Portable Learner

The practitioner allows himself to experience surprise, puzzlement, or confusion in a situation which he finds uncertain or unique. He reflects on the phenomenon before him, and on the prior understandings which have been implicit in his behaviour. He carries out an experiment which serves to generate both a new understanding of the phenomenon and a change in the situation (Schön 1983, p. 68).

Theoretically should result in the most thoughtful and useful solutions to practice problems. But: this outcome depends on how experience is filtered through one’s belief and value systems.

See also: Learning from experience

Reading:

• Boud, D., Keogh, R., & Walker, D. (eds.) (1985). Reflections: Turning experience into learning. Extend Kolb and Dewey by stressing we must attend to the feelings created by our experiences in order for reflective process to be truly effective.

• Boud. D. and Miller, N. (eds.) (1997). Working with Experience: animating learning. Blurb. For example, Smyth on uncovering social constraints in which teachers practice.

• Brookfield, S. (1995). Becoming a critically reflective teacher. Blurb.

• Dewey, J. (1933). How We Think. A restatement of the relation of reflective thinking to the educative process. Full text.

• Osterman, K. F., & Kottkamp, R. B. (1993) Reflective practice for educators: Improving schooling through professional development.

• Schön, D.

  • (1983). The Reflective Practitioner. How professionals think in action. Reflections in and on action.
  • (1987). Educating the Reflective Practitioner. Blurb. Reflection-in-action is triggered by surprise. “We think critically about the thinking that got us into this fix or this opportunity; and we may, in the process, restructure strategies of action, understanding of phenomena, or ways of framing problem…” (p. 28).

• Nuernberger, P. (1994). The structure of mind and its resources. In M. E. Miller & S. R. Cook-Greuter (eds.) Transcendence and mature adult thought in adulthood: The further reaches of adult development. “Typically, our mind is scattered. When we pay attention, we focus the mind’s energy. The more focused we become, the greater our concentration, the more powerful our mind and therefore our reflective processes become” (p. 112-3).

• Tremmel, R. (1993). Zen and the art of reflective practice in teacher education. Harvard Educational Review, 63(4), 434-458. Being mindful is to pay attention to the here and now, not in an analytical way, but rather to invest oneself in “the present moment with full awareness and concentration” (p. 443).

• Usher, R., Bryant, I., and Johnston, R. (1997). Adult Education and the Postmodern Challenge: Learning Beyond the Limits. Blurb. A critique of Schön that points out his own work lacks reflexivity (p. 143).

• Wellington, B., & Austin, P. (1996). Orientations of reflective practice. Educational Researcher, 38(3), 307-316. Does the practitioner believe that education ought to be domesticating or liberating? “When practitioners become aware of their own preferences and prejudices across models, they can begin to reflect upon a wider range of questions and develop a wider range of responses” (p. 314).

Acknowledgement: Picture: Misplaced childhood, side 2 by hisham_hm. Flickr. Reproduced under a Creative Commons Licence (Attribution-Non-Commercial-No Derivative Works 2.0 Generic).

31 Oct 2005