Abstract
Mature learning and thinking requires a reflective disposition. Due to the relation of writing in general, and reflective writing in particular, to knowledge production — writing may foster reflective learning and thinking in various academic domains. However, while adults may be either inclined or trained towards writing-to-reflect, children need to be educated to engage in it. The aim of the technique presented in this chapter is to offer a strategic framework for structuring & facilitating reflective writing for school children. It comprises nine writing-to-reflect acts: (1) Coordinating expectations from the learning resource at hand; (2) Relating it to prior knowledge; (3) Detecting & diagnosing difficulties in it; (4) Selecting relevant knowledge; (5) Judging the value of the learning source critically; (6) Deliberating its optional interpretations; (7) Transforming its structure conceptually; (8) Re-contextualizing the newly gained knowledge; (9) Linking: Assessing learning outcomes & creating new learning goals. The learners use these nine ‘reflection stops’ as optional writing opportunities. They select one or several of the ‘stops’, and start writing about a text they learn from, ‘entering’ and ‘re-entering it by performing the reflective acts each selected stop entails. Wide use of this technique from second to seventh grade has shown that the majority of children & teachers may benefit from using it- when it is introduced gradually and exercised flexibly andjudiciously.
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© 2005 Kluwer Academic Publishers
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Sarig, G. (2005). Fostering Reflective Writing by Structuring Writing-To-Learn Tasks. In: Rijlaarsdam, G., van den Bergh, H., Couzijn, M. (eds) Effective Learning and Teaching of Writing. Studies In Writing, vol 14. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-2739-0_34
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-2739-0_34
Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht
Print ISBN: 978-1-4020-2724-6
Online ISBN: 978-1-4020-2739-0
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