Have you ever heard someone say to “think outside the box”? Well, sometimes it’s a little more than that. Or a little less.
A good example is when an instructor asks you to reflect on someone else’s comment or writing. What can you say? If they have a book, article or blog post and have it “out there” for anyone and everyone to see, they must be really knowledgeable, right? And that means that they know more than me, right? Not necessarily.
Most of the time when an instructor asks you to reflect on something, it simply means that your opinion is what the instructor wants to know. Did you agree with the author? Did you like what you read? Hated it? The beginning of a reflection is simply that – did you like it or not? And there is no wrong or right answer for that. I hate Brussel Sprouts – but that doesn’t mean that I’m wrong or anything. And it doesn’t mean there is anything wrong with them – it is simply my opinion.
So it is okay to disagree with an author (in fact, instructors like to read reflections that disagree) because what is important is why you disagree. And to make that part of the assignment easier, you might write a simple set of questions to ask yourself (and they can also be used if you agree!)
So, going back to my distaste for Brussel Sprouts, it doesn’t make a bit of difference to me if the article lists several different ways to cook them, or recipes with them. If I were writing this paper, I might point that out. Perhaps the author listed all the vitamins and minerals that Brussel Sprouts have. Then I might counter their information with listing other vegetables that have the same or similar vitamins and minerals - but those vegetables I do like.
A reflection piece is simply that – reflecting on the writing and either agreeing or disagreeing with the author. It’s your chance to express yourself – go for it!
A good example is when an instructor asks you to reflect on someone else’s comment or writing. What can you say? If they have a book, article or blog post and have it “out there” for anyone and everyone to see, they must be really knowledgeable, right? And that means that they know more than me, right? Not necessarily.
Most of the time when an instructor asks you to reflect on something, it simply means that your opinion is what the instructor wants to know. Did you agree with the author? Did you like what you read? Hated it? The beginning of a reflection is simply that – did you like it or not? And there is no wrong or right answer for that. I hate Brussel Sprouts – but that doesn’t mean that I’m wrong or anything. And it doesn’t mean there is anything wrong with them – it is simply my opinion.
So it is okay to disagree with an author (in fact, instructors like to read reflections that disagree) because what is important is why you disagree. And to make that part of the assignment easier, you might write a simple set of questions to ask yourself (and they can also be used if you agree!)
- Have I read anything else by this person before? If so, did I like it or not?
- What was different about this piece? What was a surprise (did the author say something you didn't know before)?
- Is there anything in this writing that made me concerned/upset? For example, if the article contained facts and figures that appear to agree or disagree with the author, were those facts supported by research?
- If the facts of the article were false, what research can/did I do to explain my feelings?
- Is there anything in this article at all that I can agree with?
So, going back to my distaste for Brussel Sprouts, it doesn’t make a bit of difference to me if the article lists several different ways to cook them, or recipes with them. If I were writing this paper, I might point that out. Perhaps the author listed all the vitamins and minerals that Brussel Sprouts have. Then I might counter their information with listing other vegetables that have the same or similar vitamins and minerals - but those vegetables I do like.
A reflection piece is simply that – reflecting on the writing and either agreeing or disagreeing with the author. It’s your chance to express yourself – go for it!