In this reflection, you are to going to be reflecting on reflection (very meta ;-) and your composing process. Some things to think through: *Which theorist--Yancey or Belanoff--do you believe "got" it right? Which one do you side with and why (support with text)? Which do you feel you respond more to or is it a combination of the two? Why do you think we read theories of reflection?
*What is "so" important about reflection? Why might we do it after each main assignment (and in between assignments)? If you had to develop a theory of reflection what would it look like?
By now--you know how's it done. =)
Due: Tuesday, August 2, 2011 by classtime.
Reflection is a vital step, and my favorite to the composing process. Once you reach this stage, you can definitely breathe a little bit. This is where you can lean back and be your own audience. By reflecting you can take yourself step by step through your composing process, see what worked and what did not; from there you can make changes. While reflecting on your work you may have an awesome idea, a ground breaking realization that your composition will be effective or you may find a new, more efficient way to relay your message. Although it may be too late to add to your work, this will help you improve your work in the future. Throughout this class we have read a good amount of different scholars’ work. I believe that we read theories of reflection to help expose us to other views. Even in this case, it is important to hear both sides of every story before taking your position. Everyone is going to have their own idea and definition on reflection and it important to hear various theorists’ side to help evolve our own reflection process. Belanoff caught my attention at first when she was discussing how noise is everywhere. She gave examples of doctors’ and dentists’ offices, elevators and people working out listening to music. I even listen to music sometimes while I am writing or doing homework. The more I thought of our everyday lives, the more places I discovered the constant noise to drown out awkward silences. Her writing was hard to follow and seemed pretty out there. She redefined reflection as “attention to inner speech.” I agree with this statement but I do not think it is only limited to that. You do not only pay attention to yourself. Outside sources and other people’s work may have also inspired you and give you new ideas. She also refers to “metacognition “as a part of her “reflective gaze.” This was defined as “a person’s knowledge about his own cognitive process,e.g., knowing that his memory for an experience will tend to decay with time or knowing that he was bad at mathematics.” While I agree with some of Belanoff’s ideas, Yancey’s work definitely helped me understand reflection better. Yancey showed interest in the importance of “going beyond the text to include a sense of the ongoing conversations that texts enter into.” While I was reading I realized more and more the importance of reflection. She even says “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 –in both school learning and out of school learning.” While Yancey and Belanoff had different ideas and processes on how they reflect, they both stressed the importance of reflection, which is why I now pay more attention to this step.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading @Amy’s blog post I feel like I have the same thoughts as she does on reflection. She nailed it. The reflection process is one of the last steps I use in my composing process. To me, reflection is similar to revising. After I revise I reflect back over my work and make sure I have everything In order and correct. I agree more with Kathleen Yancey’s view on reflection. It may be because I have been following Yancey’s views all throughout this WEPO class. Our keyword was reflection so I have researched many times what Kathleen Yancey thinks about reflection and have used hands on experience with our remediation projects and newsletters. She hits the nail on the head with her thought process about students in a classroom. 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. I am a Christian and I liked how Belanoff based her outlooks on Christian beliefs. For example, she says, “"When God began to create heavens and earth, and the earth then was welter and waste and darkness over the deep and God's breath hovering over the water.” Reflection is not only in words and writing. Reflection can be silent. It can be an object or a picture. Pictures, Water, Memorabilia, these are all examples of many types of reflection. Belanoff’s main point in his article is reflection is SILENT. Belanoff states that “Silence... is powerful. It is the dimension in which ordinary and extraordinary events take their proper places.” I totally agree with this. Many things can occur anywhere and everywhere with not even saying a single word. This goes for reflection as well. 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.” 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. I am a visual learner. I like to see pictures and drawings, this helps me learn things a lot quicker. Through reflection, we become better composers and can use our improved persona to benefit future compositions.
