Reflective Writing – What Have You Learned?

If you were asked to explain what you believe the above quote meant, would you be able to do so? Would you feel confident in attempting to explore the essence of this message? 

At this point we’ll not put you on the spot to do that, but by the end of this course you will most likely feel confident and even excited to explore the depths of this powerful statement. 

For now, we’d like you to find your own "powerful statement" from the reading you’ve done so far. How does the sound?

Reflective writing gives you the opportunity to explore

• what you think about your learning,
• why you know what you know,  and
• how you may use what you’ve discovered  (in this class and beyond).

You will refer back to portions of the text which have drawn your attention the most, but remember you are not simply restating what the text (or videos) have said. You’re attempting to dig deeper…. to wonder…. and to reflect on what you have realized or what you have "figured out" so far.     

Reflective Writing may be a little different than what you’re used to, so take a look at this brief video (stopping and starting when necessary).  Make sure you click on "cc" (closed captioning) if you have difficulty understanding the Australian dialect.

Library Youtube Research and Learning Channel. (2017, June 18). Reflective writing [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N2qZX3M_9MY

If you’ve taken time with this video, you ought to have a clearer insight into your assignment here.  

Basically, you’ll want to take those 2 concepts or principles you’ve chosen from Chapter 1 and 

• Describe what you learned (Be clear, be accurate, be specific.)
• Explore why you know this (What details– examples, facts, stories, statistics, etc. were provided in the reading that helped you understand?)
• Articulate how this new information may impact your experiences in this class, in your personal life, or in your career. (Again, you want to be clear and specific here.) If you’re not sure, take some guesses, go ahead imagine, explore. Ask yourself "What if?" and "How can that be?" 
• Feel free to incorporate other thoughts or perspectives about the concept (or principle) you’ve chosen. We want to see what you are thinking about (or grappling with) at this early point in the class.

Spend time on this.

Bottom line: Reflective writing isn’t formal writing. You are not required to use MLA or APA citations, but you do want to develop a minimum of 15 to 20 sentences per concept and incorporate important insight from the reading.

Ultimately, you’ll upload your writing to the Assignment Link.

(There are many approaches to this assignment. Be creative! Make it your own.)