Reflecting to Learn

At the end of every week my students pulled out their iPads and they wrote. They opened up blogs that they created, designed and personalized, and they shared their stories. They wrote about what they learned that day or that week; they shared thoughts about the lessons or topics; they added images to support their thoughts; they responded to specific questions about what they were learning and they shared overall thoughts. This recurring assignment appeared in our LMS, but it was part of our class culture. We were learning together through this regular process of writing and reflecting.

Telling the story of our learning is a powerful means of processing and sharing that learning. Students construct meaning and apply prior knowledge to their new learning during this process of reflection (Costa). This process helps students to see the significance in what they’re doing, process what went well and what needs to change; and pause to think critically about the content (Alrubail). It’s Google-proof.

We may be well aware of the benefits of reflection, putting that into practice can be something different. Which tool do I use? How often do I have the students do this? How do I assess this process? These are very real questions that need to be considered before you start the process.

The habit of reflecting is what brings about that metacognitive process, so regular practice is key. The means depends on you, your practice, your available resources and your class culture. Paper and pencil are of course an option. That wasn’t an option for me because I wanted students to be able to include images and audio (plus I didn’t want to carry them), but that was my class. Blog and Vlogs are are popular options. Google Sites, Weebly, Edublogs are all good resources for that. Flipgrid is newer on the playing field and provides a platform for students to really exercise their voice. Padlet has added a number of new features to allow students to draw, video, take pictures, add audio and type directly into Padlet. Google Docs or Slides are additional possibilities, too. What tools works best for you? Which tools fits best in your classroom culture?

What do you have students write and reflect on? What questions do I ask? What stories should they tell? Here are some resources to help:

• 8 Reflective Questions to Help Any Student Think About Their Learning
• 25 Self-Reflections Questions to Get Students Thinking About Their Learning
• Ten Reflective Questions to Ask at The End of Class
• The 40 Reflection Questions
• Using Critical Reflection Exercises to Enhance Student Learning

How do I evaluate these pieces? Here are some rubric examples to help you get started:

• A Rubric for Evaluating Student Blogs
• Blog Reflection Rubric 1
• Blog Reflection Rubric 2
• Blogging Rubric
• Rubric for Student Reflections​

​Additional Resources:

• 15 Reflection Strategies to Help Students Retain What You Just Taught Them
• Learning and Leading with Habits of Mind
• Scaffolding Student Learning + Sample Questions
• What Meaningful Reflection on Student Work Can Do for Learning
• Why Storytelling in the Classroom Matters