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Reflection on the Class
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Class Syllabus
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Activities
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Textbook
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Reflection on the class:
As an introductory course to the Higher Education program, this course taught me several important lessons. On this page, I have stopped to reflect on the most significant lessons that I learned in HI ED 497A. I also invite you to check out the various coursework that I have completed for this class as an example of my work and the lessons learned through my journey in the Higher Education program here at Penn State University.
1) The Importance of Reflective Practice
“Reflection is a state of mind, an ongoing constituent of practice, not a technique or curriculum element” (Bolton, 2010). Stopping to reflect upon a situation, an opportunity, an experience can really help to put things into perspective. It is fitting that the first class in the program is on reflective practice because it is in this course where I was able to really begin to put theory to practice. Gillie Bolton said, that the most effective education has never been easy but, “Education is about perceiving and developing our own searching questions, rather than being given answers” (Bolton, 2010). Education is about setting the person on the path to becoming an engaged, self-authored life long learner.
Reflective practice encourages people to examine what is truly important. It is not about producing a product but about the journey of self-illumination and exploration (Bolton, 2010). To be a better practitioner, one needs to take responsibility for their own actions and values (Bolton, 2010). In order to truly develop and understand who you are as an individual, you need to understand your ethics, values and beliefs.
Richard Winter once said, “We do not ‘store’ experience as data, like a computer: we ‘story’ it” (Winter, 1988). “Stories penetrate human understanding more deeply than the intellect: they engage feelings,” (Bolton, 2010). Bolton makes it clear that there is a distinction between reflection and reflexivity. Reflection causes us to think about the event or situation whereas reflexivity requires looking back upon the mind itself to challenge attitudes, values, beliefs, prejudices, assumptions and actions in relationship to others (Bolton, 2010). Though Bolton makes a distinction between these two words, Bolton says that they go hand in hand. Ultimately reflective practice is about examining thoughts and beliefs and at the end of that journey, coming out with a better understanding of the situation and then telling your story.
2) The Benefit of Networking
Networking and building connections are extremely important. This class gave me the opportunity to start building those connections with other students in the Higher Education program as well as professionals in the field. The class had several panel discussions with people working in the field so that we could interact with and ask important questions about their journey.
3) Overcoming Challenges and Embracing The Unknown
The last class that I had was over 7 years ago. Stepping back into academia offered a lot of unknown challenges and fears. Do I have what it takes to complete graduate level study? Do I even remember how to write an effective paper or conduct research? This class offered me an opportunity to explore graduate education and to truly decide if it was right for me. Meeting the professor and other students offered an invaluable experience. Through my interactions in the class, I found a very open, warm, welcoming community of people that truly believe in fostering the development of identity and self. After taking this class, I felt more confident about who I am in the realm of academia as well as my ability to continue taking graduate-level classes.
4) Policy and Practice: Transforming Education
In the class we had to find a scholarly article and write a literature review. The literature review that I wrote looked at the theory of Self-Authorship by Marcia Baxter Magolda. After examining this article and reflecting on the importance of self-authorship I came to a realization about education. I do believe that the importance of education is to train and develop people to be more engaged, life-long learners. Reading this article and then reflecting what Bolton had to say about reflective practice had really sparked an interest. Jane Glaze, as stated in Bolton that, “Academic study has lost its suppressive attitude to artistry,” (Bolton, 2010). Furthermore Bolton points to the fact that “Curricula needs shaking up, and more enquiry-based methods introduced. Curriculum is Latin for race course: perhaps we need to progress from chasing each other and ourselves round a set track,” (Bolton, 2010). The question I have here is should education be transformed and if so…how?
Bolton, Gillie. Reflective practice: Writing & professional development. Sage publications, 2010.
Winter, Richard. Fictional Critical Writing, in J. Nias and S. Groundwater-Smith (eds), The Enquiring Teacher. London: Falmer. pp. 231-48.
As an introductory course to the Higher Education program, this course taught me several important lessons. On this page, I have stopped to reflect on the most significant lessons that I learned in HI ED 497A. I also invite you to check out the various coursework that I have completed for this class as an example of my work and the lessons learned through my journey in the Higher Education program here at Penn State University.
1) The Importance of Reflective Practice
“Reflection is a state of mind, an ongoing constituent of practice, not a technique or curriculum element” (Bolton, 2010). Stopping to reflect upon a situation, an opportunity, an experience can really help to put things into perspective. It is fitting that the first class in the program is on reflective practice because it is in this course where I was able to really begin to put theory to practice. Gillie Bolton said, that the most effective education has never been easy but, “Education is about perceiving and developing our own searching questions, rather than being given answers” (Bolton, 2010). Education is about setting the person on the path to becoming an engaged, self-authored life long learner.
Reflective practice encourages people to examine what is truly important. It is not about producing a product but about the journey of self-illumination and exploration (Bolton, 2010). To be a better practitioner, one needs to take responsibility for their own actions and values (Bolton, 2010). In order to truly develop and understand who you are as an individual, you need to understand your ethics, values and beliefs.
Richard Winter once said, “We do not ‘store’ experience as data, like a computer: we ‘story’ it” (Winter, 1988). “Stories penetrate human understanding more deeply than the intellect: they engage feelings,” (Bolton, 2010). Bolton makes it clear that there is a distinction between reflection and reflexivity. Reflection causes us to think about the event or situation whereas reflexivity requires looking back upon the mind itself to challenge attitudes, values, beliefs, prejudices, assumptions and actions in relationship to others (Bolton, 2010). Though Bolton makes a distinction between these two words, Bolton says that they go hand in hand. Ultimately reflective practice is about examining thoughts and beliefs and at the end of that journey, coming out with a better understanding of the situation and then telling your story.
2) The Benefit of Networking
Networking and building connections are extremely important. This class gave me the opportunity to start building those connections with other students in the Higher Education program as well as professionals in the field. The class had several panel discussions with people working in the field so that we could interact with and ask important questions about their journey.
3) Overcoming Challenges and Embracing The Unknown
The last class that I had was over 7 years ago. Stepping back into academia offered a lot of unknown challenges and fears. Do I have what it takes to complete graduate level study? Do I even remember how to write an effective paper or conduct research? This class offered me an opportunity to explore graduate education and to truly decide if it was right for me. Meeting the professor and other students offered an invaluable experience. Through my interactions in the class, I found a very open, warm, welcoming community of people that truly believe in fostering the development of identity and self. After taking this class, I felt more confident about who I am in the realm of academia as well as my ability to continue taking graduate-level classes.
4) Policy and Practice: Transforming Education
In the class we had to find a scholarly article and write a literature review. The literature review that I wrote looked at the theory of Self-Authorship by Marcia Baxter Magolda. After examining this article and reflecting on the importance of self-authorship I came to a realization about education. I do believe that the importance of education is to train and develop people to be more engaged, life-long learners. Reading this article and then reflecting what Bolton had to say about reflective practice had really sparked an interest. Jane Glaze, as stated in Bolton that, “Academic study has lost its suppressive attitude to artistry,” (Bolton, 2010). Furthermore Bolton points to the fact that “Curricula needs shaking up, and more enquiry-based methods introduced. Curriculum is Latin for race course: perhaps we need to progress from chasing each other and ourselves round a set track,” (Bolton, 2010). The question I have here is should education be transformed and if so…how?
Bolton, Gillie. Reflective practice: Writing & professional development. Sage publications, 2010.
Winter, Richard. Fictional Critical Writing, in J. Nias and S. Groundwater-Smith (eds), The Enquiring Teacher. London: Falmer. pp. 231-48.