In this video we’ll learn how not to write a reflection. First off, we’ll look at a reflection that was written by ChatGPT when I put a prompt in and asked it to write my reflection. We’ll analyze why it is not a good reflection. Then lastly, we’ll review a better example of a short reflection. I decided to ask ChatGPT if it could write a time management reflection for me. What we’ll look at now is some paragraphs from what the answer I got was. It started off: Time management is a skill that’s often talked about, but it’s true significance might not be fully appreciated until we find ourselves overwhelmed by deadlines and commitments. Reflecting on time management brings light to its importance in maintaining balance, productivity, and overall well being in our lives. Firstly, reflecting on time management prompts us to assess how we currently allocate our time. We can examine our daily routines, work habits, and leisure activities to identify patterns of efficiency and areas for improvement. Do we spend too much time on non essential tasks like scrolling through social media, at the expense of more important priorities? Are there certain times of day when we are most productive and how can we leverage those peak periods to tackle our most challenging tasks? Additionally, reflecting on time management allows us to recognize the value of setting goals and priorities. By clarifying what we want to achieve in the short term and long term, we can better allocate our time and energy towards activities that align with our objectives. This might involve breaking down larger goals into smaller actionable steps and creating a timeline for completion. Regularly revisiting these goals ensures that we stay focused and motivated amidst the distractions of daily life. In conclusion, reflecting on time management is a valuable exercise that allows us to assess our current habits, set meaningful goals, prioritize our activities, and embrace strategies for optimization. By cultivating a mindful approach to time management, we can enhance our productivity, achieve greater balance in our lives, and ultimately lead more fulfilling and purposeful lives. We had four paragraphs about time management here, but it’s not a reflection. This wouldn’t bring us over the mark of success in what we need to do in the task. Why is that? How do we know that that was not a good reflection? First off, the word “I” isn’t included. Having a strong “I” voice is a really important marker of whether something is a reflection. There should be a lot of “I”‘s. You should be talking about your past experience– I did. Your feelings –I felt. What’s happening next — Next time I will… Secondly, there wasn’t any discussion of specific past events. There was just a lot of information about time management. We didn’t have any personal feelings or ideas. Again, this was content, this was facts about time management, but not really what was going on inside. Next, there wasn’t really any integration of ideas or concepts that were learned throughout the course of the semester. Lastly, and most importantly, even though there was a conclusion, it was a conclusion about facts. There wasn’t a movement to next steps. Really importantly, we don’t want to confuse reflection and personal essays. Even though these are both about our own thoughts and own ideas, what we saw in the ChatGPT output was what I would call a personal essay. The purpose of an essay is to persuade the reader of your point of view by using facts and arguments. The purpose of a reflection is different though. The purpose of a reflection is to analyze an experience, often using course concepts in order to consider future actions. Really, it has a very different structure. The reason why AI doesn’t write a good reflection is that a reflection is really grounded in our own life experience and the meaning that we make as we process it. Let’s take a look at another example of how we could structure a reflection. So this example has a short introduction, just to give a little bit of background and context, and then it dives into some specifics. One sentence to introduce– As I work on developing my time management skills, I have noticed that I have developed strong skills in using task lists to manage complex structures. However, I have room to improve in dedicating time blocks on a daily and weekly basis to key tasks. The purpose of that sentence was really just an organizer to let the reader know what’s going to come. We haven’t moved into our key events or the key part of our reflection yet. Let’s go on to the next paragraph. When I started studying at KPU, I noticed that I often did my assignments at the last minute, resulting in significant stress. There we have a specific event. We’ve got the time when I first started at KPU, then what was happening? Doing assignments at the last minute. Then we have because I did many of my assignments in a rushed way, I often felt that I did not complete my best work. I was often worried that I was going to forget something important. Now we’ve got the thoughts and feelings piece. So what was going on in my mind? We have a really good emotion word. I was often worried that I was going to forget something important. That really touches on feelings. What was the impact of that action? Now we’re going to bring in some content. This started to change for me last year. When my Business 1110 instructor recommended I attend a Learning Centre workshop on time management. In the workshop, the Learning Strategist showed us different ways that we could organize our projects and to do lists. I thought it would be helpful for me to have an app that worked on both my phone and computer. I decided to try the “To-do” app. Here we’re bringing in some content. This is a specific example of specific information that was learned. In this case, it wasn’t in class itself, it was in a workshop, but information that’s being applied to the situation. Okay. Next off, I started to put all my tasks in the app along with the due date. Now in the morning, I look at the list of things I have to do and try to check off everything on the list before I go to bed. When I can’t finish something, I can shift it to another day. Now we start to see how that learning is turning into action. We had the initial event, and now there’s a change based on new learning. Action is based on learning. Moving on, since I’ve started the system, I am less stressed — another emotion — and usually finish my assignments on time. I think this is one of my strengths. Now we have an evaluation piece, an evaluation of the impact of that action. Now we’re going to move to a second event. One area I still want to improve is organizing work blocks in my weekly schedule. Sometimes I struggle to prioritize my tasks, especially when I have a full day that is free from working and classes. Again, we have another specific time. We know we’re going to talk about a day that’s free from working and classes. That’s our event. In class last week we learned about creating a weekly schedule with time blocks for all activities planned for the week. Now again, we have that specific piece of knowledge, and the context, where did I learn it? I learned it in class. Then lastly, this week, I plan to create a full weekly schedule with time blocks for each day. I will try using the schedule for the next month and see if it helps me to manage my time better. Now we’re moving into actions based on learning. Here’s a piece where we’re taking all of that past learning, thinking about it, bringing in course concepts, and now we know what’s happening in the future. We’re taking it into a new plan of action to try out and see how that works. So what strategies might be helpful in making sure that you’re writing the right kind of thing for a reflection and staying on point. The first strategy you could try is using a reflective cycle, like Gibbs’ cycle with six steps that can help you move through the process. The second thing is you’ll want to check if your writing or your list or your video has a strong “I” voice. A good reflection will always include a lot of “I” statements. Both the “I did”, “I felt”, “I thought” and “next I will”. And lastly, be sure that your reflection highlights your own personal experiences, your original analysis, and the future steps that you plan to take.