In this reflection, you are to going to be reflecting on reflection (very meta ;-) and your composing process. Some things to think through: *What are Yancey and Belanoff's theories of reflection? Which do you feel you respond more to or is it a combination of the two? Why do you think we read theory on reflection?
*What is "so" important about reflection? Why might we do it after each main assignment (and in between assignments)? Where does reflection fit into your composing process?
*If you had to develop a theory of reflection what would it look like?
Make sure, per normal, you support your thinking with evidence from the texts--you can use your own writing as support as well. Dialogue with one another. And you should hit about 500 words.
This is due on Tuesday, November 9, 2010.
To me, reflection begins as a negative process. When you start out, your only focus is all the negative things - the aspects that you would have fixed or want to change. Your central thought composes all the issues that could have/should have/would have been. Then, you start asking questions, usually consisting of “Why did(n’t) I…” Luckily, reflection moves past the negatives, and eventually reaches a state where it becomes thankful for all the accomplishments that were made, and it rejoices in the volume of achievement. Slowly, it returns to a place of humble solidity and unfolds the areas that deserve improvement, or that can be changed in the future. It finishes by reflecting on past mistakes that have given fruition to improved avenues of discovery that enabled the current intellectual stimulus, or in other words, the finished product.
ReplyDeleteLike Belanoff, my theory on reflection comes in stages that are mostly cognitive; however, I tend to focus more on the sensation of emotion in reflection whereas Belanoff focuses very steadfastly on “drawing inward” in order to hear the inner silence through several steps of reflection, including meditation, contemplation, and metacognition. Belanoff discusses reflection as a means to discover new avenues, “doorway[s] out of constraints,” and as something to ponder over time. He believes that silence is the key to reflection; mentioning that “[it] is the sanctuary of sound” which in turn reminded me of a musical piece that I listened to last year in which the entire composition is made up of varying rests. For a non-musical person, this simply means that the entire piece was silent. Not a single note was played. While reading Belanoff’s article, I couldn’t stop thinking about that piece. I began to correlate the aspects of appreciating sound by silencing a room with music. The silence caused the audience to think about music. They were forced to reflect on the importance of the music that was not being played. Belanoff’s theory then made perfect sense.
Yancey’s article focuses on reflection as a learning tool; one that is capable of teaching “ordinary” students to do “extraordinary” things. She also discusses reflection as a tool for “understanding ourselves through explaining ourselves to others.” In this instance, I believe that my view on reflection agrees with both Yancey and Belanoff. Reflection is a cognitive process, but it is also used to make one better, to teach someone on a very real and personal level as well as enabling people to work together – to reflect as a body. Where Belanoff comments on how one must draw in towards an inner silence, he also mentions how one can find their own silence in a crowd full of people. Both theorists view the importance of reflection; however, they see it on very different levels. That does not make one better than the other. In fact, I believe reflection should waver from person to person.
One of the most important factors of reflection is the notion that reflection changes from person to person. No two minds work the same and therefore no two people should reflect in the same way either. For some, reflection might come in an abundance of noise or while working on a new project. On its own, reflection doesn’t make much sense, but when placed in a situation (such as before or after a project) reflection becomes a tool by which new ideas are formed and a new education takes over, and in this instance, I agree with Yancey that we experience many different forms of curriculum (“lived,” “delivered,” and “experienced”) and that reflection provides an “intersection among [them].”
I love reflection. In particular, I love my reflection because I believe that I’m pretty stellar and my reflection also helps me ensure that I’m not a hot mess when I leave my room. Without my reflection I would not just be part of a classic vampire myth that Twilight clearly overlooks (because vampires are supposed to sparkle), but I would be lost as to the process of garnering information from past experiences and completed work that assist me in the process of becoming a better composer.
ReplyDeleteSarah aptly points out that Yancey defines reflection as a tool fit for learning. She states that reflection is “the dialectical process by which we develop and achieve, first, specific goals for learning; second, strategies for reaching those goals; and third, means of determining whether or not we have met those goals or other goals” (6). Yancey focuses on the “individual and social” aspects of reflection as used in the classroom and by teachers for students. According to Yancey, it is something that writers use to work through a process, as we do after our projects, but it is also a product because one can even reflect upon a reflection.
Belanoff, on the other hand, uses key terms to define his theory of reflection. Yet, his key terms are different than typical rhetorical key terms. He uses solitude, silence, meditation, and contemplation. It’s a sacred union of these terms that make reflection what it is. I like to think of reflection as a similar process that employs these terms to bring reflection to its full potential. Alas, like and unlike Yancey, I too “reflect upon how I came to reflection” as a source of meditation for my betterment rather than a structural learning tool (16).
