You will write a reflection paper. The paper should be seven pages in length. The paper will focus book, two films, and two readings that we covered this semester. For example, one of the films we dis
Reflection Paper
You will write a reflection paper that is due at the end if the semester on the day of the final. The paper should be seven pages in length. The paper will focus on three books, two films, and two readings that we covered this semester. For example, one of the films we discussed is “Do the Right Thing”. In your paper you will discuss the film. You would discuss your perspective of the film and how it relates to the Black man in the United States today.
Writing a Reflection Paper
Generally, the first step in how to write a reflective essay is a stream of consciousness type of activity. The writer of a reflective essay will spend a short period of time brainstorming ideas and random thoughts and impressions surrounding the topic of the reflective essay. The next step in how to write a reflective essay is to develop a catchy introduction and propose a backward looking question to grab the reader’s attention. This can be compared to the “hook” in fiction writing. In this instance, the more creative and generalizable to humanity, the better!
The following three steps in how to write a reflective essay form the body and conclusion of the assignment. It is crucial to adjust the viewpoint in order to effectively convey the larger meanings of the reflective essay. Develop and posit an inward looking question about the meaning and provide examples of why you arrived at this particular interpretation. Next develop and posit an outward looking question using additional examples. This is the point you pull the reader’s own experience into the elements of the reflective essay. Finally, develop and posit a forward looking question and conclusion that will leave the reader amused, pondering, or reactive to the conclusion.
The Process of Reflection
Reflection is a cognitive process that promotes self-awareness and encourages self-assessment. The cognitive process of reflecting on one’s authentic knowledge, practice, and beliefs/attitudes is important to developing professionalism. Reflection allows one to think critically about one’s ability to effectively join content knowledge with practice to reach diverse populations of learners.
Self-reflection provides a means for practitioners to identify issues; state opinion, inferences, and predictions; and express feelings, beliefs, and attitudes. The practitioner’s responsibility in self-reflection is to support personal opinion, inference, and prediction by inclusion of relevant content knowledge presented in published works.
By asking the following questions prior to writing self-reflection, one will more effectively integrate the inclusion of relevant content knowledge from text/supplemental readings.
How has the film/reading/book from the course either supported or changed your authentic knowledge, attitudes, and/or beliefs? Give specific examples from the text or supplemental readings.
What trends are apparent in the course or films/readings and how do these trends either support or negate your inferences and/or predictions? Give specific examples from the books/readings.
What new knowledge or new understanding of previous knowledge have you acquired from the course/the text/the readings that you perceive will influence your life? Give specific examples from the film/book/readings.
Where did you disagree with what you learned from the course/books/text/supplemental reading? What is your counter argument? Give specific examples from the textbook/readings/sociology.
A successful paper will have the following components at a minimum:
Must be 5 pages at length at a minimum
Must answer all three questions at a minimum
Cover your selected, two films, and one reading
Must be structured in an essay form. In other words, the paper should have an introduction and a thesis statement, body, and conclusion paragraph.
The paper should reflect your experiences, what you believed prior to taking the class, and what you learned afterwards as a result of the class or readings about the experiences of Black men in the United States.
Must be grammatically correct, with correct punctuation and spelling.
