'd never come to realize that there are "Degrees" of cold - as well as "Hot". To most, it really doesn't matter all that much. It's kind of a "Been there-done-that sort of thing. But, when we reflect on it further, it matters a great deal. We just don't see the implications. What, where, why, how-much, how-little, all have a relative position in the context of the real world applications. Reflective thinking makes my students "Search" for the reasoning behind the science - AND - the other possibilities. Without it, we would only have food, shelter, and clothing, instead of "Cuisine", "Trump Tower" and "Bill Blass" to name a few. Reflecting upon what you learn will (and has) lead to new and innovative products and services. Many of the products we have today, are, in fact, the rabbit-trails of a totally-different dilema. In my career, I have been able to solve many problems, simply by going back to the basics when confronting an impossible situation. If we train students "IN" the basics, and have them reflect on the context, we have accomplished most of our objectives. The "What-If" discussions in the classroom is where the real learning takes place, anyway. Why not embrace it? There has rarely been anything that I've done in life, without my asking myself, "How could I have done that better"? We should be training the next generation to do better. The "satisfaction" benefit, alone is worth it. Only when we can assist others in problem-solving, through any method, can we say, "I'm a teacher". It does take work, though. "Farmer-logic" tells us: "You can never plow a field, if you only turn it over in your mind". He will, however, reflect on: "Which direction, how many rows, what am I planting, and so forth". We would do well to imitate him.