I find that reflection is severely important in the aspect of finding something “sacred” or at least true to your inner meditative state in some degree to learn about your past experiences. Reflecting on our projects assists us in discovering who we are as writers. It allows us to see how we tick as far as rhetorical construction and processes. Reflection helps us form the next iteration on our theories of composing because, with reflection, we realize what works for us and how we do it.
It’s a very Western feel as far as karmic similarities go. The combination of Yancey’s and Belanoff’s theories create an almost a dharma by which rhetors can live and flourish. I personally would follow this combined path and method of reflecting rather than being a strict adherent to just one of the two theorists.
If I were to develop my own theory of reflection, I would make it quite similar to the combined theories of Yancey and Belanoff. I would first emphasize my key terms of reflection. These would most likely include the ones that Belanoff emphasizes, but also things like “awareness” and “experience” to buttress the idea that even every day life can be impacted by reflection. Reflection is an important process in theories of composition. Omitting it would be a detriment in the extreme.
Before reading the Yancey and Belanoff articles, I never really thought about what reflection really “was” as a part of the composing process. Obviously this isn’t the first time that I’ve reflected on an assignment but it is the first time that I’m noticing its importance. I think that reflection, particularly in today’s society, is necessary. An idea that we come up with today may not necessarily be accurate in as little as a year or two from now and reflecting can allow us to see how we got from point A to point B.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed the emphasis that Belanoff put on the importance of silence. As he says, “silence communicates…what I am campaigning for is space and time in our classrooms and in our scholarly lives for looking inward in silence.” I don’t think that our society really treats silence with the respect it deserves. In the classroom, for example, is a teacher asks students a question, the teacher is usually looking for an answer then and there. Silence is kind of viewed as “the enemy”. I don’t view silence as the enemy or even awkward, sometimes I think silence is the best way to truly reflect on a topic.
Yancey, on the other hand, believes that reflection is much more of an interactive experience. While Belanoff says that the best “learning takes place when silence interlaces with socialization”, Yancey only mentions the benefits of classroom learning and reflection. “To ask students to participate with us, not as objects of our study, but as agents of their own learning, in a process that is product that is becoming known, quite simply, as reflection.”
Of the two theorists, I am leaning a bit more towards Belanoff’s theory of reflection. While I agree with Yancey that social reflection can be helpful, it may not necessarily be the best method for everyone. Belanoff acknowledges that there is no one “right” way to achieve the optimal reflective environment for everyone. Just like how everyone has their own unique composing process, the same idea can be argued that everyone has their own unique reflection process. What works for me may not necessarily work for other people in our class.
The way I think of reflection is that it is something we do after the fact, after an assignment is due, maybe a couple weeks after we finish a paper. Reflection is something we do after we have had the opportunity to take time away from an assignment and perhaps gain some new insight. While I don’t necessarily think reflection starts out as a negative process or as fixing things, I do agree with Sarah that reflection is a time where changes are made to an assignment/paper/whatever to support new ideas we have come up with over time. It definitely pertains to what we are starting with our digital portfolio assignment, since we are going back to finished assignments and projects and are now enhancing these assignments with new knowledge and ideas.
According to Yancey, reflection introduces and interprets the contents of writing to one or more readers. These reading can be an outside audience, or the reader can be yourself as the writer. I think this is an important concept to grasp because not only can an outside audience benefit from a reflection on your writing and apply your interpretation of the process to their own writing process, but you can learn from your own reflection because you can apply your findings in a more concrete way.
ReplyDeleteBelanoff seems to equate reflection with silence. I think this makes a lot of sense. As a Christian, I spend time reflecting on God’s Word. It says in several different Gospels that Jesus himself went to solitary, lonely, and secluded places to pray and reflect on God’s truths. Reflection is a solitary experience and I think that silence is an especially important aspect of this solitude. In America, our culture is constantly in a “GO! GO! GO!” state of mind. We are surrounded by noise and activity in every second of our lives. Slowing down, taking out our headphones and stopping all of the tasks of the day for a period of time to reflect is a foreign concept to most.
Reflection is important because it is how we learn about ourselves. In my Public Relations class we learned that “evaluation” is THE most important step in a PR program because it is how PR practitioners asses what was successful in their program and what can be improved next time. This process of evaluation prevents errors from being made over and over again and it allows goals to be monitored and progress to be recognized. This kind of evaluation, or reflection, is important in all aspects of our lives. I like to read through old prayer journals in order to see how God has answered prayer. When I reflect on the past, I can look back with the seasoning of hindsight and this reflection helps me to understand what is going on in my life presently and how to better handle myself. I like what Sarah said about reflection starting out as a negative process but ending in affirmation. While reflection involves noting what went wrong and identifying what can be changed and refined in the future, it also identifies strengths and allows me to see the areas that I am doing well. My theory of reflection essentially involves pausing, meditating, recording progress, applying what I have learned and making necessary changes in my writing and/or life.
