In this reflection, you are to going to be reflecting on reflection (very meta ;-) and your composing process. Some things to think through: *What are Yancey and Belanoff's theories of reflection? Which do you feel you respond more to or is it a combination of the two? Why do you think we read theory on reflection?
*What is "so" important about reflection? Why might we do it after each main assignment (and in between assignments)? Where does reflection fit into your composing process?
*If you had to develop a theory of reflection what would it look like?
Make sure, per normal, you support your thinking with evidence from the texts--you can use your own writing as support as well. Dialogue with one another. And you should hit about 500 words.
This is due on Wednesday, April 13, 2011.
Kathleen Blake Yancey’s theory on reflection is bringing everything together. It’s when a person collects all of the details, all of the questioned parts of the composed piece, and brings it to a much more clear understanding so that we as students can have a clear understanding as to what we have learned. Pat Belanoff takes a similar but different approach into the understanding of reflection. She emphasizes the word silence. She also connects reflection with meditation and contemplation with the word, basing our learning process off seriously sitting down and thinking about everything that has been put together. Yancey believes interaction with others can help us to expand our minds and engage more with reflecting, while Belanoff finds reflecting to interact more with one’s individual self.
ReplyDeleteI believe that I respond to both Yancey and Belanoff, but Yancey a little bit more. When I compose, I am trying to please myself and my audience. In reflection however, I find that when I interact I get a much better understanding of what is going to please my audience. I do sit back and reflect after I complete what it is I was trying to, but when the opinions of others and learning from my classmates and other things that surround me, I find that my composing process runs a lot more smoothly.
I believe that we read theory on reflection to intensify our critical thinking. Prior to reading different opposing views on reflection, all I believed the word to be was “going back over my work.” This is most certainly not the case and by no means is the only way to reflect. Reflection is so important because no work is precisely done correctly the first time around. It sounds silly, but sometimes even little things like having a bad day can reflect on the way that we do work, and write. To sit back and reflect on what we have done, we are able to use what we originally composed as something I would call a base. I always find that after I reflect whether it is in group projects or individually; I always end up with something completely different than I had in the beginning. In order for me to compose, I absolutely need insight from my audience. They reflect on what I have already and what exactly is that I need. I believe that we reflect after smaller assignments (even big ones) to prepare us for the next to come. With learning one thing, comes another and another. If we reflect on the basis of an assignment we can now have the ability to expand them even more.
If I had to develop a theory of reflection, my theory would be a complete combination of both Yancey’s and Belanoff’s. I need some sort of insight from others when I reflect, and then I am able to meditate in silence to take in all that my audience believes. It is a much more complex word than many people believe it to be, and that is why we DO reflect; to learn. We learn from each other, and ourselves.
At the beginning of the semester, I could have told you that reflection meant one of two things. It was either the image you saw staring back at you in the mirror (I’m thinking Mulan here) or contemplation you did when thinking about previous experiences. Over the course of our weeks in WEPO I’ve learned that the second definition, although vaguely in the ballpark, is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to reflection.
ReplyDeleteTwo major theorists come to mind when reflecting on reflection: Yancey and Belanoff. When looking over previous blogs I’ve done, I saw that I quoted Yancey when she said that reflection is “looking forward to goals we might obtain as well as casting backward to see where we have been.” Basically, reflecting is revisiting what you have done in order to absorb the knowledge that you’ve created and taking that with you into all further experiences. So, we are the “agents of our own learning”(Yancey). I feel that Belanoff would also agree with this definition of looking back and forward. Where they differ is their process in reflecting. I agree with gbyrne4 when he/she says that while Yancey supports the approach to reflecting with “interacting with others,” Belanoff feels stronger about the importance of silence and inner sanctuary in order to generate an atmosphere fit for reflecting.
I feel that both theorists are important to my theories on reflection. While I think that Yancey’s theories of interaction still hold true to my identity as a composer, I think I gravitate more towards Belanoff’s theory of contemplation in those rare periods of silence. I think that reflection should be found within ourselves after deep thought—only we can truly understand the work we have done and can be the one to interpret and expand our theories.
