How Will I Write Reflective Account - Assignment Example

? How Will I Write Reflective Account? Affiliation: The education sector has embraced diversity and dynamism in order to encompass and cover all students’ needs in their various fields of study. Numerous courses, programs and education systems have been put in place to aid this process, thereby meeting various students’ interests. The ever reforming education systems and programs around the world considers that students have different abilities and capacities of understanding, over and above what each student seeks to pursue throughout the academic life (Brodie, et al. 2008). Personally, my interest in both academics and life in general constitutes a good source for a reflective account. Key Learning Points Personal interests especially in academics revolves around growth and development in the specific field that offers a course that builds a long lasting career without the need to change from one career to another. This depicts an aspect of fully grown interests that have been met given the pursued course. For me my academic and career experience is a field in which I have several learning points. These learning points lay down a systematic structure which leads to the achievement of desired results without difficulty, representing success, growth and development in that particular field. These key learning points makes a good reflective account if one particular experience is critically considered, and they include: Diversity, dynamism and sensitivity My current academic and career experiences have never depicted an aspect of static systems over the years. Change has characterized almost every aspect of my life. For this reason, embracing change cannot be ignored. I have to integrate this change in my line of interest if I am to remain competitive in expressing one or more experiences I have had in a reflective account. Being diverse encompasses being different from the usual. Different people have portrayed different personal, regional and national cultures, making it even more necessary to embrace change in the context of diversity. Sensitivity goes beyond personal feeling and opinion. It integrates external observations such that the reflected on at such an instance denotes internal and external rather than fixed concepts. Awareness and training Writing a reflective account is not an easy task (Youll, 2005). The experiences aforementioned may vary depending on the specific idea that I may want to include in the account. It is important that I be aware of these differences so that the specific account I want to focus in best brings out the meaning of a reflective account. Awareness is not a onetime achievement due to the differences aforementioned. Training is a fundamental program that I perceive perfect for creating awareness. Training programs are likely to equip me with all the various aspects, concepts and the differences therein in such a way that I can easily differentiate and make use of them without difficulty when writing a reflective account. Training and awareness are important for me because they are set to prepare me for the characteristic changes and transitions from one account to the other. Motivation and skills of presentation Motivation is a process and not a stage in a training or academic system. I closely relate motivation to the skills of presentation. Although the two are two different key learning points for me, the link between them is strong and a key determinant of personal achievement, not only in academics but also in life. Learning to motivate and be motivated is likely to influence personal growth and development, and more especially the career that one takes. For me, motivation is a life and career constituent that is complemented by skills of presentation. I have to share and pass around what I have learnt and gained through education and life experiences that constitute my expertise. Skilful presentation is critical in such a process, and it is as well a critical learning point when it comes to writing a reflective account. Combining the identified concepts and drawing the inter-relationship between and among them contributes to a successful process of writing a reflective account. Actions that need to be taken Outlining goals and objectives An activity undertaken following a certain procedure or process must have a desired end result that needs to be achieved. In order to build on the key learning points highlighted above, it is important to set out an outline of the desired goals and objectives in the light of each and every key learning point above, prior to the specific account being addressed. What this will do is that it will keep me on track in the context of the required reflection. Goals and objectives in the context of developing a reflective account are the guiding principles that provide me with a check list on which I assess which account provides a good reflection and which one fails to. Effective communication Communication is core to the preparation, writing and presentation of a reflective account (Kolb, 2004). Communication enhances coordination of activities prior to each of the earlier identified key learning points, given the desired outcome of writing a reflective account. An effective communication will further lay down a systematic procedure through which success or failure can be evaluated. An effective communication for me will encompass an integration of all the requirements of a good reflective account. Every step in the development of a reflective account is fundamental since the addressed account is meant for some audience, and therefore communication patterns prior to the intended audience should be considered in each of the steps. Literature in a Snapshot A reflective account is an expression of how I carried out a specific task, given a certain scenario of experience (Brown, 2004). This can be based on academics or career, but the most important thing is expressing an account I have dealt with and not any other person. The duration as to when the specific task was undertaken does not matter. What is important is that the account being written about must have taken place at a past date, such that the reflective account reports the unfolding events at that time (Schon, 2003). Actual stakeholders and participants to the event being accounted for are not reported by their actual names, titles or addresses. A reflective account observes confidentiality to the letter (Youll, 2005). This means that if I was to write a reflective account about my job or academic work in a learning institution, participating and involved parties to that account are not presented by their actual names and addresses. Disguised forms of presenting the parties are adopted (Brodie, et al. 2008). I cannot refer every party to my reflective account by their known titles because in doing so, the required confidentially is not observed. On the same note, the intended audience is not interested in knowing all parties bound to the account, but the actual happenings that characterize the account addressed. I would observe all the requirements of a good reflective account in writing about mine. Assisting Goals in Future Development of Study Skills Future development of study skills is dependent on the current day level of growth and development. Goals can be set to aid the process of future development of study skills, given the primary interest of writing a reflective account by an individual (Cameron, 2004). For me, the following are the assisting goals in this pursuit: Speculate the future skill requirements based on the current skill requirements and trends Assess the consistent educational reforms in order to forecast on the likely future position of the education sector and prior requirements then Merge personal interests and career into the actual field of study and work scenario that best provides an account to reflect on Gather data and information that keeps me up to date in order to enhance personal performance in evaluating series of accounts, one after the other. References Brodie, et al. (2008). Reflecting Competence; The Scottish Network for Post Qualifying Social Work: Glasgow Caledonian University. Brown, K. & Rutter, L. (2004). Critical Thinking and Analysis - A Guide to enhancing Reflection. Learning and Writing for PQ Social Work Programmes: Bournemouth University. Cameron, E. & Coles, M. (2004). Guidance Pack for Portfolio Presentation; West of Scotland Consortium for Education & Training in Social Work. Kolb, D. (2004). Experiential Learning. Prentice Hall: New Jersey Schon, D. (2003). The Reflective Practitioner Basic Books. Temple Smith: London Taylor, C. & White, S. (2000). Practising Reflexivity in Health & Welfare; Open University Press. Youll, P. & Walker, C. (2005). Great Expectations? Personal, Professional and Institutional Agendas in Advanced Training’ in Learning and Teaching in Social Work: Towards Reflective Practice, M. Yelloly & M. Henkel, Eds. London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers. Read More