
Professional Learning
“We do not learn from experience. We learn from reflecting on experience” is a paraphrased quote from John Dewey. Even though these were not his exact words, the meaning behind them is true.
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“We do not learn from experience. We learn from reflecting on experience” is a paraphrased quote from John Dewey. Even though these were not his exact words, the meaning behind them is true. There is a strong connection between experience, reflection, and learning. We, as teachers, need to help teach the value of self-reflection as a tool for deeper learning.
Whether you are using EntreCulturas, EntreCultures, or InterKulturell in your language classes, there are tools built into the program to help you help your students self-reflect on their learning more deeply.
Wayside Publishing's resources provide ample opportunities for student self-reflection by including communicative and intercultural Can-Do statements throughout each unit. These Can-Do statements align with the unit goals and allow students to intermittently check in on their progress.
There are a few ways you can have your students interact with these Can-Do statements.
The practice of self-reflection in classroom learning may not come naturally to students. Teachers can encourage this practice by modeling and supporting these steps for students.
If adding in student self-reflection seems overwhelming, start small! Choose just a few of the Can-Do statements to focus on for the first unit or two that you begin to incorporate them.
As Hall and Simeral say in their book, Creating a Culture of Reflective Practice, “the more reflective you are, the more effective you are.” Using Can-Dos can help our students become more effective language learners by becoming better self-reflectors.