2. What is a reflection? serious thought or consideration http://oxforddictionaries.com http://oxforddictionaries.com the fixing of the mind on some subject; serious thought; contemplation the result of such thought; idea or conclusion, esp. if expressed in words www.yourdictionary.comwww.yourdictionary.com

3. The value of reflection To record events and our reactions Challenges us to question our actions and ways of thinking Helps us to view our learning objectively and develop strategies for improvement Increases our confidence through a better understanding of our strengths Creates a bridge between prior learning and new learning

4. So what might we reflect about? The Topic – What are my opinions on the topic of study? Have they changed over the course of the investigation? Challenges – what was difficult and how did I overcome this? Achievements – what did I do well at and what preparations/strategies did I use to help me achieve? Insights – what new understanding and/or skills did I gain from the experience of undertaking the investigation? Learning – how do I understand myself better as a learner? Areas for Improvement – how would I do a similar task differently next time?

5. Guiding Questions on conducting the Investigation 1. How did I choose my topic for the Investigation? 2. What challenges did I face in finding my information? How did I overcome these challenges? 3. How did I collect and organise my information? 4. What resources were most useful? Why? 5. Were the resources readily available? If not, what did I have difficulty finding? How did I deal with that?

6. Guiding Questions on preparing and drafting the Chinese component 1. What strategies did I use to plan my response? 2. How useful was the drafting process? How could I have improved on this? 3. What preparations were most useful? 4. How effectively did I manage my time from the initial planning through to task completion? What could I have done better?

7. Guiding Questions on Understandings 1. How did my understanding of the topic develop through the course of the investigation? 2. How has my understanding of the Target language and culture developed as a result of this investigation? 3. How has this investigation contributed to a deeper understanding of my own values and beliefs?

8. Guiding Questions about Learning 1. What strategies worked well for me in completing the investigation? 2. What does this tell me about myself as a learner?

9. Organising your responses 1. Draw a Concept map 2. Group ideas into common themes/ideas 3. Choose format of response 4. Plan an outline of response with one clear idea to be developed in each paragraph/section 5. Draft and edit response

10. Formats for Reflection Journal Entry Letter to the teacher Blog Reflective Essay Discussion with the teacher Oral Presentation to the class Participate in a group discussion

11. Journal Entry Lots of personal opinions and feelings in response to your learning experience Remember audience is yourself Language should be informal and may contain some visual representations, some words in bold or use colours There should be a date at the top of the diary entry Journals usually end with a hope or plan for the future which results from the increased understanding you now have through the process of journaling.

12. Letter to your teacher Use appropriate letter format and appropriate address and language (remember you are writing to your teacher not your friend) Structure Greet recipient and introduce purpose of letter Paragraph according to key ideas Conclude with overall summary and reflection on the experience Make sure you date your letter

13. Blog Write with the reader in mind. Perhaps you might write the blog as advice to others completing this kind of task, whatever you choose, you must have a reader in mind that you are writing for Keep it short and simple, sweetie. (KISS). You may have a lot to say and think it interesting, and it may be. But people are reading online and out of time. Get to the point quickly. Keep it lively, make it snappy and snazzy. Even if you aren’t a natural born writer, you can write for your blog. Just write like you’re speaking to your friend. Write clearly (short sentences, only one concept per sentence). No more than one idea in one sentence- don’t make your readers have to think about your meaning. Use commas and dashes liberally. Write like you talk. It’s okay to use common expressions from speech. Examples: Go figure. Don’t even go there. Now, I ask you. Gotta love it. (And, remember the age group of your readers.) Use a clear headline. Make it snazzy and use key words. Above extracts from: http://website101.com/social-media/how-write-blog- writing/#ixzz1HTW64oplhttp://website101.com/social-media/how-write-blog- writing/#ixzz1HTW64opl

14. Reflective Essay Must maintain formal essay structure Introduction (Provides background to the experience and outlines key ideas to be discussed in body) Body (with one key idea per paragraph) Conclusion (including some suggestions/recommendations for the future) How is it different from a regular essay? Should contain personal opinions, experiences and observations

15. Discussion with Teacher This is less structured and will involve more spontaneous conversation The teacher will ask you questions and may ask you to clarify your responses You may ask questions or seek suggestions from the teacher, but you must be the main speaker in this discussion

16. Oral Presentation to the Class Should have a clear structure – introduction, body and conclusion May be supported with visual aids (e.g. digital presentation, collage) May ask questions of your audience to provide a more engaging experience for everyone

17. Participate in a Group discussion This will involve several students and the teacher This will be a structured discussion where the teacher will invite participants to share their ideas and students may also request to contribute their ideas at certain times Students should be prepared to respond to the ideas of others and ask questions of others The purpose of this is to develop a shared understanding of the experience and how others feel about it

18. Sample Task: Stage 1 Continuers Description of assessment Write a personal reflection on your experience undertaking the investigation of a famous Chinese Identity In your task you must reflect on The challenges you faced during the investigation and how you overcame them How the investigation has impacted on your understanding of your chosen Identity Any new understandings of Chinese languag/culture you have gained as a result of the investigation use appropriate language and layout for a reflective response

19. Some class time will be allocated to developing skills in writing reflective responses. You will have choice on the style of reflective response (e.g. diary entry, letter, blog) Assessment conditions Task length: approximately 500 words Task completion: 100 minutes in class, with support of one page of notes following the presentation of the investigation Chinese response.

20. IdeasInterpretation and Reflection A Depth of Treatment of Ideas, Information, or Opinions Depth and breadth in the treatment of ideas, information, or opinions on familiar topics. Effective elaboration of ideas and support of opinions. Reflection In-depth reflection on how cultures, values, beliefs, practices, and ideas are represented or expressed in texts. Insightful reflection on own values, beliefs, ideas, and practices in relation to those represented in texts. Thoughtful reflection on own learning. B Depth of Treatment of Ideas, Information, or Opinions Breadth and some depth in the treatment of ideas, information, or opinions on familiar topics. Generally effective elaboration of ideas, and some support of opinions. Reflection Some depth in reflection on how cultures, values, beliefs, practices, and ideas are represented or expressed in texts. Some depth in reflection on own values, beliefs, ideas, and practices in relation to those represented in texts. Some depth in reflection on own learning. C Depth of Treatment of Ideas, Information, or Opinions Some variety in the treatment of information and simple ideas or opinions on familiar topics. Short, simple sentences usually containing one idea are used with some effectiveness to convey meaning and support an opinion. Reflection Some reflection on, with mostly description of, cultures, values, beliefs, practices, and ideas represented or expressed in texts. Some reflection on own values, beliefs, ideas, and practices in relation to those represented in texts. Some reflection on learning experiences.

21. Extracts from Student Responses: