As you read, Yancey believes that “reflection” allows students to become agents of their own learning. Other theorists view reflection as a means of looking back so that we can understand how to move forward. After reading Yancey's theory of reflection, I want you to reflect on reflection. Using specific evidence from the reading think through the following questions:
*What is Yancey's theory of reflection? How does she connect it to composition (i.e. writing)? ***Note: she defines reflection in several different ways, so I'm not looking for everyone to use the exact same definition. Use the one that stuck out to you or that you were drawn to.
*Make your own connections between reflection and writing: where does reflection fit into the writing process? To your writing process?
*Why is reflection "important" to you as a writer, a thinker, and a knowledge-maker?
Response to your peers: have a conversation about where reflection fits into the writing process and ground your thinking with Yancey.
Response to your peers: have a conversation about where reflection fits into the writing process and ground your thinking with Yancey.
DUE by class time on Tuesday, February 17, 2015.
In one part of Yancey's article she describes a reflection as being a "critical component of learning and of writing specifically; articulating what we have learned for ourselves is a key process...", so her point is that not only is writing a reflection important in terms of the learning and writing but it is also important to look back on how doing those thing effected you. I think it is important to reflect, not necessarily just at the end of the writing process either, but between steps. In terms of the paper we are turning in at the end of the course it might be helpful to reflect after major milestones like the lit review we're about to turn in and after the primary research has all been collected before starting the research paper. I think reflecting is important because in terms of academic writing it can open your eyes as to how the writing you completed for an assignment might have been important to you on a larger scale. I think you can also think about reflecting in areas other than writing but in all areas of academia and beyond, taking a step back to examine the work you completed can help you with similar endeavors in the future.
ReplyDeleteEmma-
DeleteI really liked that you quoted Yancey, and the quote you mentioned was also interesting to me. I agree that fleshing out what we have learned on a personal level is very important, which makes reflection so very imperative as an aspect of great writing. I liked that you mentioned reflecting not only at the end of writing a piece-- I feel this way with my writing as well! All in all, I agree with Yancey's point of view on reflection, and liked the piece as it articulated many thoughts I had (and you had!) with reflection as well.
Hey Emma~
DeleteGreat quote, it sums up one of the Yancey definitions perfectly! I really like how you talked about reflection in areas other than writing, its surprising how useful reflection can be, and how often we use it without realizing it. Way to connect it back to class and compare using the reflection during the writing process at all points in our research paper. Nice!
Yancey’s theory of reflection speaks to the connection between reflection and the composing process itself— and is a way in which to determine the ability of the writer, to see a “growth of consciousness.” Yancey, through assigning a reflection to her students, wished to receive reflection pieces that went “beyond the text to include a sense of the ongoing conversations that texts enter into” (Yancey, 5). She directly correlates reflection with the art of composition, in that it is fleshing out the text in a realm beyond the succinct points discussed in a said text. Reflection bridges the distance between intention of written work and its actual accomplishment through the eyes of the author. Yancey also mentions that reflection is “the processes by which we know what we have accomplished and by which we articulate accomplishment and the products of those processes” (Yancey, 6). Connected with composition, as it articulates through writing what we as writers have learned through the writing process as a whole.
ReplyDeletePersonally, my connections between reflection and writing are broad— I think that reflection fits into all aspects of my own writing process. Even before I begin to write a piece, I attempt to reflect on the ideas I have already had, try to flesh them out a little further before I give them the privilege of being on the page. While writing, I reflect both on what I have already written, and reflect on the ideas I have for the future writing I will complete. After all writing is finished and on the page, reflection is extremely important to me as a writer, as it helps me become more aware of what I accomplished through my work, and if it was what I attempted and expected to produce when I began writing. As a thinker, reflection is even more important than when writing a piece, as it is very imperative that I think about what I have thought about more than once.
I really like what you said at the end about when your reflections take place and what they mean to you as a writer and beyond. I feel like I do the same thing without even realizing, it makes me think that I should be more conscious of the reflecting I'm doing even before I start writing at all because I think that is just as important as the reflection that comes after.
DeleteI'd like to start out by commenting on how meta this topic is and I think that's funny for some reason. My favorite definition of what reflection could be according to Yancey is "It can mean self-assessment, sometimes oriented to the gap between intention and accomplishment." She connects reflection to writing in the sense that it's one of the inherent actions in writing and literature. The self-contained act of revision is a reflection in itself. It involves going over the past to make something better for the future. There is also reflection as a genre of writing which is useful in articulating what has been learned and what can be improved.
