Reflective ThinkingReflective ThinkingWhose Business Is It Whose Business Is It

Anyway?Anyway?

Tofi RahalTofi RahalZayed UniversityZayed University

A PBL Model to A PBL Model to Promote Reflective Promote Reflective

ThinkingThinking

What counts as knowledge …? What counts as knowledge …? What skills are used to handle What skills are used to handle info?info?

• ““In this life, we want nothing but In this life, we want nothing but Facts, Sir: nothing but Facts.” Facts, Sir: nothing but Facts.” declared Mr Gradgrind, who saw declared Mr Gradgrind, who saw his pupils as “…little vessels, there his pupils as “…little vessels, there and then arranged in order, ready and then arranged in order, ready to have imperial gallons of facts to have imperial gallons of facts poured into them until they were poured into them until they were full to the brim.”full to the brim.”

Educational challenges ...Educational challenges ...

• enhance learning skills & High-Order enhance learning skills & High-Order OutcomesOutcomes

• improve ability to integrate diverse improve ability to integrate diverse areas of knowledgeareas of knowledge

• develop information handling skillsdevelop information handling skills

• But – What & How?But – What & How?

New strategies ...New strategies ...

• problem based learningproblem based learning

• student centred learningstudent centred learning

• small group collaborative learningsmall group collaborative learning

• constructivist approachconstructivist approach

• but - do they make a difference?but - do they make a difference?

• old perfume in new bottles?old perfume in new bottles?

What is Outcome-Based What is Outcome-Based Learning?Learning?

• HolisticHolistic

• Sense of direction & Sense of direction & aimaim

• Focus on educating Focus on educating the personthe person

• Responsive to an Responsive to an increasing increasing multicultural global multicultural global world.world.

• Outcome-Based Outcome-Based Learning is a Learning is a model that helps model that helps equip students equip students with high-order with high-order capabilities capabilities needed for long-needed for long-life learning.life learning.

I might wish for my daughter to become a Doctor, an Engineer or a Scientist. But what is more important is for my daughter to acquire those high-order skills and capabilities that help her succeed regardless to what job she does.

A Parent’s Wish

What is Problem-Based What is Problem-Based Learning?Learning?

• Authentic Life Authentic Life ExperiencesExperiences

• IntegrativeIntegrative

• ConstructivistConstructivist

• Problem-Based Problem-Based Learning is an Learning is an instructional instructional method that uses method that uses “real-life” problems “real-life” problems as a context for as a context for students Learning.students Learning.

A Problem Can Take many A Problem Can Take many Forms:Forms:

• A task A task

• A event/situationA event/situation

• A ProjectA Project

• A Case StudyA Case Study

• An Article An Article

• A Video ClipA Video Clip

• A SketchA Sketch

• A StoryA Story

What is Reflection?What is Reflection?

• From a Physical Science Point of View:From a Physical Science Point of View:

Reflection is the process of constructing Reflection is the process of constructing images as incoming light from an images as incoming light from an object interacts with and then bounces object interacts with and then bounces off the surface of some material. off the surface of some material.

• The clarity and depth of the image The clarity and depth of the image depends on the nature and depends on the nature and composition of the surface of the composition of the surface of the material, which in turn depends on material, which in turn depends on the surrounding environment.the surrounding environment.

Reflection from the Surface of the water

Smooth & Pure Water Surface

Wavy & Murky Water Surface

Why can images of the same Why can images of the same object be different? object be different?

What is Reflection?What is Reflection?

• From a Cognitive Science Point of View:From a Cognitive Science Point of View:

Reflection is the process of constructing Reflection is the process of constructing meanings as incoming information meanings as incoming information from a learning experience interacts from a learning experience interacts with and then bounces off an individual with and then bounces off an individual state of cognition. state of cognition.

• The clarity and depth of constructed The clarity and depth of constructed meanings (level of understanding) meanings (level of understanding) depends on the nature and depends on the nature and organization of the individual state of organization of the individual state of cognition, which in turn is a direct cognition, which in turn is a direct function of the individual cultural function of the individual cultural setting; setting; i.e. familyfamily, religion, politics, economy, class, language, prior schoolingprior schooling …etc.”

Why do people reflect differently Why do people reflect differently to the same learning to the same learning

experience? experience?

•The Challenge!!!•The Challenge!!!

The search for a new guiding The search for a new guiding principleprinciple

• ““ADS are those individuals who lack access to ADS are those individuals who lack access to the rich types of the rich types of cultural interactionscultural interactions that that prepare them to engage in reflective, prepare them to engage in reflective, systematic, and abstract thought.”. They are systematic, and abstract thought.”. They are often coming from “Do this Do that” often coming from “Do this Do that” environment.environment.

Our new guiding and practical principle originates from research on Academically Disadvantaged Students (ADS)

• ADS are ADS are NOTNOT capable of systematic capable of systematic and reflective thinking, and it is not and reflective thinking, and it is not fair to expect that from them. fair to expect that from them. NONSENSE!NONSENSE!

Educational Misconception…Educational Misconception…

• Are we helpless to develop a sense of Are we helpless to develop a sense of understanding in our students as to understanding in our students as to get them become reflective get them become reflective practitioners? practitioners? NO!NO!

How can we help?How can we help?

• The key to solving the problem is The key to solving the problem is to create a school culture that to create a school culture that exposes students to consistent and exposes students to consistent and repeated activities and questions repeated activities and questions that enable them to overcome the that enable them to overcome the ““conversation deficitconversation deficit” that inhibits ” that inhibits their development.their development.

