Objective:
- To engage students in reflective practice
- To capture immediate subject learning or review for revision
Overview:
(small paragraph/ 2 -3 sentence)
The focus of this task can be directed to subject knowledge (as revision) or as a way of seeking reflection on a particular learning experience or task.
This activity is very immediate and works well in large lecture theatres.
Activity:
Potentially long – if including timings; approach; extensions; assessment; options for delivery
You can use this technique to summarise reports, reading, or learning – or as a reflective tool at the end of an experience or task. If you are using it as a summary tool then after reading policy/research (prior to class) ask the students to pause and reflect about the information they have been working with.
Ask them to write TWO WORDS that stand out as key ideas. The words do not have to be related to each other.
These can be shared across the group at this stage, or ask them to write them down.
Have students use the Think-Ink-Pair-Share technique to discuss their choices.
Think: Why did you select these two words from the article?
Ink: Write your reasons for your choices.
Pair: Find a partner.
Share: Share the two words you selected
Share the reasons for your "Stand Out Words."
You can display these words by using some thematic headings on flipchart and ask them to put their words onto post-its and onto the diagram. You can, as tutor, prepare a venn diagram around key concepts or a grid/axis for them to work within in advance or you can take open comments and group them yourself in a group to share the thematic analysis of the words selected.
It is also possible to show case the words selected by creating your own Word Cloud – using a site such as Wordle http://www.wordle.net/ This will allow you to draw together a visual summary of the words selected, and use any repeat word choice to your advantage. This site will display all the words as the same size, but then increase the size to reflect the numbers of times that a word was used. So you will be able to create a visual word cloud, which has relative meaning/value of the words chosen.
Skill Development:
This task requires students to reflect and review, either on their learning or upon their learning journey. Ideally, as a tutor, you will receive the comments openly, but be prepared to do "another round" if you feel that the comments are not deep enough or that they have more to offer. This task can also review the rationale (the "why" they chose those stand-out words) and explore their emotional response to the subject/ learning.
Resources:
- Post its
- Pens
- WORDLE - http://www.wordle.net/
Whilst this is simple to use, it is best to "play around" with the fonts and formats in advance – and ensure that you are able to save or capture the wordle you create. Have a play with it by dropping in your own words, repeating some, and using the formatting to connect words that you don't want split up. You can even insert web page text (URL) to see the effect it has. Ensure you are clear how to save the wordles if you want to use them again.