Specifically to this class, reflecting on our projects is extremely beneficial. It is easy, for me at least, once a project (especially a difficult one or one I feel that I didn’t do my best work on) is finished to want to be totally done with it and never think about it again. However, reflecting over my process not only helps me to realize what I have accomplished, but it helps me to apply what I have learned to my writing process and guides me in completing future projects.
Like Sarah, my reflections usually start off on the negative side. I shower myself with questions about why I chose to do what I did (or didn’t do). This takes place through all my steps of composing, like Yancey’s theory of reflection. After I reach a checkpoint in my process, I take a step back from my work and look at it in its pieces, as a whole, in different combinations, as many different ways as I can. I rework sentences, swap out words, and expand on certain points while making others more concise. I like Yancey’s concept of reflection as a “learning tool,” helping students do better in their writing while still working on that specific writing.
ReplyDeleteMy reflections usually do take a turn toward the more positive end, if they don’t just plummet of the cliff known as apathy, of course. After my Yancey-like in-process reflections, I’m usually quite content with the work I choose to put forth. But my reflecting process doesn’t end there. Like DJ points out, Belanoff’s theory of reflection deals with terms like solitude, silence, and meditation It focuses on turning inward to the self to aid in reflection. This is a pretty good umbrella theory for my post-production process to fall under. When I reflect on my finished projects and papers, I like to have conversations with myself (no, not that crazy kind that get you put in institutions with hefty prescriptions). I discuss what I like and don’t like about what I’ve put forth. I literally meditate on my work.
In doing so, I usually experience I sort of cathartic release of all the doubts I’ve had about the project, and I can come to terms with what I’ve handed in. This allows me to forget about the stress of wondering what my professors will think, what their notes will be, and what grade I’ll get. Reflecting after the assignment has been completed and turned in also allows me to actually bring the process to a close. It’s like the five stages of grief, the last one is acceptance, and that’s what reflection-after-the-fact is for me.
I think reflecting after each of our assignments has been a great help, not only to developing our own theories, but also in getting us to learn from each project what we might do better or differently in the next. Reflecting after each project also allows for a sort of closure on each assignment. It helps us close off that section of the class without totally shutting it out from what we will be doing next.
After doing so many reflections throughout this semester in just this course alone, I now have a more concrete, though not entirely solid, understanding of my composing and reflecting processes. My theory of reflection is pretty similar to my fellow posters. Like DJ and Sarah, my process is a pretty happy combination of both Yancey’s and Belanoff’s theories. I am constantly reflecting within my composing process, but I also take time afterward to meditate with myself on the final product, though I’ve never – until this course – had to discuss that meditation in such a public manner.
Two very unique ideas of literary reflection, but not entirely different. Yancey and Belanoff ascribe to the necessity of reflection in schools. In a metaphysical sort of way, Belanoff stands by the individual solitary purposes of reflection, while Yancey seems to yield more to the necessity of reflection in the classroom as a whole with regular practice. Although comparable, I do not think that these are necessarily mutually exclusive. Without a doubt, it is not easy to concentrate in a room less silent than by Belanoff standards, like that of a monastery, but I believe that self contemplation is not impossible, although abstract, to have in schools. On the contrary, I think it was interesting of Belanoff to point out that reflection can happen almost anywhere for any number of reasons, a dancer studying her moves on tape, football fanatics replaying old games, someone reflecting over their diet plan, or someone like Sammi with her prayer journal. The thing that gets problematic is the problem of getting students to reflect, by request, in the classroom. It might be more difficult in a structuralized environment to accomplish this. So then how to determine if students are engaging in reflection? Yancey had the idea of having the student reflect by writing periodically, and unexpectedly, about their progress. In fact, we already do this in and out of this class. It may not be in the self meditative way Belanoff envisions, maybe some prefer music or bouncing ideas off their peers, too many this mayhem is their monastery. There are times when I feel my mind moving a mile a minute, with my mouth short to keep up for that matter. I do find it helpful to materialize this by writing my ideas on paper or on my computer whenever I feel like I’m on a role. Belanoff’s concept of interlacing was probably what I found most important when making my comparison of his theory of reflection with that of Yancey’s. It’s true that if your ideas have nowhere to go it’s not easy to know what to do with them. Everything we know has a way of building on each other, as Belanoff says, we can only interpret a text within a web of other texts (414). For some, meditation or prayer might prove useful, but this can not be claimed as prescriptive. This is the problem, I believe, those like Yancey and Fleckenstein have when interpreting how to integrate reflection into the classroom. Students think, learn and as we’ve seen, reflect differently. One students methodology on reflective thought might not be the same for someone else. It is understood that children all around the world in different environments learn in different ways, and the ways they learn are not always specific to their location. Their are exceptional people in the world, outside of the binaries. So then to say what’s good for some is good for all would be counterproductive within the educational system. Students must inevitably determine for themselves how go about their processes of reflection, something I’m afraid doesn’t always happen easily in a classroom.
