Creating written reflections

Written reflections take a wide variety of forms. These may be informal, such as journals, or formal, such as reports. Written reflections differ as to their intended audience, but they share a similar purpose: to clarify and sort through aspects of a particular experience and to allow that experience to be revisited.

The most intimate form of written reflection is the journal. Keeping a journal is a powerful form of learning because in order to transform an idea into language, the mind has to process and clarify the idea. Journal writing “becomes a place for learners to record observations, toy with various perspectives, analyse their own practice, keep records, make comments, or reconstruct experiences” (Killion, 1999, page 36). Journals can vary greatly in form and layout. For example, writers may simply record events or thoughts as in a daily diary or they may use a strategy such as the “left-hand and right-hand case exercise” (see page 64) to structure their thoughts about a particular event. Journals can be kept private or shared with colleagues for their responses. Electronic journals (or “e-journals”) provide the opportunity for collaborative reflection with others in an online community.

Many educators use portfolios to reflect on what they have done, identify strengths and needs, and plan for the future. Portfolios are developed by systematically collecting evidence about professional learning and practice. Including artefacts can support the writer’s attempt to capture particular instructional moments or fleeting experiences for more careful analysis later.

Robinson and Lai (2006) strongly advocate that participants in collaborative inquiry should produce written reports. By feeding back draft findings to inquiry participants, inquirers can strengthen their validity and deepen collaboration.

All cases

Each case includes written reflections by participants in the inquiry, who share their thoughts on their experiences. They also include written comments by expert observers who provide alternative perspectives and identify connections between the inquirers’ learning and their own. These shared reflections contribute to the continued development of a shared knowledge base for ISTE practice.

See also the learning story “Building trust in an online environment”, page 119.

Recommended reading

Boud, D. (2001). “Using Journal Writing to Enhance Reflective Practice”. In Promoting Journal Writing in Adult Education, ed. L. M. English and M. A. Gillen. New Directions in Adult and Continuing Education, no. 90, pp. 9–18.
Boud discusses the features of journal writing that aid reflective practice and circumstances that may inhibit the use of journals for this purpose.

King, F. B. and LaRocco, D. J. (2006). "E-Journaling: A Strategy to Support Student Reflection and Understanding". Current Issues in Education (online), vol 9 no. 4.
King and LaRocco report on an inquiry into the use of e-journalling as a tool for enhancing the learning of teachers and school leaders engaged in study at Arizona State University.

Van Wagenen, L. and Hibbard, K. M. (1998). "Building Teacher Portfolios". Educational Leadership, vol. 55 no. 5, pp. 26–29.
Van Wagenen and Hibbard stress the importance of ensuring that teacher portfolios enable self-regulated learning.

Return to top