ReplyDeleteWhile reading Belanoff’s Reflection piece, a lot of different things came to my mind. I found it really interesting that she talks about reflection and religion. In high school religion class, we had to spend time each week in silence so that we could meditate. We were supposed to spend time focusing on God and prying to him. It was our time to reflect: our time of silence. When I reflect, I spend time in silence. There may be other people around talking or making noise, but I am silent. That is where I agree with Belanoff. She talks about how reflection should be silent. She also says, “We feel an urge to fill emptiness with something that will give it an identity. Faced by an empty page, we become anxious, especially if we are responsible for making the page unempty”. I cannot count how many times I have tried to fill the “awkward silence”. I constantly have music or a TV on or am talking to someone. I feel like in today’s times, a majority of us feel the need to fill that open space. Belanoff says that, “we are a generation scared of silence”, and I believe that 100%. Maybe we are in desperate need for silence. By reading about reflection, I feel like it can help us fully understand what we need to think about as writers. When I reflect on our work, I always keep in mind what I did, and what I didn’t do. If I feel like it is something I can do to make my writing better, then ill do it. That’s how reflection helps me. To me, reflection is a personal experience that only I understand. Even if I write down my thoughts, I still have other ones in my head that are only shared with myself. Each process is unique to each person. There is absolutely no way that anyone could ever know all that you think or write. That is what makes the reflecting process such an interesting one. Have you ever heard the saying silence is golden? Well, it is in this case! This silent time that is used to reflect can help you as a writer. You are able to write down or make a metal note for yourself of things you can improve or keep doing better. I’m not sure if I will actually write down a reflection again unless told to, but I will defiantly mentally reflect.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading Pat Belanoff's composition, I would have to side with Yancey. I recently came to the conclusion that Yancey, is one of the theorists that have resonated the most with me. I agree with Belanoff has to say, I do realize her vast knowledge of medieval history and literacy practices; however, I feel that the gaps (silences) are better filled by Yancey. Belanoff even refers back to Yancey within her text, which proves to me that she admires Yancey for a reason. I believe that Yancey has stronger compositions than Belanoff. Both women are extremely intellectual and actually have a sense of humor, so it's difficult to compare the two. Yancey and Spooner refer to the words of Sontag, "dialectical: a full void, an enriching emptiness, a resonating or eloquent silence." Belanoff clearly stated her goals of interlacing the silence and emptiness of reflection, I believe she achieved that. Belanoff said, "goal: to achieve inner silence in the midst of outer clamoring." I believe that is difficult for most composers, to quiet there incessant circulation of thoughts, to meditate. While I prefer Yancey's perspective on reflection, is it a combination of both theorists that solidify my theory of reflection. I believe any material read for this class, helps us to reflect and enhance our own theories. I think that by reading both theories, comparing them side by side, engages us to reflect on which theory captured us. I agree with Yancey's definitions, for example, "reflection; however, requires both kinds of thinking, the scientific and the spontaneous." The real importance of reflection, is the bending back to previous information to form ideas about the future. Here, I agree with Belanoff's perspective on reflection. Naturally we have reflected on our main assignments. Pulling back information about our experience, and learning from that, we hope to improve and perform better in the future. If I had to develop a theory of reflection. It would resemble a physical map. I am a visual learner, and i appreciate the relationship that images and text share. I would have my theory clearly defined. To me, reflection, is taking time with yourself to ponder on your actions, why you did one thing this way and another that way…I like to reflect throughout my composition process. Continued reflection helps me to mold a personal and analyzed composition.
