Denise,
I agree it is a win-win situation because of the reasons you list in your comments. Great strategy to follow, thanks for sharing it with us.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
I believe that there are benefits to reflective thinking in order to solve problems. First, it slows you down so that you don't have a 'knee-jerk reaction' to the problem. The temptation to jump at and use the first thought could prove disastrous in the health care profession. Secondly, it should lend itself to creativity and away from 'let's do it the same way again' when that may not fully address the problem at hand. Thirdly, it should create even more questions that would not normally be asked; therefore, more research would hopefully be done which could reveal a better answer to the problem. So, if reflective thinking is used, a win-win situation should evolve.
I think using that technique of Reflective Thinking with our students will empower them. They will have to think through options and logically assess what they know. Then, they can make an informed decision.
Sharon,
Thank you for these comments on your development as a creative thinker and problem solver. You were willing to invest the time and effort needed to become the thinker and solver which many people are not willing to do. You can be a role model to your students and show them that there are great results to be realized if they will take the time to develop the self discipline needed to be successful in these areas.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Benefits I myself have encountered include:
Reflective thinking has made me more objective when faced with problems or situations. I learned that there are more ways to approach and solve a problem or situation than the first possible solution.
Reflective thinking has improved my teaching. By reflecting on my lessons and students' responses and behaviors, I was able to make adjustments and improve my lessons and how I presented those lessons.
Reflective thinking has also made me more aware of my own behaviors and how I respond to situations and solve problems. I have become a very creative thinker and problem solver.
Characteristics of environments and activities that prompt and support reflective thinking:
•Provide enough wait-time for students to reflect when responding to inquiries.
•Provide emotionally supportive environments in the classroom encouraging reevaluation of conclusions.
•Prompt reviews of the learning situation, what is known, what is not yet known, and what has been learned.
•Provide authentic tasks involving ill-structured data to encourage reflective thinking during learning activities.
•Prompt students' reflection by asking questions that seek reasons and evidence.
•Provide some explanations to guide students' thought processes during explorations.
•Provide a less-structured learning environment that prompts students to explore what they think is important.
•Provide social-learning environments such as those inherent in peer-group works and small group activities to allow students to see other points of view.
•Provide reflective journal to write down students' positions, give reasons to support what they think, show awareness of opposing positions and the weaknesses of their own positions.
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Alex,
Thank you for this example. This is such a good strategy for individuals to follow as they refine their reflective thinking skills and become more efficient as problem solvers. We need to focus on the steps that need our attention and then move on as those steps become easier to work through.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Optimization.
Regarding time management and the application of newly acquired knowledge and skill, I need to remind my students that their personally assigned time for completing a system of tasks will evolve as they gain more experience.
For example, I found I was very slow at completing Stage H, so I knew I needed to dedicate more time to that task. As I got better, a new Stage would emerge as the “slow†task, so concentration was dedicated there. The impact of becoming more efficient at individual stages called for a rearrangement of Stages which optimized my time even further. This whole evolution was recursive.
Without reflective thinking, a worker is self-limiting.
Daniela,
Thank you for these good comments about how to use reflective thinking as a problem solving tool. Students like to rush to conclusions without reflecting on choices or consequences. When the reflect they get a chance to step back and see how they came up with the solution and what the consequences of the solution was.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Reflective thinking is an opportunity to disengage from the immediate dynamics of a particular situation or project, and to observe the various factors and dynamics of it in order to evaluate the context, facts, decisions and actors (participants) in relation to one another. It is also an opportunity to engage in second order observation, which is the observation of other the observers and participants in the situation/project, a method that can lead to a deeper understanding of the group and project dynamics from different perspectives.
Paul,
I am a big fan of planning myself. Snap decisions often do not yield the results desired. Students need to learn how to proceed through the necessary steps that will yield good planning and thus good results.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
I believe we can’t just make decisions without planning. Planning is a very important part of the decision making process. Doing reflective thinking and observing the environment will help make better informed decisions in the critical thinking process. Enhancing this skill can be very beneficial in the IT field.
Lawrence,
I agree and it is always a great think when I see my students moving to this level. This is the "wow factor" for me because I know they have arrived and will be able to move forward in their careers.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
I believe reflection is very beneficial to problem-solving. It is almost like brainstorming, but on youe own. This is when those unconscious problem-solving skills come to the forefront. Your brain is working the solution altho you are not aware of it-until you set down to reflect on it.
Howard,
Yes it does and the more skill the students develop in reflective thinking the greater their problem solving skills will become.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
I think it helps you problem solve better, because you will come up will multiple outcomes and make the right decision .
Kimberly,
This is the connection that students needs between the content and application. Once they start to see and use this connection their problem solving skills start to expand and they are on their way to being reflective thinkers.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
I like the idea of using reflective thinking also as a post decision making tool, or post project tool to fine tune how something was done to make it better next time. Using reflective thinking this way, give participants a way to trouble shoot and/or continue the critical thinking process to improve. This give us (them) a chance to be continually improving what we do, and not become complacent and settling for mediocre.
Michelle,
This is a good strategy to use as it gets them to stop and think for a bit. Most students want to rush right into the problem without thinking it through and considering different options that may be available before coming up with a final problem solving choice.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
I found that asking probing questions of my students when presented with a problem helped them to stop and think before coming up with some solutions. The best part is when they understand that they may not have all the facts to come up with a solution without asking more questions .
