This essay is a written reflection on your professional self as refined through your experiences and studies. In this 4-6 page (1,000 to 1,500 words double spaced) essay, you will write about the knowledge and skills you have developed, the areas or opportunities you see for growth or development, and the degree to which you identify as a lifelong learner.
A great deal of your time at university will be spent thinking; thinking about what people have said, what you have read, what you yourself are thinking and how your thinking has changed. It is generally believed that the thinking process involves two aspects: reflective thinking and critical thinking. They are not separate processes; rather, they are closely connected (Brookfield 1987).
Keep in mind that reflection is both a form of personal response to experiences, situations, events or new information and a ‘processing’ phase in which thinking and learning take place. There is neither a right nor a wrong way of reflective thinking, there are just questions to explore.
Guiding Questions:
Use the following questions to guide your writing.
What connections can you make across your different experiences inside of and outside of the classroom?
In what ways have you developed your discipline-specific knowledge and skills?
Write specifically about your BGS/BSAS area of concentration.
How do you expect to draw upon your understanding of major theories, approaches, concepts, and current and classical research findings in the area of concentration in your future work or education?
If you are currently working, how have you already applied your knowledge from your area of concentration to your work?
In what ways have you developed inter-disciplinary knowledge and skills?
How will you seek to improve your knowledge and skills?
What goals have you set for yourself?
How will you adapt to new situations or transfer your knowledge to different contexts?
How will you meet the standards or expectations of your chosen profession?
What else do you think you have to learn, and how will you endeavor to learn it (I.e. professional development, graduate school, experiential learning, etc.)?
There is no standard format for reflective writing. However, for this essay you are expected to organize your essay with an introduction, body, and conclusion that ultimately reviews the importance of your experiences and includes your plans for future growth. This document provides you with a template and guide that may be helpful to you.
Click here to view/download a suggested format for your essay. Download Click here to view/download a suggested format for your essay.
Click here to view the rubric for this assignment. Download Click here to view the rubric for this assignment.
Learning outcomes:
Demonstrate an understanding of purpose, audience, and context for written communication and oral presentations.
Draw upon understanding of major theories, approaches, concepts, and current and classical research findings in the area of concentration to synthesize discipline-appropriate learning in a culminating assignment.
Describe a plan for professional growth directly aligned with your needs as a growing professional using competencies, and, if appropriate, concepts from area of concentration or standards for your chosen profession.
Demonstrate a shift your self-perception from one of a student who must perform in accordance with instructor-stated criteria to one of a learner who is attaining specific self-determined goals and meeting standards for your chosen profession.
Differentiate between standard and academic written English by taking responsibility for such features as format, syntax, grammar, punctuation, and spelling and by applying the conventions of attribution and citation correctly.
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