ReplyDeleteI tried to think about what reflection means to me and after reading Yancey's and Belanoff's piece I felt like Yancey's theory of reflection fit most with my idea of reflection. To begin with I thought that Belanoff's idea of reflection was a little more in depth and she made more connections to the world while Yancey was more focused on the writer's perspective. However, Belanoff discusses how a writer reflect as well; Belanoff states, "we stop and reflect or reread in a more consciously reflective state, trying to pinpoint our derailment in order to rebuild the unity and continue to process the text. Research demonstrates that good writers do what good readers do: At the point of utterance they are both looking back and ahead." Another part of Belanoff discusses is that, "Literacy is thus not a binary but a web of interconnectedness of saying and doing." Although I understand what she is talking about I feel like it's kind of far-fetched and wayyyy too out of the box for me and I personally, couldn't relate to it as much I can relate to Yancey's piece. Belanoff's idea of reflection is just as valid but I preferred Yancey's because she had a more structured/formal idea of reflection. Yancey argues, "Reflection, the, is the dialectical process by which we develop and achieve, first, specific goals for learning; second, strategies for reaching those goals; and third, means of determining whether or not we have met those goals or other goals." I also think that my idea of reflection and its purpose corresponds to Yancey's idea. She talks about the different kinds of people that reflect (students, teachers, researchers, leaders) and then she says that ultimately reflection has a similar purpose. "in so doing, it makes possible a theorizing of practice based on practice, a means of extending and differentiating earlier practice, and then of theorizing anew." I think that reflection comes from our past actions but with reflection it changes the way we do something new and that is what makes reflection so important because it not only gives us the ability/agency to contemplate about our work (completed products) but reflections also affects our future regarding composing. The best example I can think of to describe reflection is if you've ever been in a bad relationship and after breaking up you realize how much of a scrub your ex was.. you'd probably take those experiences (both good and bad) and keep them in mind for your future relationships. I think that reflection is a key component to becoming an effective writer because it helps you discover your preferences, flaws, strengths as a writer and knowing what these are you have an advantage because you know what you need to work on.
ReplyDeleteReflection is one of the steps in the composing process that I can agree with. It does not cause me any stress and it is one of those moments where you get to look at your work and not worry about the technical aspect of the work. Reflection is a very personal step in my eyes where the composer can look back on who they are and make sure that their work shows what they believe in as a person. I would have to agree with Yancey on reflection because it is very much the idea of how the thought process goes deeper than the text. It is the conversation process that takes place though out the work and what you put into the work. This Silence reflection process that Belanoff talks about is not something I can really get down with. Maybe for the simple fact that silence is something I have never lived by. I agree with Shannon on the thought of how we have been reading Yancey since we started this class. Yancey being a teacher uses a voice that students are able to understand to comprehend the message she is trying to convey. Reflection is just as much part of the composing process as the actual invention or writing process. Like Amy said, reflection is one of the last and least stressful steps that students as a composer take. I would have to say that after reading Belanoff’s theory of reflection, I completely blocked out what she had to say about reflection. A concept like reflection does not seem to ever need to involve something such as silence. To me silence deals with hiding your view and what you believe in. Reflection is the complete opposite of any form of silence. Reflection means voicing what you believe in, or rejoicing in what you stand for. Reflection is a very important step in the composition step because it helps you think about exactly what you are doing for the work. It is done at the end of every project or mini project because it allows us to look back on the process we took and put it into words to share it with other people. Along with this reflection process, sometimes looking back over the work allows you to better understand the steps you took. For me many time I just write to write. I do not think about exactly what is being asked of me. With reflecting it sometimes shows me what I missed during the assignment. The questions about audience and comparison of other projects are a question that comes up for every time. If I do not answer these questions correctly, I finally understand why I do not get the desired grade that I felt I wanted. This is a prime example why reflection is so important and can be so helpful for a composer. Reflection can show you how as a composer you make mistakes. This can only better help us out. I am very grateful that we read about Yancey because hearing these things from a teacher helps students understand what is being asked from us.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading Belanoffs’ article I have to say I agree more with Yancey. Yancey describes in her article that, reflection, then, is the dialectical process by which we develop and achieve, first, specific goals for learning; second, strategies for reaching those goals; and third means of determining whether or not we have met those goals or other goals. Even in past articles, Yancey had a way of explaining her side that made me believe what she was saying. I agree with Yancey in what she describes reflection as. Yancey was able to respond about reflection in detail a lot more than Belanoff. Continuing on, I believe that reading theories of reflection allows me to understand why I do certain things when I compose. Reflection plays a huge part in my composition and allows me to come a better writer. Reading these theories on reflection also gives me advice on how to improve my reflective composing process. I am able to gain more mechanisms to utilize my thoughts. Saying that, reflection is just as important as composing- one cannot live without the other. Reflection gives me the opportunity to look back at my work and ask myself, did I do everything I wanted? Did I get my point across? Did I target my audience? Reflection has the ability to answer all those questions and more. If I had to develop a theory of reflection, it would look like looking through a mirror. You look at yourself and ask for example, “how do I want my make up to look today?”
