Mar
Critical Reflection #3~ Being a reflective practioner
The reading I am reflecting on for this post is, The Reflective Practitioner, by Dr Pak Yoong.
Mood: 
Sneezing from hayfever; little tired and itchy throat.
- “Crisis of confidence in professional knowledge.and professional education” (Schon, 1987)
- Universities need to embrace more non-logical methods of thinking
- Reflective practices that value “spontaneous behavior..[to] reveal a kind of knowing…” (p.1)
- Reflection-in-Action; thinking about it whilst doing it
I agree~ academia in the West at least, tends to view science only from a Western perspective. I use mandalas, ecstatic dance, spirit journeys, a dream journal, meditation and reflective journaling as just some ways to tap into my non-logical ways of knowing. Friends and family often tell me I am off with the fairies or that I have perspectives that are far far away from “reality”~ I happily will swim in the pools of creative choas to realise what I am trying to understand. Works for me ~:-) Joyfully fuzzy.
This theory of reflection-in-action has for me echoes of Mindfulness. Being in the moment and cultivating a consciousness of what is coming out of our mouths and what actions we are performing, at this point in time. Truly meditative.
- Reflection-in-Action Model
- Thinking while doing
- Intuitive action
- Non-intuitive action
Action 
Signal (behaviour &/ feeling)
~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Notice Signal
~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Connect with Prior Experience
~
~~~~~ ~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Contemplate Adaption
~~~~~~ ~~~~~
~~~~~
~~or~~~Make Adaption
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Intuitive Action
The overall model confused me at first. How is Action-signal a two-way street? How does No Adaption lead back to Action-Signal? However after reading the narratives of Yoong’s participants and typing out the model myself, it became much clearer.
Though there are still some gaps~ so I will hop onto the discussion board for the course and initiate a conversation about it (if one does not already exist). If this does not resolve my questions I will ask my lecturer directly. If it is still not clear I will email Dr Yoong, and if he has time and the inclination, I will get further elaboration.
I am teaching (Action) which will inherently trigger a feeling and or other behaviours, which is the Signal. Though if my Signal can also initiate Action, why is the arrow from No Adaption to Action only one-way? Is it that a Signal will lead to action that will initiate another Signal…hmmm.
I think the key point in the model is being aware of the Signal. This would take practice at being-in-the moment. Great! My non-logical practices are all about being in the hear and now, and being more mindful of what I am doing and saying~ right now!
So, is the model saying that if one does not Notice the Signal, that Action is initiated again? Is that further elaboration of the two-way arrow..? Perhaps this is waht is meant by the participant that stated they were “Leaving their instincts on ice”, where they were pre-occupied with a technological frustration to act on their intuitive signal until much later.
The model appears to centre around whether we choose to; Notice a Signal and/or Make Adaption (choose an alternative behaviour).
How are you interpreting this model?