Reflection is so important because it a critical step in the composing process. It serves as a finalization of our work and allows us to synthesize together everything we have learned from our projects. Without reflecting, I think we would lose a lot of what we take from each project and a crucial understanding of what the purpose of it all was. Reflecting certainly allows me to pause and think about what I have learned and how I will take information with me in the future. I think reflecting about theory and our own work lets us reveal to ourselves things we didn’t even know we previously thought, and for that reason it is an extremely valuable process that lets us learn about ourselves.
If I had to develop my own reflecting process, I would take both theorists and meld their ideas into one. I’d focus on making filling silence with my own contemplation yet not shutting off from insight from others that could potentially expand my own opinions. To me, reflection has to occur not only at the end of a project, but throughout in order to really comprehend and absorb all I can from a project. So, I would work on my normal composing process, first writing then editing, and reflecting in between whenever I need a moment to gather my thoughts. Each time I reflect would probably not take as long as the final reflection, but would act as preparation for it, and that is where everything comes together.
Reflection is defined in a few different ways between Yancey and Belanoff, as it is a concept that can be viewed from a variety of perspectives or contexts. For example, Yancey talks about refection within the writing process, which takes place in the pauses and rescannings students took as they composed. Yancey talks about how this type of refection helps increase consciousness about the composition as well as think more closely about decisions regarding syntax, organization, and other aspects of the composition process. Yancey also discusses refection as a practice designed to help composers and students go beyond simply the text and further explore the conversations that the texts enter into. Belanoff’s spin on reflection is more akin to the first definition of Yancey’s discussed, emphasizing moments of silence and thought in reflection. Belanoff associates valuable reflection with giving serious and focused deliberation to the composing process as you go.
ReplyDeleteI personally respond a bit to both theorists’ views. I think that the type of pausing, meditative reflection both Yancey and Belanoff touched on is useful as far as helping to improve the composition process goes. Taking the time to carefully consider all of the important decisions about style, content, and structure that effect the final quality of compositions is a good way to ensure better quality in one’s writing. However, I think the more big picture focused reflection Yancey discusses regarding engaging in the discussions the texts are a part of is useful too. That type of refection allows us to gain a better perspective about the final composition and brings the entire process together in my opinion, and I think gaining that perspective is an important thing to take away from the composition process.
I think we read theory on reflection because of the versatility of the concept of reflection. Even just in a few articles on it, we’ve seen multiple ways of viewing and practicing reflection in different parts of the composition process. I think it helps improve our ability to think about the overall composition process as well because we’re being exposed to new ways to think about reflection, which helps stimulate more thought about our own compositions.
As far as why I think reflection is important, I agree with Kayla’s point about the way that reflection helps serve as a finalizing activity in the composition process that helps us come away with a better perspective on the composition, which helps us link our compositions together and better understand ourselves as composers. I also agree with her point that without reflection, we might carry over less knowledge from project to project and I think that losing that cohesion weakens one’s awareness of themselves as a composer. For that reason, I would primarily say that reflection fits primarily at the end of my composition process. While I do believe in pausing and rescanning as I compose, I think the most essential part of reflection is gaining that sense of finality from each project that can carry over to future compositions.
Yancey and Belanoff both bring up some really interesting points about reflection. They opened my eyes to things I already knew but didn’t realize I was doing. It helped to make things clear and actually see reflection as a step in the writing process.
ReplyDeleteYancey says that, “Through reflection, we can circle back, return to earlier notes, to earlier understandings and observations, to re-think them from time present (as opposed to time past), to think how things will look to time future” (24). I think this is a great explanation of what we do in this class, and all english classes. We can’t really move forward without looking back a little bit. We have to take those past experiences with us to make new ones. We have to look at past writing and use that to improve with new writing.