ReplyDeleteReflection allows me to better my writing and how I compose. My thought process and how I think of things have even changed as well. Yancey introduced me those useful methods and made me into a much better writer.
After reading both Yancey and Belanoff’s views of reflection and comparing it to my own theory of reflection, I definitely see benefits to both sides of the coin. Belanoff made the point that silence is powerful and that it creates room for the ordinary to become extraordinary. Thinking about this statement makes me understand that personally, I enjoy taking time to reflect on my work in silence. Thinking things through silently allows me to let my thoughts fly and hopefully come up with some excellent material to include in my compositions. Although silence is golden in the eyes of Belanoff, I agree with Yancey in the idea of getting (proper and specific) feedback from others. Normally, when I write a paper, I will e-mail it to my older sister and have her make corrections and give critiques in the margins. My sister has always been a great writer, so I definitely trust her feedback. Sometimes peer editing seems fruitless to me. In high school, sometimes I would end up having the “D” student review my paper. Not to insult my former classmates, but I feel like sometimes peer editing may not be completely beneficial. In a previous reading from Yancey, she described revising as the opportunity to grow as a writer; to invent, create, and re-work everything you have completed in order to improve upon your writing. Not only does this seem like a crucial part of revising, but it also strikes me as an important element of reflection. It allows me, as a writer, to insert additional thoughts and information into my piece. Writing down reflection ideas, as Yancey explained in the reading from yesterday, is another important point that I agree with. I had never thought about writing down my reflections of my own papers before, but after reading Yancey’s theory of reflection, I have realized why it is such an important step. Writing down my own reflections allows me to keep track of my weaknesses so that I can consistently correct my faults for the rest of my writing career. Overall, the reflection process is part of my personal theory of composing that I exercise multiple times before, during, and after completing a paper. I definitely think that I identify more with Yancey's beliefs on reflection, but keeping an open mind and trying new reflection techniques (like those from Belanoff) is always a great idea.
ReplyDeleteLike Amy said, reflection is the part of the composing process when you can take a breather. For me, reflection occurs at the end of my process, when I am done writing and when I feel relieved. Once I get this feeling, then I can reflect. Often it is after I have been finished for a while, or even after I have received a grade if the work is school related. Reflection is definitely important. Looking back at my work allows me to improve and see what could be changed in the future. Questions that I might ask myself are: What was your style? Did your composing process work for this specific project? Could this project be remediated or better revised? These are all part of my reflection theory. Reflection allows me to look back at my downfalls, but it also gives me time to give myself praise if I have produced a well-written assignment. I agree with Yancey that reflection calls for revision, self-assessment, and allows for growth. This is exactly how I use reflection in my composing process, but I also agree with Belanoff. She says that reflection is SILENT. I agree with this in that reflection takes place within myself. I usually do not share my thoughts about my work with other people unless I absolutely have to. It is more of a mental process for me. I find myself reading my work and thinking about it in my head for a while. I also agree with Belanoff that reflection can take place at anytime anywhere. It can also take place simultaneously with something else. For example, like Amy said, you can reflect on your work while listening to music or doing other everyday tasks. I think that reflection is definitely a combination of the two, because they are somewhat similar. “Reflection, understood as both ‘turning back’ and ‘fixing’” is part of Belanoff’s definition. This is exactly how Yancey, and I feel about it. Although they are similar, I think that my reflection theory is much closer to Belanoff’s because I am so quiet about it. I am stubborn and I am a perfectionist and I do not like to tell people that my work needs revision or was not up to par. It is a much more personal experience than some that Yancey describes in classroom type settings.
