Assignment 1: Brainstorming
PART I Brainstorming
Identify the main themes.[1] In your notes, summarize the experience, reading, or lesson in one to three sentences.
These sentences should be both descriptive yet straight to the point.
Jot down material that stands out in your mind. Determine why that material stands out and make another note of what you figure out.
For lectures or readings, you can jot down specific quotations or summarize passages.
For experiences, make a note of specific portions of your experience. You could even write a small summary or story of an event that happened during the experience that stands out. Images, sounds, or other sensory portions of your experience work, as well.
Chart things out.[2] You may find it helpful to create …show more content…
Mention how your subjective values, experiences, and beliefs influence your response.
In the third and final column, describe how much of your personal response to share in your reflection paper.
Ask yourself questions to guide your response. If you are struggling to gauge your own feelings or pinpoint your own response, try asking yourself questions about the experience or reading and how it relates to you. Sample questions might include:[3]
Does the reading, lecture, or experience challenge you socially, culturally, emotionally, or theologically? If so, where and how? Why does it bother your or catch your attention?
Has the reading, lecture, or experience changed your way of thinking? Did it conflict with beliefs you held previously, and what evidence did it provide you with in order to change your thought process on the topic?
Does the reading, lecture, or experience leave you with any questions? Were these questions ones you had previously or ones you developed only after finishing?
Did the author, speaker, or those involved in the experience fail to address any important issues? Could a certain fact or idea have dramatically changed the impact or conclusion of the reading, lecture, or …show more content…
A typical reflection paper is between 300 and 700 words long.[4]
Verify whether or not your instructor specified a word count for the paper instead of merely following this average.
If your instructor demands a word count outside of this range, meet your instructor's requirements.
Introduce your expectations.[5] The introduction of your paper is where you should identify any expectations you had for the reading, lesson, or experience at the start.
For a reading or lecture, indicate what you expected based on the title, abstract, or introduction.
For an experience, indicate what you expected based on prior knowledge provided by similar experiences or information from others.
Develop a thesis statement. At the end of your introduction, you should include a single sentence that quickly explains your transition from your expectations to your final conclusion.
This is essentially a brief explanation of whether or not your expectations were met.
A thesis provides focus and cohesion for your reflection paper.
You could structure a reflection thesis along the following lines: “From this reading/experience, I
Identify the main themes.[1] In your notes, summarize the experience, reading, or lesson in one to three sentences.
These sentences should be both descriptive yet straight to the point.
Jot down material that stands out in your mind. Determine why that material stands out and make another note of what you figure out.
For lectures or readings, you can jot down specific quotations or summarize passages.
For experiences, make a note of specific portions of your experience. You could even write a small summary or story of an event that happened during the experience that stands out. Images, sounds, or other sensory portions of your experience work, as well.
Chart things out.[2] You may find it helpful to create …show more content…
Mention how your subjective values, experiences, and beliefs influence your response.
In the third and final column, describe how much of your personal response to share in your reflection paper.
Ask yourself questions to guide your response. If you are struggling to gauge your own feelings or pinpoint your own response, try asking yourself questions about the experience or reading and how it relates to you. Sample questions might include:[3]
Does the reading, lecture, or experience challenge you socially, culturally, emotionally, or theologically? If so, where and how? Why does it bother your or catch your attention?
Has the reading, lecture, or experience changed your way of thinking? Did it conflict with beliefs you held previously, and what evidence did it provide you with in order to change your thought process on the topic?
Does the reading, lecture, or experience leave you with any questions? Were these questions ones you had previously or ones you developed only after finishing?
Did the author, speaker, or those involved in the experience fail to address any important issues? Could a certain fact or idea have dramatically changed the impact or conclusion of the reading, lecture, or …show more content…
A typical reflection paper is between 300 and 700 words long.[4]
Verify whether or not your instructor specified a word count for the paper instead of merely following this average.
If your instructor demands a word count outside of this range, meet your instructor's requirements.
Introduce your expectations.[5] The introduction of your paper is where you should identify any expectations you had for the reading, lesson, or experience at the start.
For a reading or lecture, indicate what you expected based on the title, abstract, or introduction.
For an experience, indicate what you expected based on prior knowledge provided by similar experiences or information from others.
Develop a thesis statement. At the end of your introduction, you should include a single sentence that quickly explains your transition from your expectations to your final conclusion.
This is essentially a brief explanation of whether or not your expectations were met.
A thesis provides focus and cohesion for your reflection paper.
You could structure a reflection thesis along the following lines: “From this reading/experience, I