Belanoff has a similar quote defining reflection, "to turn one's thoughts (back) on, to fix the mind or attention on or upon a subject, to ponder, meditate” (405). Both talk about this looking back and thinking deeply. I think Belanoff takes it a step further when he talks about the power of silence. It seems that we come up with these great reflections and ideas in silence. It’s not even really silence because it’s so loud in our heads. “Silence... is powerful. It is the dimension in which ordinary and extraordinary events take their proper places” (402).
I think my response to reflection is a combination of both of these ideas. I think we do this with every project because like Yancey says, it helps to improve our consciousness. We become better writers because we get used to constantly looking back and changing and fixing. I think Belanoff’s ideas of contemplation and meditation are inseparable from the process of reflection. You can’t expect to improve something without really stopping to think. Listen to the silence in your head and ideas will come.
I do find Belanoff’s idea of silence very interesting, and I’m sure I do it a lot. But I think I identify more with Yancey’s idea of peer review. Gbyrne4 says, “I find that when I interact I get a much better understanding of what is going to please my audience”. I feel the same way. I like talking to people and getting their opinions. I think I have pretty good judgement and I can figure things out for myself, but it always helps to talk to a teacher or a classmate. It eases the mind to know that you are going in the right direction and that other people understand you. I am always wanting to hear what somebody else has to say about something I am interested in. It’s like when I get a new boyfriend. I want all my friends to meet him and tell me what they think. It’s fun for me and it gives me different perspectives. It reassures me that I’m not being an idiot. But some people don’t like to share that information with others. They like to judge for themselves. They like the silence.
My theory of reflection involves this “boyfriend metaphor”. If I am going to reflect I’m going to want to ask others what they think. Belanoff comes in later after I have all of the opinions I need. I can sit there in silence and think. It may not even be silence. I would probably have some Florence and the Machine playing just to enliven the silence in my head. I would write new ideas down and try and connect them with my old ideas. I would get rid of anything that didn’t make sense to my peers. Or I would fix it so that it did. And I wouldn’t just do it at the end. Like Kayla, I would continuously go over my work throughout the process so that I can improve it to the best of my ability.
Throughout this class I have become acutely aware of what an essential role reflection has in the composing process. I have also been influenced by Yancey and Belanoff’s theory of reflection. Yancey believes that reflection allows students to learn for themselves. Yancey’s theory of reflection has many different components to it and there were many that I can identify with. She states definitively that, “reflection will be 1) the processes by which we know what we have accomplishment by which we articulate accomplishment and 2) the products of those processes…” (6). So, in essence, she believes that reflection is a process and a product. It is “a means of going beyond the text”(5). It requires us to look at all aspects of our writing and think of it from a different prospective, a different view. On the other side, Belanoff’s theory is “turning back” or “fixing” (405) and we do this by contemplating, sitting in silence and through metacognition and meditation. However, he does mention that reflection can be in one moment and not a long drawn out process.
ReplyDeleteI think I respond to more of a combination of the two. I like how Yancey’s theory focuses on the fact that it is a process and how we can control how much we learn, where we can go beyond what is necessary and really engage in the learning process. And I also respond to a lot of what Belanoff says, especially that of silence. It’s not that silence is necessary for reflection, but it is a large factor. Getting out all the distractions and just reflecting on a piece helps to see that work in such a different perspective. I agree with Gbyrne4 in that, “when the opinions of others and learning from my classmates and other things that surround me, I find that my composing process runs a lot more smoothly.” We have to have other’s opinions as well when reflecting, so their eyes can give us a different perspective, not just our own. Also with Belanoff, I don’t believe any length of time is necessary for reflection. In a moment’s notice you can reflect cognitively.
We read theory of reflection to know what reflection is and how to apply it. When we put a name to something we are much more consciously aware of it and are more likely to practice it. Of course we all reflect in some way or another whether we realize it or not, we just do so differently. Seeing the different ways of reflecting gives us some new ways of doing it since we know how beneficial it can really be.
