Additional ideas on reflection within the IGC Award

[Boyd Roberts]

 October’s newsletter focused on reflection within the IGC Award. During the past few weeks I have been involved in review discussions relating to the IB Diploma Programmes CAS component. CAS stands for Creativity, Action and Service and is a distinctive aspect of the B Diploma. Reflection is one aspect of CAS. Here are a few ideas that I have come across or have been stimulated by these discussions.

A simple reflection exercise before and after an activity (based on an idea by Daniel Stewart)

Before the activity write down one word adjectives about how you are feeling about the activity. (Single words only. No complete sentences!) Write as many words as you like in three minutes.

Look at our list and try to choose the best five words to describe your feelings.

At the end of the activity repeat this,

Look at the two lists. Talk about them with a peer.  

 

Guiding questions for reflection – to be undertaken at the end of an activity, or at the end of a week during the programme (incorporating ideas from Maria Inés Piaggio)

• What activities or actions have I undertaken in connection with the Award this week?
• How did I come to do these activities? Did I choose them? If so how?
• Which of these activities did I most enjoy? Why?
• Did any of these activities or actions make me feel uncomfortable? If so, why?
• Were any of these actions or activities difficult? In what ways? What have I learned from doing them?
• What have I learned about global issues this week?
• What have I learned about myself during this week?
• What contact with other people have I had in connection with the IGC Award?
• What have I learned through these contacts?
• What did I/we actually achieve in this activity? What were the results/ outcomes for this activity?
• What things did I have to make decisions on during these activities?
• How were these decisions made? Were they my own decisions, or did they involve others? If they involved others, what were the processes that led to the decisions?
• How can I / we apply what I / we have learned in other life situations?

 

As part of the IB Diploma Programmer’s CAS activities, students are expected to have “considered the ethical implications of their actions”.

Below is a list of guiding questions from Molly Peterson which she used with her students to encourage them to reflect on the ethical dimensions of their actions. (http://cascorner.wordpress.com./tag/learning-outcomes/)

• In what ways did you act with integrity and honesty in this activity?

 

• In what ways did you find the activity required you to make reasoned, ethical decisions?

 

• How did this activity expose the attributes of a good team worker/leader?

 

• How did this activity expose the attributes of a good person?

 

• Did participating in the activity provoke any emotions in your or the participants, and how were these emotions dealt with?

 

• Did the activity assist in introducing or reinforcing obligations that we have as a member of society?

 

• Were there any issues raised in this activity that relate to maintaining a sustainable natural or economic environment?

 

• What are some of the key personal attributes required to work fairly and justly with other people? How were they evident in this activity?

 

• Were you required to adhere to any rules/obligations in doing this activity? How well did you adhere to them?

 

• Did participating in the activity question or conflict in any way with the cultural/social/religious guidelines in which the activity was held?

[Peter Muir]

Here is a guide that I developed to better teacher understanding of reflections and their use within the CAS programme.  It might help out with guiding students reflections in the IGC Award.

Peter

[Peter Muir]

Oh, this may help also.  Its an adapted version of the reflection guide for teachers specifically aimed at helping students develop their reflections.