Reflective Essay
SAMPLE REFLECTION PAPER
(submitted by a student in CRIM 1006E, Fall term 2003)
Mark: 4/5
Please NOTE: This paper is presented as a model based on the way the author began the inquiry, (i.e. narrowing the reflection by posing a question and focusing on it). There are areas for improvement in the piece (e.g. carrying through with the author's initially posed question; focusing more critically on Bodi's argument and/or her responses to this author's comments), however, it is offered as a formidable example of how to initially tackle a critically reflective piece by focusing on only one point, argument, (or in this case, sentence).
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I found the article written by Sonia Bodi was very informative and interesting. Although many of the ideas she presented I agreed with, there were also a few points that I'd like to argue against. First I would like to answer the question that was proposed in the title of this article: How do we bridge the gap between what we ( professors) teach and what they ( students) do? To fill in that gap, both sides need to work together. Students need to push themselves to expand their knowledge and help themselves become more inquisitive, critical, and reflective. Professors, on the other hand, should push and challenge the students to become better thinkers and help them use what skills they know to their advantage. When students and professors are thinking on the same page, they will start to understand each other's viewpoint, thus making researching a paper more easier.
I agree that students do have a more difficult time to deal with the pressure of writing a research essay. "Choosing a topic and its focus is perhaps the most difficult task in research." This statement is very true. I sometimes complain when I have to write an essay focusing on a specific topic that a professor has assigned, but in reality, writing an essay on a topic you
(submitted by a student in CRIM 1006E, Fall term 2003)
Mark: 4/5
Please NOTE: This paper is presented as a model based on the way the author began the inquiry, (i.e. narrowing the reflection by posing a question and focusing on it). There are areas for improvement in the piece (e.g. carrying through with the author's initially posed question; focusing more critically on Bodi's argument and/or her responses to this author's comments), however, it is offered as a formidable example of how to initially tackle a critically reflective piece by focusing on only one point, argument, (or in this case, sentence).
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I found the article written by Sonia Bodi was very informative and interesting. Although many of the ideas she presented I agreed with, there were also a few points that I'd like to argue against. First I would like to answer the question that was proposed in the title of this article: How do we bridge the gap between what we ( professors) teach and what they ( students) do? To fill in that gap, both sides need to work together. Students need to push themselves to expand their knowledge and help themselves become more inquisitive, critical, and reflective. Professors, on the other hand, should push and challenge the students to become better thinkers and help them use what skills they know to their advantage. When students and professors are thinking on the same page, they will start to understand each other's viewpoint, thus making researching a paper more easier.
I agree that students do have a more difficult time to deal with the pressure of writing a research essay. "Choosing a topic and its focus is perhaps the most difficult task in research." This statement is very true. I sometimes complain when I have to write an essay focusing on a specific topic that a professor has assigned, but in reality, writing an essay on a topic you