ReplyDeleteYancey defines her theory of reflection on how it ties in with learning, which is pretty much what I have been kind of basing my theory of reflection on until I read Belanoff. Basically, she focuses on the process a composer takes into creating something and how reflection pretty much assists that process. Belanoff’s theory on reflection relies a lot on silence and the withdrawing from society to be more aware of within you. I particularly like the spiel he gave on silence at the beginning/introduction because I could definitely relate to what he was saying. I do feel like our culture deems silence as something negative, when in reality, there is absolutely nothing wrong with being silent. I can relate to feeling forced to fill the silence just because I feel responsible for the “emptiness” and therefore must fill it up with anything. It is the same with the blank page he refers to, and this sometimes creates a much worse effect than if we were to accept the silence or emptiness. Whenever you talk just to take up time or space, you usually end up talking nonsense or make a fool out of yourself and the exact same thing happens on paper.
ReplyDeleteLike Alissa, I never really thought much about reflection before this class, but I could see how I could relate to both, because Belnaoff proves a point on how we are always sort of acting in reflection whenever we read and write since “one might then conclude that both reading and writing are forms of reflection in which one examines from a momentarily static position what has gone before and what is potential for the future.” Yet, Yancey’s theory makes so much sense because reflection does assist us as composer’s in order to be more aware of what we are creating and how it can help us for next time. However, both theories deal with some sort of awareness, so I guess they have that in common.
I think that it is really important to reflect because you need to take time to ingest what you are reading/composing and kind of take a step back from what you’re actually doing and from the world around you. I think we do it after each main assignment so we can kind of look back on the process we did to finish the final project and the benefits it had. It is also important to remind ourselves of what we did and if we could have improved anywhere, or even when we’re editing our projects for the portfolio; seeing the reflections will help guide us and maybe pinpointing a location where we could improve for potential employers. Reflection is definitely at the top of my composing process (in terms for ranking, not order) because in my opinion, it is very important to be self-reflexive, otherwise you are not putting enough effort into what you’re creating, and the outcome definitely will not be the same.
If I had to create my own theory of composing, I would take some bits and pieces from Belanoff and Yancey (the awareness and silence portion mainly) in order to create a theory that, while focusing on the “goals” needed to achieve the reflection process in which you learn how to be more aware of your writing, you also focus on how to reflect better within yourself and accept the ‘silence’ as something golden rather than negative.
We’ve blogged a lot about reflection this semester, both our thoughts about it and actual reflections on projects. For Yancey, reflection is a foundation for learning. It involves putting “multiple perspectives into play with each other in order to produce insight.” I interpret this as looking back on the composition process, where the mind went with each step, and how the piece came to be in its final state. I like her theory because she describes it as something that projects and reviews, that is, looks at the past and enhances the future. That’s how I think of reflection in my composition process, which I talk about in more detail later. Also, Yancey talks about reflection having the power to take ordinary to extraordinary, like Sarah mentions. I think this is true of reflection- it helps you understand yourself better, and thus, compose better.
ReplyDeleteBelanoff’s theory of reflection centers on teachers creating a sanctuary for their students through encouraging reflection practices. He uses terms like silence, meditation, cognition, and metacognition to defend his position. His focus on silence is why I feel that I respond to both of the theories, not just one. That sanctuary that Belanoff talks about is where I want to be and aim to be when I reflect- it’s where I think my reflecting will be the deepest and most effective.
Reading theory on reflection enhances our own theories and practices in reflection. For me, reading these articles opened my eyes to even more ways to reflect. I’ve also become more aware of what I can get out of reflecting- yay.
The importance of reflection lies in that it works for the past, present, and future. When you reflect upon a past composition, you learn from it and can put that knowledge toward your current project. That experience stays with you through future compositions. I think we do reflections in between and after assignments to gather our thoughts. Sometimes you get so caught up in composing that you might not really be thinking while you’re doing it, which has definitely happened to me before (ahem, book promo project). Reflection gives us a chance to think about what we’ve done, how we have done it, what worked, didn’t work, and would have worked better. It gives us closer with our current composition and knowledge for the next one.
Reflection is a constant force in my composition process. That is, I reflect throughout composing: after each step or task is complete, I think about what I just did, read it over, and fix it, whatever needs to be done. For example, doing the newsletter project I would write one section, read it over, think about what it would mean to an audience of freshmen, and sometimes have to scrap the whole thing and start over. I would also reflect on prior things I’ve written or read. That mini-reflection helped me stay on track. I guess I hadn’t noticed that I do this until I started writing this blog post, because I think in other posts I’ve said reflection mainly comes at the end. While the end reflection is definitely the most complete, the “during” reflections are beneficial too.
