What is a reflection?serious thought or consideration

http://oxforddictionaries.comthe fixing of the mind on some subject;

serious thought; contemplationthe result of such thought; idea or

conclusion, esp. if expressed in words www.yourdictionary.com

The value of reflectionTo record events and our reactions Challenges us to question our actions and

ways of thinkingHelps us to view our learning objectively and

develop strategies for improvementIncreases our confidence through a better

understanding of our strengthsCreates a bridge between prior learning and

new learning

So what might we reflect about?The Topic – What are my opinions on the topic of study?

Have they changed over the course of the investigation?Challenges – what was difficult and how did I overcome

this?Achievements – what did I do well at and what

preparations/strategies did I use to help me achieve?Insights – what new understanding and/or skills did I

gain from the experience of undertaking the investigation?

Learning – how do I understand myself better as a learner?

Areas for Improvement – how would I do a similar task differently next time?

Guiding Questions on conducting the Investigation1. How did I choose my topic for the

Investigation?2. What challenges did I face in finding my

information? How did I overcome these challenges?

3. How did I collect and organise my information? 4. What resources were most useful? Why?5. Were the resources readily available? If not,

what did I have difficulty finding? How did I deal with that?

Guiding Questions on preparing and drafting the Chinese component1. What strategies did I use to plan my

response? 2. How useful was the drafting process? How

could I have improved on this?3. What preparations were most useful?4. How effectively did I manage my time from

the initial planning through to task completion? What could I have done better?

Guiding Questions on Understandings1. How did my understanding of the topic

develop through the course of the investigation?

2. How has my understanding of the Target language and culture developed as a result of this investigation?

3. How has this investigation contributed to a deeper understanding of my own values and beliefs?

Guiding Questions about Learning1. What strategies worked well for me in

completing the investigation?2. What does this tell me about myself as a

learner?

Organising your responses1. Draw a Concept map2. Group ideas into common themes/ideas3. Choose format of response4. Plan an outline of response with one clear

idea to be developed in each paragraph/section

5. Draft and edit response

Formats for ReflectionJournal EntryLetter to the teacherBlogReflective EssayDiscussion with the teacher Oral Presentation to the classParticipate in a group discussion

Journal EntryLots of personal opinions and feelings in response

to your learning experienceRemember audience is yourselfLanguage should be informal and may contain

some visual representations, some words in bold or use colours

There should be a date at the top of the diary entryJournals usually end with a hope or plan for the

future which results from the increased understanding you now have through the process of journaling.

Letter to your teacherUse appropriate letter format and appropriate

address and language (remember you are writing to your teacher not your friend)

StructureGreet recipient and introduce purpose of letterParagraph according to key ideasConclude with overall summary and reflection

on the experienceMake sure you date your letter

Blog Write with the reader in mind. Perhaps you might write the blog as advice to

others completing this kind of task, whatever you choose, you must have a reader in mind that you are writing for

Keep it short and simple, sweetie. (KISS). You may have a lot to say and think it interesting, and it may be. But people are reading online and out of time. Get to the point quickly.

Keep it lively, make it snappy and snazzy. Even if you aren’t a natural born writer, you can write for your blog. Just write like you’re speaking to your friend.

Write clearly (short sentences, only one concept per sentence). No more than one idea in one sentence- don’t make your readers have to think about your meaning. Use commas and dashes liberally.

Write like you talk. It’s okay to use common expressions from speech. Examples: Go figure. Don’t even go there. Now, I ask you. Gotta love it. (And, remember the age group of your readers.)

Use a clear headline. Make it snazzy and use key words.

Above extracts from: http://website101.com/social-media/how-write-blog-writing/#ixzz1HTW64opl

Reflective EssayMust maintain formal essay structure Introduction (Provides background to the

experience and outlines key ideas to be discussed in body)

Body (with one key idea per paragraph)Conclusion (including some

suggestions/recommendations for the future)How is it different from a regular essay?Should contain personal opinions,

experiences and observations

Discussion with TeacherThis is less structured and will involve more

spontaneous conversationThe teacher will ask you questions and may

ask you to clarify your responsesYou may ask questions or seek suggestions

from the teacher, but you must be the main speaker in this discussion

Oral Presentation to the ClassShould have a clear structure – introduction,

body and conclusionMay be supported with visual aids (e.g.

digital presentation, collage)May ask questions of your audience to

provide a more engaging experience for everyone

Participate in a Group discussionThis will involve several students and the

teacherThis will be a structured discussion where the

teacher will invite participants to share their ideas and students may also request to contribute their ideas at certain times

Students should be prepared to respond to the ideas of others and ask questions of others

The purpose of this is to develop a shared understanding of the experience and how others feel about it

Sample Task: Stage 1 ContinuersDescription of assessment

Write a personal reflection on your experience undertaking the investigation of a famous Chinese Identity

In your task you must reflect onThe challenges you faced during the

investigation and how you overcame themHow the investigation has impacted on your

understanding of your chosen IdentityAny new understandings of Chinese

languag/culture you have gained as a result of the investigation

use appropriate language and layout for a reflective response

Some class time will be allocated to developing skills in writing reflective responses. You will have choice on the style of reflective response (e.g. diary entry, letter, blog) Assessment conditions Task length: approximately 500 wordsTask completion: 100 minutes in class, with support of one page of notes following the presentation of the investigation Chinese response.

Ideas Interpretation and Reflection

A Depth of Treatment of Ideas, Information, or OpinionsDepth and breadth in the treatment of ideas, information, or opinions on familiar topics.Effective elaboration of ideas and support of opinions.

ReflectionIn-depth reflection on how cultures, values, beliefs, practices, and ideas are represented or expressed in texts.Insightful reflection on own values, beliefs, ideas, and practices in relation to those represented in texts.Thoughtful reflection on own learning.

B Depth of Treatment of Ideas, Information, or OpinionsBreadth and some depth in the treatment of ideas, information, or opinions on familiar topics. Generally effective elaboration of ideas, and some support of opinions.

ReflectionSome depth in reflection on how cultures, values, beliefs, practices, and ideas are represented or expressed in texts.Some depth in reflection on own values, beliefs, ideas, and practices in relation to those represented in texts.Some depth in reflection on own learning.

C Depth of Treatment of Ideas, Information, or OpinionsSome variety in the treatment of information and simple ideas or opinions on familiar topics.Short, simple sentences usually containing one idea are used with some effectiveness to convey meaning and support an opinion.

ReflectionSome reflection on, with mostly description of, cultures, values, beliefs, practices, and ideas represented or expressed in texts.Some reflection on own values, beliefs, ideas, and practices in relation to those represented in texts.Some reflection on learning experiences.

Extracts from Student Responses: