When writing entries on the Activity Log, you may find the reflective cycle useful. Although several authors define reflection differently, the following one, drawn from Kolb’s reflective cycle, is similar to most:
The cycle starts at the top with an “experience”. In the context of a course, this is something new that was learned during the session, part of the content, or perhaps through conversations with peers. Next, there is the processing of this new learning, relating to existing previous knowledge, or perhaps personal reaction to this experience: “What happened?”. It is a chance to process what has been learned.
The following step is the first chance to demonstrate learning. It is about extracting meaning from that new learning by linking it to our own experiences and environment, making connections, and conceptualizing on a more generic basis, moving from one instance or one idea to how that idea may work in our own space: “Meaning”.
Finally, there is a forward-looking statement: Now that I know all this, how would I proceed in a similar scenario, or if such a scenario presented itself? It demonstrates how concepts, models, and consequences have been internalized by placing them in personal contexts and creating plans of action: “Next time…”.
Another way to implement the cycle is to write a log that answers the following questions in
sequence:
What new ideas were I exposed to in this section?
What was the personal effect on me? What was my reaction?
How can I generalize or link that new learning to other contexts or people?
How will this affect my leadership style in the future?