If I had to develop a theory of reflection, it would include Belanoff’s argument about creating another place for sanctuary (reflecting in the classroom). I think reflecting both creates a sanctuary, and needs a sanctuary. This is because the act of reflection is very much like prayer. My theory would have a big emphasis on silence, like Alissa mentions, which in my opinion is the most vital part of any sanctuary or praying environment. Silence lets you get to your deepest thoughts, uninterrupted. I like that Sarah mentions that reflection is different for every person, though, and that someone might need music or loud noise to reflect. That leads me to the most important part of my would-be reflection theory: evolution. What works for your reflection one day might not be so for the next.
Reflection is so important because it allows us to look over our work as a whole and see what we have done and what we could do better. Its like having a teacher return a test and we can see what we got correct and what we missed in order to know better for the final, kind of like our final portfolio. In class we have been reflecting over all of our projects so we can learn what to do better next time. Most of us are unsatisfied with our work the first time around, reflection allows us to look upon the changes we want to make, it is like our “hindsight.”
ReplyDeleteMy theory of reflection looks upon my strong parts of my project and the weak parts of my project. I usually look at my strong points and look for ways to build them up even more, or perhaps spread them to other parts of the project that may have been weaker. I then look at the weak parts of my projects. I look to see whether they need to be eliminated all together. Sometimes I look at ways to build upon them. I then look at the manner at which I did the project. Did I plan ahead or just add as I went along? Did I give myself enough time? (I notice I usually don’t start until the last minute.) I believe all reflection should be written down so it may be looked over again for future reference whether it’s editing the same project, or just for reading before beginning another project. It is helpful to look over “what not to do” before beginning another project.
I like how Yancey divides her theory of reflection into iterations and then questions within that iteration. This makes it an easy process to follow. I like when one of her main points says it is a self-evaluation. This is the biggest part of reflection. It is just for us and is a useful tool for us to use. It is what we think of our projects and not what others think, or what we think others think. Belanoff uses good key words to describe reflection like contemplation, borrows words from Ann Belanoff like fixing and turning back. She describes reflection as mirrors, and what we see back in the mirrors depends on what our culture is. This is a very different way to look at reflection, and a more literal way.
Although I defined my theory on reflection, I really think it is whatever you want it to be. It can come in all different forms, whatever is more meaningful to a particular person. Reflection should be a mix of what you see and feel when you look at your work. It is a critique on the work you did, only the author can give himself or herself a correct assessment because only they know what went into making the project. I would define reflection as the process of self improvement.
Reflection is a touchy subject with me. I am extremely overly critical of myself, no matter what the subject. Not only that, but I am a very all or nothing type of person. It’s either perfect or its not, and being the perfectionist that I am, rarely is it “not”. I reflect more than I realize too, for example I am one of those girls who changes her outfit 7 or 8 times. I find every little imperfection. I pick and prod at the tiniest little details, and I try to make everything perfect. The same thing applies in composing, I pick and pick until I feel as though there is nothing more I can do to satisfy what needs to be done. My reflection process is usually alone, and doesn’t really call for help from anyone else. Sometimes though, if I am feeling particularly content with what I have done I try to share my work to make sure I am in fact on the roll that I thought I was. Even so, I barely share my work in fear that I’d done something wrong, and would become frustrated at having to revise the whole thing all over again.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading both Yancey and Belanoff’s theories on reflection, my mind tends to agree more closely with Belanoff. His ideas seem to fit my criteria of what reflection is, and the values behind them fit as well. I loved how he spoke about silence, because silence if golden for me (in the reflection process). I am quite content with the silence of a room; in fact prior to this post I had music on and my door open, and just to focus both of those distractions had to be taken away.
There was one part, however, of Belanoff’s piece that struck me. His talk about “emptiness”, and the fear associated with it. “Emptiness is equally threatening to us: an inclusive expanse of nothing…We feel an urge to fill emptiness with something that will give it an identity” (403) this section hit me hard, because this is where my reflection usually comes from. When reflecting upon myself or something about myself, it often comes from an unhappy place, something revolving around discomfort or an upsetting time. If something has gone wrong, or a terrible event has occurred, I tend to decide on being alone. After being alone long enough, that “emptiness” becomes apparent and real, amplifying the reflection as a whole.
Although that part of reflection seems difficult and depressing, the emptiness can also be taken in another direction with my reflection process as well. Sometimes when we see things as “empty”, wanting to fill them is necessary. Whether it’s a lost pet, a desire for something, or a composition that just doesn’t make sense: all of these can be stressful when empty. Putting a “filling” to the emptiness can alleviate reflection stress, and can create a very positive outcome.
