& discussion 'starters' for weekly meeting with Co-op teacher
Reflection is...
- Thinking about your experiences
- Analysing and solving problems arising from your experiences
- Summarizing and focusing on the meaning of your experiences
- Evaluating your experiences
- Making sense of your experiences
- Clarifying what your experiences mean to you
- Predicting next steps as a result of your experiences
There are three levels of thinking required when writing a reflection summary. Try to use each level in your report.
Level 1: Retell in your own words; summarize information; state the main idea; identify the key concept.
Level 2: Relate; in other words, make connections or apply to your personal experience, books, events, etc; compare and contrast; analyze; give examples to illustrate your points.
Level 3: Reflect; in other words, draw conclusions from your experience; apply judgement; state opinions; give new insights or new understandings.
Instructions for assignment:
Complete a one page (maximum) reflective summary of your work experience using the three levels (Retell; Relate; Reflect) as an outline for your work.
The assignment will be evaluated based on 1) the connections you make between your learnings in your job and your in-school learning; 2) your analysis of your job experience; 3) the clarity of your writing; 4) how you plan to use the learning from your job in the future or in other situations (i.e., your 'transferable' knowledge and skills developed on the job site).
This formal, written assignment must be submitted each and every quad that a student is in Co-op (due dates will be different for each student and will be given to each student by the Co-op teacher). It is in addition to the informal weekly meeting between the Co-op teacher and the student (i.e., the weekly "reflection seminar") and may be a kind of "summary" of the discussion that you have had with the teacher so far.
The weekly reflection seminar (one-one discussion with the Co-op teacher) is worth 10% of the final mark in Co-op. The written reflection assignment is worth 10% of the final mark in Co-op.
'Starters' to get you thinking about your work experience (use for weekly meeting and for formal, written reflection assignment...
How I feel about some experience at my job...
A problem at my job that I analyzed and solved...
What I like [or don't like] about my job...
What I find satisfying or frustrating in my work...
Is this the type of work I want to do in the future? Why or why not...
What I am learning through my work that is encouraging me to finish high school...
What I am learning through my work that is causing me to change or revise my goals...
What skills am I learning in my job? How could these be transferred to other jobs?
What have I learned about myself through my job?