ReplyDeleteI think I reflect on things quite often, maybe too often even. With my writing, like with others I reflect on pretty much every sentence after I jot it down, to make sure it sounds right and that my achievement matches my intention, which is said much like the definition I picked out. I really think that is the case for most people but it remains true that it is where I normally reflect, and normally revise my work, directly after writing the sentence.
Reflection is extremely important to me academically in the same way it's beneficial to other areas of my life, often looking back can help to make a move forward. Reflection helps to make my thoughts clearer and more concise and thus my writing reflects this improvement (Pun very intended). I think it's extremely interesting asking what reflection means for me as a "knowledge maker". I very much like the term "knowledge-maker". The essay that we're currently writing is really the only situation in which I feel like I will be creating knowledge and so I shall refer to that in this discourse. I think that reflecting a lot on the projects that we'll do before the essay are extremely important as they may have different meaning, depending on when we reflect on them. I think this will also help to clear up what I hope to achieve so that I may be able to more effectively write my essay.
Hey Tresdon, I like your pun a lot!! It was perfect. I loved the way you worded reflection as "going over the past to make something better for the future". That is what I was trying to say in my comment, but I wasn't sure how to say it. When working, I think it is important to continuously reflect on what you are doing because it is much better than being completely oblivious.
DeleteT-money, you have a great writing style, and you're so right about the meta-ness of reflection. Reflecting upon your reflection I think my ideas about reflection mirror yours (oh man). It's interesting that you go over sentences right after writing them. Do you do this always? I feel like it would make the process a little tedious, but the revision not as drastic. It's neat how people have such different styles. I'm curious though, did you always do this or did somebody give you advice to try it and it stuck? Yancey discussed how we learn to write, and I'm wondering what influences have shaped your process :)
Delete- J money
The first way Yancey described reflection is what stood out to me the most. She stated that reflection is indicative of “growth of consciousness”. In order to know something, one of the first steps of researching should be to ask. “You want to know how students learn to write? Try asking ‘em.” I also think it is important that Yancey also notes that reflections go beyond the text to create a sense of what the other factors are that influence the writing. Reflection is important in the writing process because you can use it to improve. If you look back at what you have written in the past and how you wrote it, you can see any strong or weak points and apply that to future writings. The same concept applies to the draft process of writing. After writing a draft, if you reflect on it you can see which areas need work. Reflection is important because it is an important way to teach yourself, rather than relying on others to teach you. A student can use reflection to evaluate him or herself the same way their teacher might, and it is like another set of eyes viewing the draft. This is a very important and useful way to improve writing, which Yancey made a good point of since she had students herself and needed a way to help them further their skills.
ReplyDeleteI definitely agree with you that reflecting on your past work will have a big impact in your future work. For me, this is one of the best ways for good writer to become an even better writer. I feel that sometimes students can only reflect so much on their writing, so having a different perspective can help get more ideas flowing, but that's just me.
DeleteHi Sara! I just wanted to say that I also really liked the description of reflection where she said that it is, “indicative of growth of consciousness.” This definition was so broad but somehow explained reflection perfectly because it is a broad subject in itself. Yancey makes complete sense when it is not the teacher that “teaches” the student but rather the student uses reflection, consciously or obliviously to improve their writing. Hopefully eventually, as students give more reflection and thought to their writing, they will grow closer to it and learn to like it, if they haven’t already at that point. Yancey points out that Peter Elbow is right when he talked about how before students are able to work on their writing, they need to like their work first.
DeleteYancey’s theory of reflection really made me think deeper about how I implement reflection in my life. What really stood out to me was when she said “We learn to understand ourselves through explaining ourselves to others.” She also mentions that reflection involves checking, confirming, and balancing of ourselves. This made me think about how I barely reflect and think about myself, maybe because I just never take the time do so. The only time I truly reflect is when I talk to other people about myself because it forces me to think deeper about who I truly am. Thus, talking to others definitely helps in understanding myself better.
ReplyDeleteHowever, reflection in writing is pretty much automatic for me because I constantly evaluate my writing and always look at the positives and negatives. Reflecting on the negatives is very important for me to become a better writer because it helps me get better ideas of how to strengthen these weaknesses in my writing. In simpler words, Yancey says you learn more about yourself when you talk to others. This relates to writing because when I talk to others about my writing, I definitely get different perspectives and learn things that I would not have learned if I didn’t talk to anyone.
