Thing 5 - reflective practice -

Opening salvo - I feel like putting the guns on the table -

It is undoubtedly a valuable practice, and that's where I lay the emphasis, as however much it is talked about, it's in the doing that the benefits are realized.

So as much as writing a commitment in a blog can purport to supporting real lived actions I hereby solemnly swear to follow it ... yes a rather preposterous tone indeed.

And it is good to see that humour and not-taking-oneself too seriously exists and is alive and well e.g. Natalyfay

A rifle through the links provided by cpd23 has got me setting my sights..

As for a structural device to write reflectively I would refer to Elaine Andrew's
Description - interpretation - Outcome

In Thoughts on learning processes and other musings there is a good description of Schon's reflection in action, reflection on action, as well as the interesting suggestion of using an alternative genre for reflective practice. An EXPLOSIVE idea!

'focussed stream of consciousness writing':- now there's an oxymoron I would be interested in implementing.
The round-up of reflective models(Greenway, Burton, kolb, Gibbs) is atomic, but usefully so. I thought that if you are trying to decide on what is worth reflecting upon, Burton's
What? So what? Now what
might be a useful shortcut to victory.

For the teaching/training aspect of my role (Assistant librarian in a health setting - an NHS hospital) Toby Adam's presentation brings lesson planning into the reflective cycle.

Reflective practice in Healthcare
It's a big time theme and I won't pretend to be knowledgeable about it but I can recommend (and as Sarah Stewart cites) Beverley Taylor's Reflective practice: a guide for nurses and midwives(2000), in particular for the practical exercises and the different types of reflection which are examined in some detail: - communicative(surrender or your dead), technical(we've got bigger, sleeker, sharper stones than you) & emancipatory (let's sign a peace accord and get back to living).

I hope my militaristic allusions upset no one. I was simply trying to make this writing more entertaining for myself.