So much to reflect upon, so little space. As a person who overanalyzes everything, I could do this all day…
ReplyDeleteYancey’s take on reflection is all about the “growth of consciousness.” Not just the actual expansion of knowledge or learning, but the recognition and manifestation of it. Yancey ultimately defines reflection as “the process by which we articulate accomplishment and by which we know what we have accomplished.” The importance of a “product” is continuously stressed, perhaps to serve as an embodiment of the learning that has taken place. We are given three processes that make up reflection:
1. Goal setting, revisiting, and refining
2. Text-revising in the light of retrospection
3. Articulating of what learning has taken place, as embodied in various texts (or in the process of the writer)
I thought all three of these things were extremely useful and important aspects of reflection, and I'd definitely include them in my own theory. Yancey also describes reflection as an analysis of learning. I think this is what I found most relevant to our reflections from this class. Through my reflections, I could take a look at the project and my product, and see how I taught myself through doing…
Belanoff’s theory was interesting. At one point, Belanoff suggests that reflection can be defined as “attention to inner speech.” He discusses reflection as meditation or contemplation. It is not so much a learning process, but a discovery process within the self. Belanoff doesn’t think an actual “product” (like an actual written reflection) is as important as Yancey does. I didn’t find Belanoff’s theory as relatable as Yancey’s (probably because I’m a writer..), but I did like the part about reflection being influenced by culture, or how the way each person “reflects” on, or interprets the same situation differently.
Mt theory of reflection would look a lot like Yancey’s. Reflection works in the past, present, and future. When you are reflecting on something, you are examining not only the product presented to you, but the process that went into it. What did I learn from my mistakes? How can I prevent them in the future, for a more perfect result? In other words, I too think it’s important to use reflection as a time to extort new skills or knowledge. Really let it sink in.
Like Alex, I think it’s important to involve reflection throughout your entire process. I’d never really thought of it that way before, because I had it in my head that reflections are supposed to be saved for last, when all is said and done. Now that I’m reflecting on that, it seems obvious… if you look back on things as you go along, it makes it easier to fit it all together in the best way possible.
DJ says “one can even reflect upon a reflection.” Haha, this particularly caught my attention, because I did just that before completing this post. I went back to our old blog posts and responses, and I examined my reflections. I noticed, as they went on, that they got more insightful. I gradually started discussing in more detail the things I was learning, rather than looking so literally at the project itself. I noticed a lot of things missing from my reflections, that I would just automatically think to include now. Also, now that I’m more practiced AND informed in the field of reflection, I can pick out key bits of information that helped my development as a writer.
Yancey sees reflection as a type of ongoing conversation students have with their composing process. To her it is the last step in the process. Mostly though she concentrates on how reflection can be used as a tool to teach both students and teachers about the writing process unique to each individual and how it changes over time and what changes can be made to it to improve it. Belanoff think of reflection as examining your thoughts as a purely mental thing. He talks about it as consisting of several steps like meditation which make the mind move inward to examine the persons thoughts in a clear way without outside influence.
ReplyDeleteI think that I respond to a combination of the two theories. I like the idea of looking inward and examining your work from that standpoint but I also like Yancey’s idea of using reflection as a tool to help you learn more about writing and how to improve it.
I think that we read the theory of reflection for the same reason that we read the theory behind other key words. It gives us background information on the key word at the same time it gives us an idea of how the definition of the word has changed over time. The most important thing I think it does though is gives us new views on what the word could mean. It makes us think outside of our own personal definition and helps us evolve our definition to fit other meanings/connotations of the word according to various scholars of the work.
Reflection is important for all the benefits it brings us. It lets us, oddly enough, reflect on our work. It’s so important because it helps us to improve our work by stepping back and examining all that we have done before. It’s an essential step in the composition process that when used properly advances all future work done by the author.
I think that we do it after and in between assignments because it makes us step back and examine everything we have done so far concerning whatever subject we are writing about. It’s a little breathing room where we can organize our thoughts together to examine where our ideas are going and have gone. It also helps us get a bird’s eye view of our work so that we can see where we made mistakes and where we can improve for next time.
Reflection for me typically fits in at the end. It’s the time when I am no longer weighed down by the worry of due dates when I can think about the work I have done. It gives me a chance to think about what I could have improved upon, how I could have phrased something better and so on. I store these thoughts/comments in the back of my head for the next time I have an assignment so that hopefully I will improve.
If I was to develop a theory of reflection it would probably look very simple. I mean to me reflection is the last step in the composition process where the author evaluates/reflects upon his work and his end product after it has been turned in and the pressure is no longer on them. I think that it would be something similar to that.