Ingredients for SuccessIngredients for Success

• A specialized “reflective thinking skills” A specialized “reflective thinking skills” program that promote important “Habits of program that promote important “Habits of Mind” and a better sense of understanding; Mind” and a better sense of understanding; i.e. LOA, Systems of Knowing.i.e. LOA, Systems of Knowing.

• Partnership between teachers within Partnership between teachers within the program, and between them and the program, and between them and other regular content teachers.other regular content teachers.

• Scaffolding Instructional Strategies. Scaffolding Instructional Strategies.

Learning Experience

(LE)

Analyze

2 (Examine and Analyze the Internal Characteristics of the LE: Read Beneath the LinesRead Beneath the Lines..

- Why did you select this particular LE?

- What aspects of this LE made it stand out ?

-What are the reasons that made you go for this LE?

-How did the LE make feel?Describe

1 (Describe Circumstances surrounding the evidence: Read Thru the LinesRead Thru the Lines..

-What is the nature of the LE?

-Who was involved?

-Where did it occur?

-When did it occur?

-How did it occur?

Relate

3 (Make the ConnectionMake the Connection between the LE and LO:

-How is your LE related to different LO?

-Which part of the LE connect to which LO?

-How does the LE (or part of it) address different LO?

Evaluate4) Put the LE in perspective to learning: Lessons you Learned.Lessons you Learned.

-Was the LE Productive or nonproductive?

-What are its strength and weaknesses?

-How did it help you learn and develop?

-Were the style/technique/tools/resources effective?

Plan

5) Set an Action-Plan or a Strategy for future change future change and improvement:and improvement:

-How would the LE be changed?

-How would you use it in different areas?

-How would you help other people benefit from it.

-What other means would you use?

Reflective Cycle

Exodus of illegal expatriates feared

Pakistani diplomats in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) are preparing for an expected exodus of 15,000 to 20,000 illegal expatriates in the wake of the four-month-long amnesty , which was recently announced by the Emirate and ending on April 30. According to the UAE government, no penalty would be imposed on any of the illegal immigrant within the amnesty period. The United Arab Emirates government would also bear the cost of deportation of individuals falling under certain categories.According to the Gulf News, Mr Al Tayer said his ministry was in touch with embassies of the countries, from where illegal immigrants mainly come from, and have introduced a high- tech facility to identify illegal immigrants in the Emirates. In another concession, the UAE government would also not enforce a one-year ban on work in the Emirates on illegal immigrants if they returned home during amnesty period. It is estimated that between 300,000 and 350,000 illegal workers will leave under the amnesty and concerned embassies and diplomatic missions in the UAE have already started making arrangements for out-passes and emergency certificates for people without valid travel documents. Extra flights have also been planned to carry the extra passenger load.

Adnoc: No to Cigarette

 

The Abu Dhabi National Oil Company for Distribution (Adnoc) will stop the sale of cigarettes and tobacco at its petrol stations to support an anti-smoking drive.

The decision, which takes effect today, coincides with an anti-smoking campaign launched by the Arab Family Organization in Sharjah under the patronage of His Highness Dr Sheikh Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah.

“Adnoc-Fod is a services company in the first place and is keen about the interests of consumers in terms of the quality and prices of its services,” the company's General Manager, Jamal Al Dhareef, said in a statement.

“We have found that the sale of cigarettes and tobacco is greatly harming the public health and we do not want to get involved in it. Because of this, we decided to stop the sale of all types of cigarettes and tobacco at all Adnoc petrol stations.”

THE DEER ACCIDENT

On a sunny and beautiful early morning, Sara was driving along with her husband Sammy on a highway very famous for deer crossing. When Sara heard her husband snoring she decided to change the radio station to music she likes. Suddenly, soon as she looked up a deer was crossing the road not far from the car. Trying to avoid crashing into the deer, Sara hit the car’s brake and horn very strongly sending fear to the heart of both the deer and her husband who almost flew into the windshield. Luckily Sara was able to stop the car few inches before the bewildered deer.

Feeling very scared and angry, Sammy blamed his wife for what happened and shouted for her to pull over so he could drive. As the car picked up the same speed as before, Sammy decided to change back to his favorite radio station. Strangely enough, as he looked up a 2nd deer was crossing the road at the same distance from the car as the 1st one. As soon as he realized it, Sammy tried in vain to slow down to avoid a crash. The car hit and flew the poor deer 5 meters up in the air.

The Girl with Long Arms

One afternoon Fatima came home in tears. “I am not going to school anymore”, she declared. “Why?”, her mother asked. “Because one of my friends just told me that there is a relationship between the height of a student, the span of her arms, and achievement in school. The closer the armspan is to the height, the better the student will achieve. And you know Mom, my arms are way too long and I am not doing that well in school.”

Reflective Thinking Reflective Thinking Redefined:Redefined:• ““Reflective thinking is a learning process Reflective thinking is a learning process

that involves a series of cognitive skills that involves a series of cognitive skills in the search for new understandings.” in the search for new understandings.”

• The core of the reflective thinking The core of the reflective thinking process consists of a process consists of a PROBLEMPROBLEM & & QUESTIONSQUESTIONS. .

• Q: How does this way of schooling Q: How does this way of schooling prepare students to be prepare students to be independent reflective learners?independent reflective learners?

• A: Gradually!A: Gradually!

• A: Gradually!A: Gradually!

• A: Gradually!A: Gradually!