Using Reflective Writing to Prompt (Rather Than Just Process) Student Learning

“Using Reflective Writing to Prompt (rather than just process) Student Learning”

ILA workshop: Thursday, November 17, 11:00-11:50, Tartan Room, Stockdale Draxler CAC 2011 Guest speakers: Jane Jakoubek, Mark Willhardt

I. Use in-class writing to help students PARTICIPATE IN DISCUSSION

a. Which students would benefit from a 5-minute writing exercise before class discussion?

a.i. Students who read the assignment several days ago

a.ii. Students who are shy and don’t know what to say

a.iii. Students who did the assignment but didn’t fully engage/understand it

a.iv. Students who are energetic but need extra help focusing their ideas

…is that everybody??

b. Writing can be creative, analytical, personal; it can focus on one sentence or the book as a whole. The point is to prime the pump and get their brains working so they participate more & better.

c. “Think Pair Share” strategy: include more voices in class discussion by starting with everyone.

d. Handouts: “What’s my cause?”, Sample Writing Prompts, Self-Assessment of Discussion Skills

II. Use in-class writing to help students SHIFT FROM PERSONAL TO ACADEMIC ISSUES

a. Peter Frederick discussed the value of starting with personal experience, and then shifting to academic content. This leap from personal to academic, however, is easier said than done. How can we help students make the transition?

a.i. Use 3-part or 4-part reflective writing exercises: separate the feeling & thinking (fonts?)

a.ii. Ask students to explain how their personal experience relates to course concepts—choose one concept and discuss how it applies.

a.iii. Ask students to identify patterns amongst their peers’ experience, turning the focus from specific experiences to more general observations about those experiences through critical writing.

a.iv. Don’t ban the personal from your classroom; just use it as a springboard. b. Handouts: What is critical reflection?, Three-Step Reflection, Three-Part Journal Entries, Articulated Learning Worksheet (DEAL method), ORID method, Bloom’s Taxonomy for Reflective Writing.

III. Use in-class writing to help students BRAINSTORM FOR A PAPER

a. In-class writing exercises can help students to start writing—they don’t end up staring at a blank white screen the night before a draft is due, because they all have notes and ideas assembled.

b. Janeve West’s “Conversation Starters”: Janeve assigns a number of short writing assignments that form the building blocks for a larger, more complicated final project—so students have walked through all of the steps together already.

c. Handouts: Reflection Guidelines, Brainstorm Prompts, Rubric, Key CAC Concepts for INTG

IV. Conclusion: What is the value of in-class writing?

a.i. Writing in silence a.iv. Writing with peers available

a.ii. Writing in public a.v. Low-stakes writing

a.iii. Writing with the prof available a.vi. Process writing

b. Handouts: Writing in Public, Tim Tibbetts’ exam wrapper