Developing Strategies for Reflection

Staff Development Guide

Training Situation: Meeting (small group)

Length: 30 minutes

Objective: Participants will reflect on their current inclusion of reflection in STEM activities and will create common goals to include more reflection in STEM learning.

Agenda:

• Introduction – 5 minutes
• See the skill in action – 15 minutes
• Shared action plan – 10 minutes

Video-Based Learning Module

Watch the activity overview video. This video shows staff facilitating the activity featured in the skill video.

As you watch the skill video below, think about these questions:

• How does Katie, the facilitator, set the stage for the goal of the STEM activity? How does that help them make sense of what is happening?
• “How are we going to make the legs stronger?” (Listen at 0:50) What expectation does this question set for the learner?
• What did the child observe here?
• What does the facilitator do here that encourages reflection and processing?
• How does Katie “push” the learners thinking? What does she say/do specifically that encourages youth to develop deeper understanding?
• In what way does this help youth learn about STEM processes?
• How could you encourage reflecting and processing differently when leading this activity? What could you do the same?

Now that you’ve watched the video, reflect on what you saw.

• What are the different roles you see demonstrated in these videos? What is the learner’s role? What is the Facilitator’s role?
• Did reflecting and processing help the whole group? How?
• What did the facilitator do that encouraged reflecting and processing? What would you do differently to encourage youth to reflect and process what is happening?
• What did the facilitator have to do ahead of time, during and after the activity in order for the students to process what is happening?