Reflection can take many forms. We can reflect alone or with others, reflect on experiences or on work, reflect at the beginning and end of a process. Whatever the form, self-reflecting can be powerful. Kallick and Costa state: “Reflecting on work enhances its meaning. Reflecting on experiences encourages insight and complex learning (2008).” Self-reflection can be a back and forth process between student and teacher.
Through technology students can reflect through video, writing, or drawing. The Early Childhood Research and Practice has found that instant video revisiting, which allows students to immediately view videos of themselves working and reflect alongside their teacher, has helped support student learning (Beyne, 2015). Through writing, drawing, and video students can reflect quickly in real time providing an authentic look at their thoughts. Technology also allows students to go back and look at their self-reflections and make meaning from those comments.
In my own teaching practice I have engaged in the process of self-reflection. Recently my students wrote self-reflection comments on an ongoing art activity. They combined various forms of self-reflection techniques including writing and visual representation. They chose one example of their work to upload to Fresh Grade and were then required to write two self-reflective comments. They were required to write one positive comment and one comment of something they could improve on, was hard for them, or something they found hard.
I helped support my students self-reflection by brainstorming questions and comments they could reflect on. Kallick and Costa suggests that it is important for teachers to set the tone for reflecting (2008). They state: “Reflective teachers help students understand that the students will now look back rather than move forward. They will take a break from what they have been doing, step away from their work, and ask themselves, ‘What have I (or we) learned from doing this activity?’ (2008).” By brainstorming with the students first they were able to focus on looking back on the work they had done over the previous weeks.
I was pleased to discover that many of my students not only wrote more than two comments but also wrote very meaningful comments that gave me insight into their process, both the joys and the struggles. By having the students reflect using technology, I was able to respond to their reflections and self-reflect on my own practice. Fresh Grade allows teachers to respond to student’s reflections and in this case see the supporting work that the students are reflecting on. By reading my student’s comments I was also able to see which students loved the activity (most of them commented that they did!) and which ones struggled. I could see individual struggles as well as group struggles. I discovered that the majority of students found the same objective to be a challenge. I then reflected on whether this goal was too challenging or pushed them just enough.
Self-reflection is part of an ongoing process and formative assessment. Technology can play a great role in helping students to document that ongoing process. Not only can students go back and look at their work, they can look back on their self-reflections. The process of good self-reflection is just as important as the work they are self-reflecting on. Costa and Kallick state: “Reflection is the time to consider what was learned from the experience. Reflection is a time to describe what students saw in their own work that changed, needed to change, or might need to be described so another person might understand its meaning (2008).” Writing meaningful self-reflections is an important skill for students to learn.
Beyne, H. (2015). Using technology for self-reflection in the classroom. Retrieved from: http://glpd.greenlightlearningtools.com/blog/2015/02/12/using-technology-self-reflection-classroom/
Costa, A. L. & Kallick, B. (2008). Learning through reflection. In A. L. Costa & B. Kallick (Eds.), Learning and leading with habits of the mind: 16 essential characteristics for success. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.