Reflection is very important because it helps us to think about what we are doing and not just simply go through the motions. Belanoff says, “most of us-though there are exceptions- find it difficult to compose stretches of text in our heads” (409). This is such a good point, and one I associate with closely because I personally have so many thoughts in my head and when I write it down, and actually see it, it helps me to organize my thoughts. Since I am a visual learner, seeing what I have done in the form of a reflection is very beneficial to me. It’s also important to do while doing the assignment because we can stay on the right track, or get back on track if we have lost focus. In my composing process, reflection, now that I have realized the effects of it, is a huge component that I will practice in my following assignment in college and beyond. I realize now that I can reflect in the middle as well, during and after each little piece of writing I do, so I can evaluate how I am doing. And it does not have to be long, just simply getting my thoughts together. But it does help if I write it down. Eric has a different view on this. While he mentions that it is good to just pause during the process, he thinks, “the most essential part of reflection is gaining that sense of finality from each project that can carry over to future compositions.”
Amanda Saxton part 2
ReplyDeleteMy theory of reflection would be that reflection is the process of examining a process, by seeing what worked and what didn’t work and how to fix it to better improve next time. Yancey and Belanoff have influenced my own personal theory of reflection most and as my knowledge expands, my theory will as well.
Reflection is a simple word which many of us already have a preconceived definition of. Whether reflection means, as Kayla said, “the image you saw staring back at you in the mirror or contemplation you did when thinking about previous experiences”, We’ve learned from theorists such as Belanoff and Yancey that there is much more to the concept. Kathleen Yancey’s theory of reflection follows the concept of piecing together your final thoughts on your composition. This is for the purpose of fully understanding the important elements of your work, as well as the reader understanding key points. In a way, Yancey suggests a theory of linking together your thought process of composing with a common theme or idea that makes it one cohesive work. Yancey also points out the importance of working in groups to help review eachothers work and point out things one may not notice about their own work. Pat Belanoff’s theory of reflection is some-what similar to Yanceys but deals more with the actual reflection of words than ideas. Belanoff emphasis’ “silence” and its importance in reflection as well as mediating the cause and effect of each word used in a composition. Belanoff’s theory suggests also that, contrary to Yancey, working as an individual is more affective when reflecting on one’s work.
ReplyDeletePersonally I identify with both theorists for different reasons. For one, although I feel working in groups is effective for editing purposes, reflection is is more of an individual thing that I need to internalize. On the other hand, I think Yancey makes a good point about reflecting upon the key concepts and idea of your composition more than words themselves. To me, its more about the over-all idea that is transferred to the reader not the individual words. I think its important that we read the different theories of reflection in order to create our own theory for our own work.
Throughout the process of doing an assignment, we as composers can get lost within our own ideas and lose the unbiased outlook as we edit and conclude our compositions. This is why reflection is so important. After each assignment in this class, we have been forced to reflect on our work and try to piece together the purpose of it. Without this step in the process, most of us would turn in work that ultimately does not have a cohesive meaning, theme, or thought process.
If I had to develop a theory of reflection, it would probably not be much different than Belanoff and Yancey’s except that maybe I would combine the two. I think reflection is process that allows you to look back on the copious amounts of work that you have done and be able to conclude why you did what you did. I think it is mostly an individual process that should focus on the over-all continuity of the piece itself.
Yancey’s definition of reflection is straightforward. She describes how the student must connect the entire process, think back on it and simply reflect on it. I agree with Grace when she states Yancey’s ideas with, “It’s when a person collects all of the details, all of the questioned parts of the composed piece, and brings it to a much more clear understanding so that we as students can have a clear understanding as to what we have learned.” Belanoff’s definition is a bit more...well zen. She talks about how silence is an important part of the reflection process. She says “our responses are reflection: we become mirrors that turn things back on themselves.” Belanoff first defines, and then pushes to connect reflection with meditation. I think that both inputs and thoughts these two scholars have on reflection are important. Yancey’s definition is the literal, and I think Belanoff has a balance, a more “look at the big picture” approach.
