Writing a Reflection
Writing a Reflection
When we are asked to Reflect on a task or activity this piece of writing is called a Reflection.
A Reflection is a process of exploring and examining ourselves, our perspectives, attributes, experiences and actions / interactions. It helps us gain insight and see how to move forward and improve.
Type of Language Used
Type of Language Used
Usually be in paragraph form
Will often use formal language
May include first person perspective
Usually in past and future tense.
Structure of a Reflection
Structure of a Reflection
A Reflection has 4 main components:
Introduction:
Introduce the learning activity.
Evidence
Describe and show specific evidence. Specific evidence could be photos, videos, objects, sketches or some other visual element.
Discussion of Evidence
This is the longest part of your paragraph. Write about the learning experience, and what learning the the evidence shows. Discuss how the evidence supports your learning and understanding of the subject.
Future Actions
What you can improve on if you were to do this activity again.
In the example to the right, the student has been asked to reflect on how they are going learning a piece of music and a new musical technique.
What does a Reflection look like?
What does a Reflection look like?
I have started to learn the piece ‘The Heart Asks Pleasure First’ by Michael Nyman. The skill I have chosen to focus on for this piece is playing treble notes at the dynamic level forte with bass notes at the dynamic level of pianissimo.
At the start of learning this piece, bars 14 and 15 I was playing the bass part and accompanying part louder than the melody. This isn’t very musical and not how the composer intends the piece to be performed. The accompaniment is played with my thumb and 2nd finger and the melody with my 4th and 5th fingers, it is much easier to play louder with my thumb and 2nd finger because those fingers are bigger in size. These notes however need to be played at the dynamic level of pianissimo. The melody is challenging to play loudly (forte) as it needs to be played with the 4th and 5th fingers which are the smallest fingers.
To improve on this, I did an exercise where I hold down the notes of the melody with my 4th and 5th finger and miming (pretending to play) the rest of the notes. Once I was comfortable and confident, my next step was to miming the melody by playing it very softly (Pianissimo). This helped me to have more control over my hands and how I play each of the notes. This exercise also helped develop my muscle memory (which is the ability to reproduce a movement without much conscious thought). I can now perform the piece with the melody at the dynamic level of fortissimo and the accompaniment at pianissimo, the result is a more musical and a legato phrase.
My next goal is to improve on is phrasing (slight pause after each passages). During my lesson on Monday, my teacher pointed out that in order to achieve a more musically accurate way of playing this piece, I need to be more conscious of taking breaks or ‘breaths’ after each phrases. Phrasing adds a sense of emotion and becomes more engaging to play and listen to, rather than be played exactly on tempo without a sense of direction. To improve this, I’ll practice the as meldoy if I’m singing it and taking ‘breaths’ where necessary, which will help me to transfer that to my playing and taking ‘breaths’ at the end of a phrase.
CHECKLIST for Success
Have I:
Provided an introduction for my reflection
Have I used evidence such as photos/videos/observations to support my reflection
Have I explained how the evidence developed my learning and understanding of the topic?
Have I mentioned what I could change if I were to do the activity again or what my future actions may be?
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