ReplyDeleteAfter much reflection on the principle of reflection (pun intended) I have come to the conclusion that it is a process that varies within individuals according to their composing process. I agree with Belanoff and Yancy differently but the same; they each propose valid assumptions of what it means to reflect. I agree completely with Caroline in believing that reflecting comes through silence because this is how it comes for me. Some can have ear buds in, blasting the newest Lil Wayne song and produce a valid reflection of their work. Personally, I find the most tranquil times are the times where you have only your thoughts to sift through. I liked Belanoffs connections to reflection and the spiritual aspect because I believe that regardless of what or who a person worships, much of their internal drive is related to a superior force. On the other hand, I side with Yancy in that reflection is an awareness that an individual experiences when revising, “a means of going beyond the text to include a sense of the ongoing conversations that texts enter into it.” We are always reflecting on our work and through our work; whether it be through sheer silence or through going beyond a written text. Like I’ve said before, reflection is so important because it forces one to see through and beyond things in their work and in others to come to a bigger realization. Through reflection we gain knowledge, tap into emotions and tune understanding further than we may have if we didn’t take the time to go the extra mile. Moreover, through reflection we recap a particular work and in doing so catch something we may have otherwise skipped over. For instance, after each reflection of a project, I thought about my work in detail, forming thoughts about it that I wouldn’t have if I had not been required to. Furthermore, I came to discover certain aspects of the project that would prove to be helpful; I was forced to push my mind beyond it’s “comfort limit” to really give the project a second glance. With that being said, the importance of reflection post-project enabled us to understand fully what exactly it was we had done; for me, through reflection I was able to have an “a ha” moment and see something in a different light. My theory of reflection would go a little something like this – reflection is a constant occurrence, sometimes effortlessly and through a peaceful setting. Reflection is able to happen through out the entire composing process, not just the end. We don’t have to consciously be reflecting for a reflection to be valid – sometimes the thoughts we produce unknowingly are the ones that strike the largest cords. Last but not least, peace, whatever the peace may be, is crucial in being able to reflect. It may be a crowded library or it may be in the silence and comfort of your own room. The setting must be right to get the reflection right, it is only when we are alone with our thoughts that we are able to make the most sense of them, or just make them.
ReplyDeleteThe importance of reflection lies in teaching oneself. Reflection is more than looking back on my work. It is helping my work grow. Like I’ve said in past blog posts, I believe I’m always reflecting. After each step of my composing process, there is reflection. It’s not something forced and it’s definitely not something planned. It’s so natural that I know it’s meant to be. It’s meant to be in the beginning, middle, and end of my process. So, I must say I disagree with some student theories about reflecting being the last step. Amy even says that sometimes it’s “too late” to change her work after reflecting. I don’t think writers should ever have to find themselves in the position of being “too late” to better and perfect their work. If anything, I’d say reflecting is the beginning. While it may not be the first step, it is the beginning of editing, the beginning of perfecting, and the beginning of learning. While I reflect on my work, I am able to better it and make the final product perfect. I do agree with both Yancey and Belanoff on many points, as I think that certain works must be reflected on differently. When I reflect, I usually find myself in one of two situations: silence or discussion. I am either giving myself a break, stepping away from my work, taking my mind out of work mode and into relaxation. Yes, I know this sounds a bit like BS—“Oh, I’m just gonna take a break and eat cheese for a bit”—but, when I pull myself out of my work, my ideas start flowing in an environment that is less forced. While I am taking a cheese break, cookie break, nap break, I sometimes come to realize the missing piece to my puzzle. Sometimes I’ll take a reflection break by sitting in front of my work, closing my eyes, and waiting. Like I said, I also find reflection in discussion. If I stop my work to discuss it with an outer party, I find myself drawing conclusions that I wouldn’t come to in any other way. In discussing my work with roommates, parents, or friends, I find myself teaching. I am teaching them about what I am writing by explaining the highs and lows of my work. In my reel of words during a discussion with someone, I find myself verbally reflecting on my work. Although I see reflection as a natural step in the composing process, I do believe we read the theories of reflection for a reason. It gives us a chance to explore the playground of composing and come up with our own theories of reflection. If we weren’t to read Yancey and Belanoff, what would be said about reflection? That it is one step in the process completed in the same way as any other? Reading what these theorists have to say lets us know that it’s okay to be different while reflecting. We don’t need to run with the pack or be taught the “right” and “wrong” way. It allows us to draw our own conclusions and create our own theories of reflection.