ReplyDeleteReflection is looking at the process of composition, invention, research and the finished project as a whole. It is a step back and looking at what one has done. I think it is important because it enables us as writers and composers to look at our process and the finished work once we are done. I agree with Eric when he says, “I think we read theory on reflection because of the versatility of the concept of reflection. Even just in a few articles on it, we’ve seen multiple ways of viewing and practicing reflection in different parts of the composition process.” It sheds light on what we think about the piece and it will give new insight to future works- what to do and what not to do. After each assignment we are to do a reflection, which in most classes isn’t required. I think this unique tactic has benefited us all as class. Just for me, it is has given me a new outlook. Reflection is very important and is essential to the composing process. Reflection now fits in my composing process because it will enable me to grasp what project I have done and how to improve in the future
My theory of reflection would be much like Yancey’s and Belanoff’s molded together. (Like many of my piers stated before). My theory of reflection is multifaceted. First, once the assignment is completed- it is taking a step back and turning around- then commenting. It is thinking through each process of composing (invention, research, writing, insight) and thinking how I got from point A to point D (a very detailed look from step to step). Second, it would be a fresh look at the finished piece- was it what I thought it was going to be? What am I proud of? The process of this reflection would have the attitude that Belanoff suggests- being silent, closing out other things and truly looking at the piece, like a mirror.
Reflection is very important to the process of composing. It’s the aspect that allows us to look at our finished piece and analyze and critique it. This way, composers can discover themselves and their theory of composing. Also, through reflection, writers can think about how their work affects themselves as well as their audience. Reflection is vital to our main assignments, as well as in between, and serves as a type of closure to the overall project. I think through each reflection, they have allowed me to think about my work as a whole and the process I went through to create it. I could explore what worked and what didn’t, and discovered more efficient ways to make certain aspects work. The process of reflection also allowed me to express thoughts on the new forms of media I had used, such as creating the newsletter. If I had to create a theory of reflection, it would be based on the facts that it’s serves as closure and writers learn from it. A reflection is the aftermath, the part that sums up a finished product. The purpose is to think about your finished product and every aspect and process that went into creating it. I like to think about the overall process and way I went about in creating it and use what worked toward future assignments. Through each reflection, I have gained more understanding and skill and feel like they have helped me grow as a writer. Each is like a step up in molding me into a writer and fulfilling the skills and experience needed for this major and potential future careers. “Through reflection they can assign casualty, they can see multiple perspectives, they can invoke multiple contexts. Such theorizing doesn’t occur “naturally”: as a reflective social process, it requires structure, situatedness, reply, engagement.” (Yancey 19) Yancey explains reflection as the process that pretty much brings everything together and sums a work up. Reflection is a process and requires things like structure and engagement to be effective and serve its purpose. Reading about theory of reflection is important in fully understanding it. It may seem straightforward, but a lot goes into a reflection. To get something out of it, a writer must use it to analyze how they can improve on certain aspects of their work. I like when Grace points out, “It sounds silly, but sometimes even little things like having a bad day can reflect on the way that we do work, and write. To sit back and reflect on what we have done, we are able to use what we originally composed as something I would call a base.” I think this contributes to the fact that reflection is a lot deeper than most people think and anything can influence it.
ReplyDeleteThroughout WEPO, plenty of key words have been thrown my way, one that has particularly stuck with me is the word “reflection.” Both Yancey and Belanoff have their own theories on reflection and both have somewhat contributed to my own theory of reflection. Yancey states that reflection is “a mode of behavior indicative of growth of consciousness” (Yancey, 6). She also states that we are “agents of our own learning.” As writers, we reflect on our finished compositions to evaluate ourselves from different perspectives. Belanoff’s theory always reminds me of monks. I think its because his theory depends on silence, meditation, and simply thinking about what has previously occurred. Yancey believes that interacting with others is key to reflection, collecting other perspectives and using them to fully reflect on your compositions. Belanoff believes that reflecting with oneself is powerful in itself, silence is the key.