Before reading this article, I didn’t really notice the importance of reflection in my life. Every day I reflect in some way, whether it be about school or in my own life. These reflections play a big role in helping myself learn new things about writing, or even general aspects in life.
Hey Jason-
DeleteThe first quote you include was something that stuck out to me as well. Even though Yancey is using it within the context of personalities, it applies to writing in many ways, in my opinion. I think personal reflection is a crucial element to writing, and can influence writing and rhetorical reflection drastically, because when reflecting on oneself, you are learning through yourself.
Thanks for sharing!
It's true that Yancey gave many definitions of what reflection is. The one that made the most sense to me spoke of reflection as "the kind of thinking that consists in turning a subject over in the mind and giving it a serious and consecutive consideration," which was taken from John Dewey.
ReplyDeleteI think reflection is an important part of the writing process because you need to fully understand the point you're trying to make before you will be able to successfully make it (in most cases). By knowing exactly what point it is you want to get across, you can then read back through what you've written to see if it has been accomplished, pointing out places that fall short. This is how I use reflection most notably when I write for some specific purpose.
I think reflection is important in life in general. It's something we all do, although most people probably don't think about it as these bombastic definitions. At the end of the day if you think about things that happened, ways you could have responded differently, what you might change the next day, etc., that is reflection. I know I do this, and while I can't be sure, I'm fairly certain most people do it as well. It's almost like a quest for logic, and when you realize your logic is off you adjust and move forwards. Reflection (in my opinion) is how we grow as people and as writers.
Hey Jules, I really like what you had to say about how everybody really reflects on many aspects of their lives and they just don't think about them in the framework of these bombastic definitions. I think it's especially interesting that you talk about how we often consider how we could have responded differently to different situations throughout the day, that's one of the most common forms of everyday reflection I think for most people. I really like the definition of reflection that worked for you, it's an extremely visual image, I think. It paints an image of the brain looking like some kind of dough and kneading new knowledge into it ( Which is kind of gross and gorey but still). Very nice reflection on reflection!
DeleteHi Jules,
DeleteI really enjoyed your last paragraph, particularly your opening statement that reflection is important in life in general. I don't think that reflection should be limited solely to writing. In my day to day life there are many circumstances in which i reflect, whether it be what I eat for lunch, or where I choose to study. Like you mentioned everyone reflects on their lives in different ways, responding to their own lives based on what they've experienced. Reflection is a crucial part of our lives!
Yancey defines reflection to mean “looking foreword to goals we might attain, as well as a casting backward to see where we have been.” In writing, it includes goal setting, revisiting, and refining. I like this definition best out of all the ones provided, for I feel that represents what I think of when I think “reflection”. A reflection to me has always meant looking back. With Yancey’s version, it can also mean to be prospecting about the future. When you are writing a paper based on a reading, it is important to really “reflect” on the reading and think about what it means before writing your paper.
ReplyDeleteReflection is the thoughts that come through deep thinking. Reflection is very important to my writing process. Reflection is important to me as a writer, thinker, and a knowledge-maker because it helps me to condense my thoughts into a flow of writing that is comprehensible, and it helps to organize my thoughts better.
Throughout this reading, Yancey gives numerous theories for what she believes “reflection” is. Though there are/were many theories left open for interpretation, one that really stuck out to me was the following quote: “[I] started to see reflection as something different. I saw it as a component not only threaded through, but woven into the curriculum.” When one thinks of something being “threaded” in comparison to being “woven” you see that “woven” object obviously take more time and are more delicate in comparison to an item that was only threaded. She connects her theory of reflection to composition writing showing that “We have too often relied on tradition, ignoring the writer we are working with.” Earlier in the reading, she believed that composition writing was only sticking to the old rules of writing, so she felt that students writing should be looked at more carefully, to show how detailed they are with their writing, which relates back to reflections being “woven.”
ReplyDeleteI personally believe that reflection fits into the writing process when you are writing more about personal experience, or are giving detailed writing, based off of primary research or secondary research. I believe the same thing as Yancey, when research was being performed with students, asking them what they thought of research. The students “instantly became the primary research,” which is what allowed the research to show great reflection throughout their paper. I think that reflection is “important” to me as a writer, a thinker, and a knowledge-maker because it allows me to not only put my own personal touch on something, but also allows me to give my ideas its own authenticity. I think that without a reflection, then you simply don’t have a paper, since it is “following the dated rules of writing.”
