Reflecting on my progress with help from Jennifer Moon

This blog entry is a snap-shot from the term end report I have prepared for submission and includes some of the reading on the work of Jennifer Moon, the high priestess of REFLECTION. 

REFLECTIVE PRACTICE:

There are chapters that relate directly to the learning we are all embarked upon during this Foundation Degree. The chapters worthy of further reading have been..

Chapter 7 – The role of reflection in counseling, therapy and personal development.

“The different uses of the term ‘reflection’ overlap and separating them in a meaningful manner inevitably is a matter of making the best sense, rather than the perfect sense, of the situation.”

In each of the subject areas we have studied up to know have caused me to reflect and draw some conclusion and apply a meaning to new skills we have developed and, while each subject may not appear relevant to my future plans it has forced me to take positive thoughts whether the feedback was a lecturer or my peers who have offered critique.

Jenny goes on to say “Personal development encompasses any activity that might contribute towards growth or development of the person. This will not all be down to reflection. However, for example, growth may occur when a person puts themselves in a challenging position and faces up to difficulties, but the decision to put themselves into that position may have been determined by a reflective process, a coming to understand what is needed”.

This quote can be applied to the two examples within my report, firstly as all the tasks are new skills then each I would say contribute to my development & facing up to a texturing task after an accepted failure in modeling supports this view.

Clearly by leaving my first year submissions until the last few days I have put myself in a 'challenging' position and although I probably 'reflected' from term 1 that not preparing my final submissions well before deadline I clearly need to learn to prioritise time better and not accept this mistake as an 'experience' to be repeated.  

Other noteworthy reading from J.Moon

Chapter 15 – Learning through Reflection – the use of learning journals

The Key text from our recommended reading list has been …

Reflection in Learning & Professional Development

Jennifer A Moon

RoutledgeFalmer (2004)

ISBN: 07494 2864 3