Thinking about Reflection. ?

This will mainly be of interest to students on the first module (WBS3730).

We know that reflection (of the critical, questioning type) is an essential element of professional practice in any discipline. We know this because practices and contexts change over time. So while we might be educated or taught how to respond to a given situation, we cannot predict how to respond to a future situation, one that may be difficult to imagine or predict. Critical reflection is the thinking process by which we adapt to the changing face of our professional and personal lives.

One way I like to think of reflection is as a practice in itself. As a practice, it is a skill that can be developed, honed, changed and generally experimented with to see how it can be used to good effect.

I posted a while ago on this, and think it is still relevant and may be helpful to you as you further explore what critical reflection means to you: What reflection might look like?

Developing your Support Network (for whatever stage you are at)

As I have been looking through the Blogs I am struck by some good examples of how students on BAPP Arts are supporting each other, commenting to each other’s Blogs, make good observations and giving sound advice. For me this simply reflects good practice in any professional field. Professional work is largely carried out collaboratively, and professional practice is largely conducted through the engagement with, and use of, our professional networks. It is a key professional attribute.

While there are lots of good examples of professional-level interaction (e.g. commenting) I though Liam’s post on his YouTube video serves as an excellent example. One of the reasons for the large number of comments on Liam’s Blog is that fact that he is out there commenting on others people Blogs – giving time to others through your comments are both a learning opportunity (in reflection, analysis and evaluation) as well as a benefit on terms of lots of useful feedback from others. My advice … emulate this practice.

I picked on Liam as an example, but there are lots of great commentators out there, go find them, link to them, comment on their Blogs, share, contribute and benefit!