WHAT'S NEW - JANUARY 2003

STANDARDS FOR TEACHING PRACTICE

Welcome to the website for the Council on Alberta Teaching Standards (COATS). This area of the website changes monthly. The theme for this month will be of interest to teachers, administrators, and parents who are exploring reflective practice. The first section below identifies several websites related to the topic. Also listed below please find hardcopy sources of information on reflective practice. We hope that you find this website to be a valuable resource. For quick reference bookmark http://www.teachingquality.ab.ca today!

WEBSITES AND ARTICLES RELATED TO REFLECTIVE PRACTICE

Becoming a Reflective Practitioner (2002)

http://www.education.umd.edu/OLE/sthandbook/reflection.html

This webpage from the University of Maryland portrays the relationship between reflective practice and effective teaching from the viewpoint of a student teacher. Reflective practice is considered as a process to be learned and is associated with several facets of teacher preparation. Tips, are offered on reflective journaling, on coaching and conferencing, and on self-evaluation as well as on the development of a professional portfolio.

Crescent Heights High School (1999)

http://www.cbe.ab.ca/b815/about-crescent/plan/growth.htm

This website, originating from a school within the Calgary Board of Education, provides an example of how reflective practice may be related to the range of school activities. The website demonstrates links between reflective practice, professional development and teacher quality. All three notions come together in teachers' professional growth plans, which are viewed as a means to formalize teachers' professional development. In addition, the website outlines the roles and responsibilities of various parties involved in carrying out and supporting teachers' professional growth plans.

Donald Schon (Schön): Learning, Reflection and Change (2001)
Smith, M. K.
The Encyclopedia of Informal Education

http://www.infed.org/thinkers/et-schon.htm

Donald Schon (1930-1997) is recognized as the originator of the notion of reflective practice. This website describes his professional life and his rich legacy as an educator. His landmark book The Reflective Practitioner appeared in 1983. For nearly two decades, across a great number of occupational fields, the notion of reflective practice has yielded key insights into the nature of education for professionals. This website claims to be the most comprehensive treatment of Donald Schon on the web. The website also contains further references for those interested in the beginnings of reflective practice.

Reflective Practice and Professional Development (2000)
Ferrarro, J.

http://www.ed.gov/databases/ERIC_Digests/ed449120.html

This ERIC Digest (ED 449120) provides a concise overview of the origins of the idea of reflective practice and offers some insights into how the idea came to be associated with teacher preparation, action research and professional development for teachers. The digest focuses attention on various levels of reflective practice, on the challenge of incorporating reflective practice into professional practice, and on the benefits of reflective practice. Various techniques are available for cultivating the habits of a reflective practitioner. Ferraro concludes that reflective practice can assist teachers to improve their success in the classroom. References are included for further exploration of the topic.

Reflective Practice Groups (1999)

http://minerva.stkate.edu/Academic/educcases.nsf

This database from Minnesota is connected to a group approach for fostering reflective practice. Reflective Practice Groups (RPGs) can help to reinforce reflective practice among teachers. The searchable database contains some 150 cases that deal with a variety of situations that a teacher might encounter in the classroom. The cases are arrayed under 10 major headings. This website serves as a valuable resource for preservice teachers as well as for teachers already in the classroom who are interested in cultivating the habits of reflective practice by reading about the experiences of teachers. Links are provided to further readings on reflective practice.

Selected Document & References For Reflective Teaching Practices (2001)

http://jewel.morgan.edu/~seus/reflective.html

This website from Morgan State University in Maryland offers a compendium of recent references for reflective teaching. The emphasis in this selection is put on reflective practice within the classroom. By year, the references range from 1997 to 2001. All of the references are to hardcopy sources. This website will be of particular interest to those who wish to pursue publications on reflective practice.

Self-Assessment: The Reflective Practitioner (2002)

http://www.ncpublicschools.org/pbl/pblreflect.htm

Becoming aware of one's assumptions in teaching and moving beyond them is one aspect of becoming a reflective practitioner. This website from North Carolina offers a structured approach for expressing such awareness. Using a reflection cycle and guiding questions, novice teachers who are candidates for state licensure can articulate their awareness of their own skills and knowledge and thereby demonstrate their readiness to be recognized as master teachers.

The Seven Habits of Reflective Practitioners (2000)
Longenecker, R. M.D.

http://www.stfm.org/ANNUAL01/td3-1.pdf

Steven R. Covey is famous for his book The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, first published in 1990. Titled in a similar vein, this one-page piece succinctly lists several tips for reflective practitioners to keep in mind. The author refers to Donald Schon, the creator of reflective practice and generally encourages his audience to take time to think and plan. The collected exhortations are a reminder that reflective practice is not the preserve of educators, but that it is indeed common to professionals in a number of fields.

Take a Closer Look: Reflection Gives Teachers a Chance to Tap into What They Have Learned (2002)
Richardson, J.

http://www.nsdc.org/library/tools/tools4-02rich.html

This book review (Copyright, National Staff Development Council, 2002) describes the treatment of reflective practice accorded by Sommers and his associates in Reflective Practice to Improve Schools: An Action Guide for Educators (Corwin Press, 2001). Reflection on teaching can take various shapes - individually, with partners, or in groups. Sommers et al. emphasize the importance of reflective journaling. The review points to a newer notion of whole school reflection in which principals might lead their teachers to reflect on major issues. This recent book envisions reflection as a powerful means to bring change to schools.

What is Reflective Practice in Teaching? (1999)

http://www.ncsu.edu/mctp/reflection/reflective_practice.html

This website, which draws extensively on A. J. Reiman's (1999). Guided Reflective Practice (North Carolina State University, Raleigh), offers a working definition of reflective practice in teaching. The author identifies four processes as major components of reflective practice: description, analysis, explanation and reflection. Research indicates that such processes enhance the understanding of teachers. This webpage is one part of a linked series of sections treating reflective practice in teaching. One linked page provides an overview, another deals briefly with the importance of guidance in reflection, while still another deals with the place of journals and portfolios within reflective practice.

JOURNAL ARTICLES

Title:		Professional Development for Principals: Seven Core Beliefs
Source:		Phi Delta Kappan. (1999). Vol. 80, No. 7. Pages 530-532.
Author(s):		Evans, P. M. & Mohr, N.
Abstract:		This article, originating in Rhode Island, describes a principals' seminar that embodies reflection on teaching, learning and leadership. The article outlines the seminar's approach over the course of a year, and also presents a rationale in the form of seven core beliefs about professional development for principals. One of the beliefs concerns the importance of reflective practice. The learning experiences included in the seminar encourage habits of mind that can be taken back to the principals' own schools. The seminar exercises, which involve both oral discussions and writing assignments, are aimed at actual improvements in the principals' schools.
ISSN:		0013-7217
BOOKS
Title:		The Professional Teacher: The Preparation and Nurturance of the Reflective Practitioner.
Source:		San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. (1999). Pages xxvii + 208.
Author(s):		Norlander-Case, K. A., Reagan, T. G., & Case, C. W.
Abstract:		The second chapter of this book deals in depth with the concept of reflective practice, which has become part of many teacher preparation programs in North America. The chapter reaches behind the familiar slogan to reveal the implications of this notion for the education of teachers and for the classroom. Reflective practice is viewed as affecting the way in which professionals organize their knowledge and their experience. Further, reflective practice is associated with teacher inquiry, especially action research, and with professional evaluation. The book includes abundant references as well as an index.
ISBN:		ISBN 0-7879-4560-9 (Paperback)