Until the Belanoff reading my take on reflection was almost identical to Yancey’s view - a “process by which we articulate accomplishment and by which we know what we have accomplished.” That is, I viewed reflection mainly in terms of our academic setting as a way of re-examining and analyzing what I’ve learned, and like Alex and Jenna mention, as a means to think over our process of composing and to produce some sort of tangible product (our blogs etc.). After reading (and reflecting ;)) over Belanoff’s theory I would have to say that I respond more to a combination of both. Belanoff’s take on reflection isn’t strictly academic and I think that is why it seems to be so much more relatable to many of us who’ve posted so far. He incorporates terms like silence, meditation and contemplation into his overall idea of reflection, and I think that this makes his theory more applicable to everyday life. With Yancey the idea is to constantly make connections between “multiple perspectives…to produce insights”. For me the idea that reflection must always have some kind of concrete purpose isn’t very relatable. Belanoff’s theory seems more loose and introspective. Sure, with any type of reflection you will inevitably come to know more about yourself, but Belanoff’s concept of metacognition - coming to know your own processes through reflection - seems to put that idea into better words.
ReplyDeleteReading theory on reflection helps us to gain a better understanding of how we can go about making connections between the elements of our own processes of composing. I think that all of us entered the class knowing something about reflection, if I hadn’t read any of the readings we’ve done for class I could probably produce an elementary reflection if asked, most likely talking about how I composed my work and what I learned about myself etc. However, I think that through the readings we’re able to expand our knowledge base and with each subsequent reflection our process and knowledge of composing becomes more developed. In the beginning of the class I had the impression that everyone has a composing process and it was for the most part, static. Now, I would say that because of these readings I’m gaining the understanding that reflective processes can change, just like Belanoff describes, and maybe the key terms for my composing process will be somewhat similar or completely different with our next project.
I think that this idea is what is so important about reflection. There is no concrete formula. Everyone’s process is different, just like Belanoff and Yancey’s theories. I would say that we reflect after and in-between our assignments so that each time we might gain more insight into a specific area of our composing process. For me reflection is definitely a key element in my composing process and I’ve only recently realized this. I love when Belanoff says, “that reflection often grows out of discomfort even though it may afford delight and thrive in mystery and paradox.” I don’t think this could describe my reflective process any better. At first the idea of revisiting a completed work or even a completed paragraph in an unfinished piece is so uncomfortable for me that I have to take a step back and completely shut out any thoughts of it. Yet, every time I approach the task of reflection I learn a little bit more.
In my opinion I find that reflection is a positive process that can be very beneficial. There are many ways to go about reflecting on your work, but how much you get out of it is entirely up to you.
ReplyDeleteAlong with Alissa, I also agreed with the highlight that Belanoff put on the importance of silence. Belanoff says, “silence communicates… what I am campaigning for is space and time in our classrooms and in our scholarly lives for looking inward in silence.” Just like I had discussed in previous posts, things much similar to this. I have mentioned multiple times my opinion on the importance of “silently” collecting your thoughts before acting. I find Belanoff’s idea of silence very similar, in that it forces you to reflect on your entire project, assuring that it has come out the way you desired it to. Without really fully thinking through any situation, it is impossible to know if you’d made the right decisions without exploring every option.
On the contrary, Yancey views reflection as more hands on. This is a good example of what may happen in the classroom. Alex mentions that Yancey says it involves “mutltiple perspectives on into play with each other in order to produce insight.” I interpret this as, without having the opinions of others, you are unable to give complete insight on whatever the project may be.
The importance of reflection is that you are able to look back on what worked and didn’t work throughout your project process. This way you are able to make note so that you won’t make the same mistakes again in another process. By doing this you are saving yourself a lot of time that may have been wasted on future projects. While reflection a lot of time does focus on many negative experiences, it sheds light on the positive as well. It gives you a reminder of the hard work you put in to make the project successful, and gives reassurance and confidence. Like DJ I believe that reviewing and reflecting on your process assists in making one a better composer.
My theory of reflections would be a combination of both Belanoff and Yancey’s explanation. I believe in order to have the full potential of reflection it is most beneficial to reflect in silence as well as collaboratively. While it is true that many find themselves reflecting on the negative, I don’t find it negative to do so. By revisiting what did once not work, you are making a mental note so that you are surely not to make the same mistake. Without reflecting there would be no evolution of the composing process. By reflecting you are perfecting your theory of composing by trial and error. There is only one way of knowing and finding out if something works, and that is to try it.
Like many of Yancey’s theories her theory of reflection can easily be placed in a classroom setting. She views reflection as a learning tool. She states that reflection is a tool for “understanding ourselves through explaining ourselves to others.” I agree that collaborative reflection can result in a different point of view and produce new insights. However, Belanoff’s theory of reflection is contradictory. He views reflection as a deeply personal experience that takes place in silence and introspection.