ReplyDeleteTo me personally, it is not a matter of who got the definition of reflection right; it is whom I agree with, and that is both Yancey and Belanoff. I think that reflection takes on many meanings and it all comes down to the reason why you are reflection. Yancey thinks of reflection as a concrete thing. She believes that reflection is a matter of achieving goals. Belanoff on the other hand thinks that reflection is a matter of enlightenment. Both scholars make the case that it is a matter of “bending back” and Yancey takes that further and comments that it is also about moving forward. That is the argument I agree with most. I like how Belanoff takes perspectives into mind and gives us insight on the way we all read texts. She says, “So even when we read identical texts, we do not reflect (on) them (back) the same way; each of us gives the text his or her own bend or twist. Each of us sees and reports events in a slightly different way, for each of us is gazing at our surroundings as they are "fixed" within our personal mirrors.” This really rang in loud and clear with me because even when I read something a year later it sounds completely different to me because of the things I have learned and the things I have experienced. I believe that reflection is a tool for growth. Therefore I would like to make my own definition.
ReplyDeleteReflection – the process on examining all aspects of your life and being able to grow through this process
I think that reflection goes beyond our literary work. It is something that should be done daily. I think that if you can reflect on your life successfully, you can grow as a person and then grow as a writer. To me, writing has always been an extremely personal thing, no matter what it was I was composing. I have always been a firm believer in perspectives and how one person reads something different than another person. This means that when I create something, I am giving someone a window into the way I see things. In order to expand on our writing, we need to be able to process the things we have already experienced and use this toward our next composition. I think that is why we learn about reflection because it helps us grow.
While I would argue that Belanoff got it 'more right' -- I think that both theorists circle around very functional views of reflection. While Yancey does not approach reflection as such a religious observance, both Yancey and Belanoff point to reflection as a necessary element in the composer's toolbox.
ReplyDeleteThat being said -- I feel like Belanoff makes a stronger argument for reflection being outside the composing process. Her strong emphasis on reflection arising from silence points out that composition is not silence, but voice. I think it is interesting that she links the processes of reflection (or contemplation) and composition, but gives them a different starting point.
I think it is also interesting that Belanoff, as a midevalist, draws on a much quieter world to make her case. Instead of talking about revision today, she talks about a history of revision -- God hovering above the earth and speaking and then seeing that it is good, the elephant holding up the earth in silence, and the tortoise supporting him. The reflective space, Belanoff implies, should be quiet; I can agree there. Instead of many distinct voices, there is one -- the composition -- clearly heard and seen for its creative ability. This quiet allows for the 'fixing' Belanoff describes: not a 'correcting' sort of fixing, but a 'fixing' that I took to be more along the lines of 'being centered, fixing on a point.'
When we can 'fix' ourselves to our own voice, and really listen, we have the ability, as Yancey describes, to 'facilitate our own learning.' But it is not until the process is established in a conducive environment that we can truly reflect.
I think this is why reflection is so important -- the world is quiet, by nature, but we've crowded it with sound. To be better composers, we have to find a way to be quiet again, long enough to hear ourselves think, create, invent. We can only learn from ourselves when we make enough room to do so Reflection teaches us what we've forgotten -- how to listen -- to ourselves and to the way we interact with the world around us.
I have a new appreciation for reflection. I will be the first to admit. I used to unintentionally reflect, but now I see the purpose. It is without a doubt, the reflecting is a key component of the composing process. Reflecting helps composers understand their work and the process it took to get to the final product. Personally, I have pretty much the same process for all my compositions, but that is not necessarily the case for everyone. Amy really spoke a lot on reflection. I think her ideas blatantly express the purpose of reflection and how it is useful- something I have done in previous blog posts. Honestly, I am a huge fan of Yancey and her theories. I am not sure if it is because she works at Florida State University, or what but I LIKE HER! Since our first reading of her, I feel as if she looks at composing as if she is still a student. She understands and accepts that the first run-through of the process is not finished.