ReplyDeleteI believe we read the theory on reflection because the sheer aspect of reflection is very important to composing. It all goes back to the proverb “History always repeats itself.” By reflecting, we not only learn more about ourselves in our composing, we learn about what mistakes we made and how to avoid them again. This aspect of learning from mistakes is probably the thing that does it for me with reflection. By learning what not to do next time will not only make the process of composing faster, but it will make my compositions even better. I connect most with Yancey’s theory of reflection. Her idea of being a product of our process and how we evaluate our compositions from different perspectives makes a lot more sense to me that sitting down in a quiet room and just thinking about what we done. I mean, reflection is not being put in time out, its about really digging deep in your audience, and knowing what to do next time around. We reflect after every main assignment and in between assignments because reflection is part of the learning process. In effect, we don’t just write a composition, we have to go back and reflect on it because it reinforces what we have learned in writing.
If I ever develop of theory of reflection, a lot of my theory would be based on Yancey. Maybe a little bit of Belanoff. It is true that sitting down and thinking about your composition is important, but I believe that there is much more to reflection than sitting down with yourself and thinking. I agree with Kayla in her theory of reflection, a combination of both is probably the best way to go about reflection. However, I disagree with one point. I believe that reflection should be taken only at the end of a project. I think that when one is writing, they need to keep the same mindset throughout the whole piece rather than gathering people’s perspective throughout the piece. In effect, by reflecting throughout your piece and gathering other people’s perspectives—it essentially becomes their piece, and not yours.
Thus far, we have read theory on reflection by Yancey and Belanoff. Both take a contemplative approach to reflection. Yancey suggests that reflection is the act of looking back on our entire composition process, from start to finish, and questions every step until a clear understanding of purpose and technique is established. She also stresses the importance of reflection in school because as students, we learn more about our writing style and thought progression when we reflect and, in turn, become our own teachers.
ReplyDeleteBelanoff is slightly more metaphorical with her theories of reflection. By connecting it to contemplation, she asserts that reflection is our way of self-analysis and that in reflecting on our work, we are actually reflecting on ourselves as composers.
I tend towards Yancey when comparing the two theorists. Like Amanda, I think “it eases the mind to know that you are going in the right direction and that other people understand you.” I like that Yancey projects reflection as an interactive process, with ourselves in the center and our audience, medium, and other factors in our surroundings.
We read theory on reflection to express in words what we do subconsciously in our writing and composition. This coincides with what Amanda S. wrote in her blog post, “When we put a name to something we are much more consciously aware of it and are more likely to practice it.” Before this class, we had all done some form of reflection in prior schooling. However, now that we know more about what it means to reflect and how to make it work further to our advantage, we can greatly improve the quality of our future compositions. Also, theorists offer advice and suggestions on how to better improve our reflecting process and solidify why reflection is an integral part of composition. After reading theory on reflection, we in turn, revise our own thoughts about how it brings meaning to our writing.
Reflection is crucial to composition because it promotes a relationship between past and future works. Instead of completing a project and moving on immediately, we have to reflect on our through processes and techniques and see what we did right and what we did wrong. These points, in turn, will stay with us and aid us in creating a new project because we will be able to work more efficiently. If we weren’t able to recognize what we’re doing wrong, then our quality of work would always be static. That being said, reflection doesn’t just happen once a project is completed. Reflection fits into all points of the composing process, from conceptualizing to creation to completion. This way, we are actively reviewing our compositions throughout its duration, and adjusting as we go along. This is definitely why we did it after and in between composing our main projects.
If I had to create a theory of reflection, it would pull from both our theorists’ ideas. I think reflection calls for a calming self-analysis while still being aware of the surrounding factors of our works, such as the audience and purpose. Through reflection, we become better composers and can use our improved persona to benefit future compositions.