ReplyDeleteI believe like many of my other classmates that my style of reflection is a combination of both theories. I first reflect on my work in silence looking back on my work and think about what I did well and what I wish I had changed. I then talk to others to get their input. Finally I reflect introspectively on their responses and extract lessons that I can apply on my next assignment. Reflection takes place many times throughout my composition process. I first reflect on the assignment and where I want to take it, and then as I work I reflect on my progress through revision. My final reflection after the projct is done and submitted it the most important. It then that I assess how I feel about the project as a whole and in comparison with others. I form an opinion and take away knowledge that will help me net time I begin to compose.
I agree with Sarah’s sentiment that “one of the most important factors of reflection is the notion that reflection changes from person to person.” Every person has their own preferred method of reflection, and no one is better than another. The important thing is that we take time in our busy schedules to reflect. Without looking back and learning from the past we are doomed to repeat our mistakes over and over.
Reflection is something that allows you to look back and analyze your work. Reflection is a process that lets you look at what worked and what didn’t and what you might change for next time. I think it’s a very important process that allows for real growth in the creative and productive processes. Reflection is something I think I’ve done the whole time I’ve been creatively working in writing and graphics, but I wasn’t consciously aware of doing so. Composing is just like any other aspect of life to me and without the opportunity for growth; you’re not going to go very far. Reflection also allows for adaptation. Especially when experimenting with new genres and technologies, reflection is important to learn from mistakes.
ReplyDeleteReading through reflection theories exposes us to ideas that we might not have thought about before. Each reflection theory seems to have the same basic principle of an overall goal of improvement. I like the etymology definition of reflection as “bending back” and looking at my product and ways of getting to the product. I’ve always been a believer that sometimes I can’t move forward without taking a few steps back (or to the side.) Reflection is similar in that you have to learn from your mistakes before you can get better. Reflection allows for first identifying the mistakes or areas that are a little weak and gives the opportunity to both learn from them and reach a way of improving them or just moving on in an entirely different direction.
My own theory of reflection would encompass both “bending back” and “fixing.” Reflection should be with the intent of learning. Reflection would be for growth and development. Otherwise, why even reflect at all? To me, looking back at anything requires a purpose, otherwise there would be no need to look back at all. I wouldn’t waste my time going back over a previous piece if I didn’t think I was going to change it at all. Especially in composing, I rarely go back over my old work unless I’m going to draw from it or edit it in some way. With graphics, it’s easier to look back at it and not change anything or see anything that needs to be changed. Graphics, photos, etc. are easier to just enjoy the physicality of. Reflection for composing, however, should be geared for growth. Sure you can read something you wrote and enjoy it, but I think most people see things they would want to change when they look back over written pieces.
Yancey and Belanoff define reflection as the process by which students become agents of their own learning. The concept in itself seems obvious. Of course, students are expected to learn. Even so, it’s not joke an over-told joke that a formal education may leave you with little more than an empty bank account and a vague understanding of supply and demand. Of the two theorists, I responded more to Yancey. Yancey introduces the idea of reflection as a tool for student to use to understand why they’re learning and what they’ve actually gathered from their studies. It’s something that no one really thinks to do. After all, if you got an A on a test, you’ve clearly learned something, right? I think many of my peers would agree that it isn’t always true. Most often, you’re being tested on your ability to memorize information that you introduced to your brain several hours before a test. Sleep-deprivation and cramming aside, what are we learning? Like Alissa, I never saw reflection as a process we use in composition. However, it’s through reflection we’re able to take a step back and really evaluate that question. By re-processing information in ways that make sense to you as an individual and recapping what knowledge was supposed to be derived from your work, you’re able to see the value in it.
ReplyDeleteI think its importance for us to be exposed to this approach to education. Unlike Civil Engineering majors, English majors are taught abstract concepts. Our grades are more dependent on the bias of our instructor then our genuine ability to write a coherent and original piece of work. Because the answers to the questions we’re asked are never as simple as finding the square root of sixty-four, we have to have a solid understanding of what we’re learning. By reading scholarly articles on the subject, we’re able to see the perspective of scholars who understands the importance of the concept in application to helping students learn. For once, we’re learning about something that is completely relevant, to anyone really. By taking into account why they see the value in it, we’re able then to see it, too.
Katie makes a valid point in pointing out that we can use reflection to improve our work, but I’m going to slightly disagree with her in my take on it. If I had to develop a theory of reflection, it would emphasize the idea looking back at a piece you’ve created and seeing your name on it. This is without a formal insignia, but because you left a little piece of yourself in it. Equally as important is understanding why you’ve composed it all-together. What did you get from it? What will others get from it? What’s the value of your work? Not monetarily, of course, but as a message. We don’t have easels, but that doesn’t mean we’re not artists. As artists, we should have some idea of what we’ve done, what we’re doing, what we’d like for other’s to get from the pieces of ourselves that we leave behind. Through reflection, we can make these evaluations. It’s as vital as the message itself.