ReplyDeleteI really need to master the short cuts on my laptop. Here is the rest of my comment:
ReplyDeleteI have a new appreciation for reflection. I will be the first to admit. I used to unintentionally reflect, but now I see the purpose. It is without a doubt, the reflecting is a key component of the composing process. Reflecting helps composers understand their work and the process it took to get to the final product. Personally, I have pretty much the same process for all my compositions, but that is not necessarily the case for everyone. Amy really spoke a lot on reflection. I think her ideas blatantly express the purpose of reflection and how it is useful- something I have done in previous blog posts. Honestly, I am a huge fan of Yancey and her theories. I am not sure if it is because she works at Florida State University, or what but I LIKE HER! Since our first reading of her, I feel as if she looks at composing as if she is still a student. She understands and accepts that the first run-through of the process is not finished. I think her theory of composing matches HEAVILY with her theory of composition. By no means am I disrespecting the theory of the other woman (Belanoff). Everyone has a their own ideas and ways of doing what is best for them. Retrospectively, I think the person who hit it on the head, is contingent upon who is reading it. The best part of reading theories is that the interpretation of them in based on the reader. Jeans are created in different sizes for a reason, just like theories. Some theories FIT others while some do not. Belanoof suggests that reflection should be silent. In this sense I agree. I think it would be difficult to reflect on your work with others clouding your judgment. Having a clear mind and space can help the composer freely think about the task at hand. But again this depends on the individual. Some people like to reflect with others. For instance, music artist reflect on their music all the time with a team. The team consists of industry professionals who may have some knowledge of music. Together they listen to the music and reflect on what can be done to make an album better. Composers should reflect with whatever makes them feel most comfortable. Gerry, you already know I LOVE to hear you talk and speak your mind and with this post… I have fallen deeper in love (LOL). I love your idea of the world being quiet. “To be better composers, we have to find a way to be quiet again, long enough to hear ourselves think, create, invent.” This definitely follows the theory of Belanoff. But as writers, aren’t we suppose to be making noise, or not quiet. As writers, we are hoping are text is recognized and stimulates others to think. During reflection, being quiet might affect the loudness of our writing, no?
Well I would like to start off by saying after reading Belanoff I totally support Yanceys theory on reflection. As a classmate stated above Yancey writes more from a student perspective whereas with Belanoff’s writing I could tell that she is a scholar. I do like how Belanoff tied in some of her biblical beliefs and Christian background into her beliefs; however, I still think Yancey’s theory on reflection is more relevant. I also agree with Belanoff’s idea that reflection should be silent. I couldn’t agree more because I am firm believer that silence is everything.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading these essays on reflection and studying reflection in class, I have become more aware of my personal reflecting process and find myself reelecting more. I see myself now reflecting on e-mails to friends or phone conversations and as Belanoff suggested it is most of the silent. Aside from my personal life, I have learned to appreciate the process of reflecting in composing because it is the part of the composing process where you can kind of “let it all hang.” There is no rubric to follow. No citations needed. It simply you looking back and saying I what you put into the assignment and what you are taking from it.
I think we read theories on reflection to get better understanding as to why we are doing what we are doing and to comprehend the purpose behind it. Its one thing to write a reflection, but another to write a reflection, and understand why you are writing it. I think it’s important we go back and reflect after assignments because it helps us understand our process of composing better. When I reflect back on assignments I am able to see what I put into the work. If I had to create a theory on reflections it would be looking back and asking myself did I take from the assignment as much as I put it?