Aizhak/Shawn
ReplyDeleteI like the quote that you used to describe Yancey's theory of reflection. I too, think that "constructive reflection occurs fairly often in the classroom and is [mostly] associated with revisions." I say this because you are reading the other writers paper, seeing the detail that they have put in the paper, and seeing where it is that they can improve and where it is that they did an outstanding job. The overall idea that I got from this reading by Yancey, was that it is all about "breaking the rules of old writing" and putting the "modern day writing skills" to use, in order to get the best results in and out of an academic paper.
Yancey’s theory of reflection defines it to be several things. The one that stood out most to me was the one where Yancey described reflection to be, “the mode of behavior indicative of growth of consciousness.” The way that she connects it to writing is that, if someone is reflective, someone is able to revise their writing and composition well. This is because they are aware of what they’ve been writing and is able to go back and make it better.
ReplyDeleteI think reflection does play a huge role in the writing process, especially in the revision portion of it. Of course, there are individuals who use reflection throughout the writing process but when people actually go back and edit is when they are “reflecting.” As for me, my use of reflection during writing processes fluctuates quite a bit. Sometimes I use it immensely throughout an entire paper and sometimes I hardly use it at all if not revising. Some things being written require more conscious thought analysis than others.
Reflection is “important” to me as a writer, a thinker, and knowledge-maker because it makes me a more seasoned and wise of a person. I learn more not only about circumstances and situations when I reflect, but I also learn more about myself during those instances as well. By reflecting, I think about everything as well as all of its possibilities, whether they may be negative or positive. In turn, this increases my awareness for my conscious mind. If I ever come across something similar again, I won’t have to think about all of it again. I can just use the shorthand memory that I made in my mind from the time that I was reflecting upon it. As a writer in particular, although reflecting does make me take longer to write, it in turn helps me become a better writer, being able to analyze and rethink my methodologies over and over again.
Yancey’s theory of reflection is fluid and dynamic, but the one definition that stood out to me was how “reflection is a means of going beyond the text to include a sense of the ongoing conversations that the texts enter into”. This was intriguing to me because it demonstrates how rhetoric can have more than a single purpose, and respond to multiple different prompts. Additionally, Yancey states that “reflection helps to understand and theorize our own learning, and, in a way, ourselves”. This idea is key to improving ones own work and improving it through the use of reflection. Yancey connects the idea of reflection to composition when she says that “reflection helps to understand and theorize our own learning”. When the author of a piece reflects on what they have written to understand and theorize, is when reflection is connected to the composition. Reflection is the art of looking at ones own work and learning from it, which can occur at any point in time during the writing process. After brainstorming, drafting, or editing, there is always a time for reflection and growth, which is further exemplified by Yancey’s belief that “it is reflection which stimulates the growth of consciousness in students”. Reflection is important to me, and any writer really, because it allows me to grow from my work, and to learn through myself. Reflection is crucial to becoming a better author because work can always be improved through reflection.
ReplyDeleteThere were numerous theories in Yancy's piece on the definition of reflection, however the definition that stuck most strongly with me was on page 7 on which Yancey states, "[reflection] makes possible a theorizing of practice based on practice, a means of extending and differentiating earlier practice, and then of theorizing anew." This concept is essential to the evolution of writing as it explains reflection as allowing writers not only look back on the current body of knowledge, but also to look at what can be added,and what can be concluded from this collective body of knowledge. What I found particularly interesting was the connection that this has to the research we're currently doing seeing as a research paper is precisely the process described by Yancey, "practice based on practice." We are doing just that, taking currently existing knowledge, and finding new knowledge based off this currently existing knowledge.
ReplyDeleteWith that said I believe that reflection plays a vital role in writing, because it allows us to take a step back, look at what we've done, and make larger conclusions on a piece. This is such an important step because often times a piece of writing can be extremely difficult to process all at once, thus to take a step back and reflect on a piece gives the reader or writer, perspectives that they may not have previously seen. Thus, is the reason we write drafts.
To me personally reflection plays a massive role in both my writing and my thinking processes, as it allows to build my own thoughts. As Yancey says, "through reflection students create their own native language." (18) Oftentimes when I think myself I create my own "native language," using my own thinking processes and methodologies, to come up with ideas that make sense to me. Essentially, I use reflection to take all the knowledge that I've taken in, and turn it into something that I can use.