Blog: Reflecting on Reflection
ReplyDeleteWhen it comes to reflection, Yancey and Belanoff have different ideas, but put together, both of these ideas fit together to make one main point. Yancey says that reflection is used as “a mode of behavior indicative of growth of consciousness”. She also says that “reflection is a critical component of learning and of writing specifically; articulating what we have learned for ourselves is a key process in that learning…”. Belanoff says that people need to take time to meditate on their work so that they can reflect on it. He says that most people are afraid of silence, but you need to be in total silence to reflect and grow. The main point of reflection according to Yancey and Belanoff is that one is taking time to meditate on what they have composed so that they are able to learn from it. As a composer, I do not side with only one of these theorist’s ideas but both of them together. I see Yancey’s point in how reflection is a crucial process in learning and expanding my abilities as a writer. I also see that it is necessary to meditate on my work so that I can fully take advantage of my reflection and get the most out of it. I agree with Amanda in this point because she too says that she identifies with both Yancey and Belanoff’s theories of reflection. I believe that we have read the theory on reflection so that we can learn more about it and why it is relevant to us as composers and students. Before this class I didn’t know a lot about reflection and its benefits, but after reading Yancey and Belanoff I now understand how to reflect, what to reflect on and why it is beneficial to me.
Reflection is so important because it enables one to look at their work after it is done and get a better understanding of it. We need to reflect to better understand our own composing processes. By reflecting on our work, we are able to see what we did well, and things that we need to work on. Reflection is important in all stages of composing. In main assignments it is beneficial because you are getting the chance to see what you did and grow. You are able to look at the entire process of composing and see what you can do next time that would be better, and you can praise what went well and something you might want to add to in the future. In between projects reflection is important because you can do a checklist and make sure that you are on the right track. You can see how you are growing and learning as a composer as you complete each project. In my composing process, I am able to take time to settle down from the stress and rush of assignments and actually appreciate what I am doing as a composer. I am able to identify who I am as a composer and learn from each step to become better as a whole.
My theory of reflection is to take time after each composition to look at what you’ve done. Praise the good, and learn from the bad so that you are able to grow as a composer not only now but forever throughout your life.
Reflection is key because its during reflection that you can improve or learn from what you’ve done. It’s that time when we are able to actually think about what we have created in terms of being a composer. In the reflection stage a composer gains an understanding how exactly how they’ve created something whether it be an essay, an article, a story, a newsletter or even a piece of music. I used to think reflection is just another word for revision in the composing process and that revision was only something clinical and far away from the composer him or herself. Its more than that, reflection is a time for improvement not just in the making of one particular project but on the part of the composer as a person. So we reflect after each main assignment to see where our journey this semester has taken us and how we’ve improved or in some places haven’t improved. We reflect to gain perspective in the say way that a paper you have written one day can look completely different the next morning
ReplyDeleteour regular reflection puts things in a different light because we’ve had time to rest and us the things we know now that we did not before.
I’ve always taken the thought that we read on reflection to ingrain in us the fact that it’s possible the most important part of the composing process. The thing about it, I don’t think many of us even thought about the reflection part of the process much at all before starting this class and so this experience has taught us that it cannot be ignored if you want to be a better composer especially in the digital media age where so much is being created all the time. You need to be able to reflect in order to improve.
My own theory of reflection would look a lot like Yancey’s. As I think its very important in reflection to look past just the words on a page but to into the actual topic of the writing. What is it that is being discussed and how is it important, how can the argument be improved or shifted in another direction. I also believe, like Yancey that is important to set aside time for quiet reflection as great things can be achieved in moments of silence. I also believe that when we reflect that we learn from our mistakes, those little things that we catch each time, those habits that we need to learn to avoid so that we can become better composers, this is how we learn from reflection , from our selves, because we catching these errors. So in the end my theory of reflection while not totally devoid of grammatical and organizational inspection but it would be more of an introspective kind of reflection from within the composer.