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ReplyDeleteI can relate with both Yancy and Belanoff theories of reflelction but Yancy’s theory most contributed to my definition of reflection and my process. According to Yancy,” reflection entails a looking forward to goals we might attain, as well as a casting backward to see where we have been”. We learn by reflecting on what we have learned, and thinking how that knowledge may be used and applied in the future. She defines two parts of the process of reflection: the process of what we have accomplished and how we articulate it, and then the products of those processes (reflecting back). I agree with the parts of a reflection she has constructed based on what I have learned in this class, as we have been reflecting during the composing process, and after the finished product. Yancy believes we can use these practices of reflection to develop our own theories and then revise and revise again through reflection. I agree that reflection is an ongoing process and we can develop our own theories that will continue to change as we build upon our knowledge through reflection.
ReplyDeleteThere are also some aspects of Belanoff’s theory that have contributed to my own. Belanoff defines reflection as the attention to inner speech, that little voice in your head that combines knowledge and processes knowledge. That little voice in my head is always talking, but I never thought I could reflect upon it through the process of composing. Belanoff says you can let that little voice come through in your compositions and “thought is as much about the stepping stones as it is about crossing the water.” This means the process is just as important as the product of composition is for learning. Reflection does not have to be limited to the final product of composition, but can be an ongoing process throughout the composition. Sometimes I learn more by reflecting during the process, and sometimes I learn more by reflecting on the final product. Belanoff also reflects on reflecting, stating “it goes where it can go in my particular environment”. I also agree with Belanoff that our reflections are limited by our biases or categorizations, and we can only reflect based on our limited perspectives, which are produced by our environment. Both Yancy and Belanoff can agree that reflection needs to be incorporated in the classroom and is crucial in the process of learning. I agree that reflection should not only be practiced by the teacher to the student in grading, but the student should be encouraged to reflect upon his/her own work and developing knowledge. By reading others’ theories of reflection, I am able to reflect on their ideas as they relate to my own, and further develop my own theory of composition.
@Jasmine, I think that Belanoff concentrated too much on the importance of silence in theory of composition because I also believe interacting and reflecting with others can contribute to knowledge.
After reading the text as well as the comments for this blog, I would say that overall Yancey “got” it right with her concept of reflection in writing. She defines reflection as “looking forward to goals we might attain” while “casting backward to see where we have been,” and “projections and reviews working dialectically to help us discover what we know, what we have learned, and what we might understand.” I would say that this theory works in practice and is evidenced through the reflective assignments that I have completed in this course. With every reflection completed, I would see the things that I did or didn’t do for an assignment, think about how my project would have turned out if I had used a certain compositional element, and contemplate how I could use what I learned in the next assignment to ensure that it would be better. In my opinion both theorists provide ideas about reflection that I agree with: Belanoff relates reflection and silence as the “attention to inner speech,” and “examin[ation] from a momentarily static position [on] what has gone before and what is potential for the future.” What I gathered from her article was that silence provides an inner space for reflection to take place. She mentions that we tend to retreat inward (into the mind) when we are reflecting on something and whether we are in a crowd of people or literally alone there is a silence that exists. I feel like this silence allows us to, as Yancey has stated, in so many words, examine what we’ve already done as a means of doing it better the next time. I don’t agree with Belanoff that reflection is something that always happens at the end; like Yancey, I believe that it is done throughout the writing process.
ReplyDeleteI think that we read theories of reflection because everyone has a general idea about what reflection is, but they have differing ideas about where it exists in the writing process and what it does. I think that reflection is important in writing because you learn from yourself about yourself. For me, the reflective exercises have taught me the importance of using the key elements in composition and how they affect my work when I do or don’t use them. Also, like Amy and Kayla expressed, it is the least overwhelming, and stressful aspect of writing which was instrumental for me because the more I wrote the reflections after our assignments, the less overwhelming the assignments themselves where becoming. I think the reflections after the assignments served three purposes: (1) to guide us in learning about the terms we implemented in our writing; (2) to show us our personal writing styles and how we can improve them; and (3) to help us become more comfortable with writing academically by using our socially constructed writing styles. My theory of reflection would incorporate some of both Yancey and Belanoff’s theories: I think reflection should take place in silence of one’s mind throughout the writing process.