[MESuddaby]

Hello,
I am doing the level 3 Early Years Educator course. I feel that reflection for professional development is an essential tool that needs to be used when working in the Early Years sector, as working with children is constantly changing and evolving. There are new ways of working with children developing, new legislations, new policies and procedures and new theories for the most effective way to support children's learning, development, emotional and physical well-being. Reflective practice allows settings and practitioners to evaluate and improve the quality of the provision for the children and their families, it provides an opportunity to implement new ideas and activities to enhance learning and development, it provides an opportunity to monitor and review practice so that the setting is providing a professional quality service. I would like to discuss and find out other people's views on the importance of reflection in relation to professional development. There are a few theorists that have informed people's understanding of the process of reflection, the most well known being Kolb and Gibbs but while doing research, I discovered another theorists named Phil Race. Race's experiential learning model describes four processes that interlink with one another, rather than going through each individual cycle. The four processes are wanting, doing, digesting and feedback.
Wanting: This is the process of having the desire and motivation to learn, which usually produces more effective learning.
Doing: This is the process of learning by doing. Learning effectively requires the need to actually do something. For example: When doing an activity with children, you will never know if the activity is successful or effective until you actually do the activity.
Digesting: This is the process of having time to reflect and think about the learning. For example: Reflecting on an activity that you have lead, how well did the activity go? Did the activity achieve the aim you set? What didn't go so well? What could you have done better? Was the environment enabling?
Feedback: There are two kinds of feedback, intrinsic and extrinsic. Intrinsic feedback is the feedback that comes from internal reflection. For example: How do I personally feel and think the learning experience went? Extrinsic feedback is the external feedback that you receive from others external reflection such as, feedback from colleagues, parents or managers. For example: A colleague may give you feedback on how well you lead an activity or what could of made the activity more effective, a parent may give you feedback on how they feel you are supporting their child or a manager may give you feedback during a supervision/appraisal meeting to highlight your strengths and advise you on your weaknesses, so that you can begin to implement changes in the future. For effective learning to take place, both intrinsic and extrinsic feedback need to take place.
I can personally relate to Phil Race's experiential learning model of reflection for professional development as I am motivated and have a desire to support and encourage children's learning and development to the best of my ability. I am always researching and talking to more knowledgeable others to find new techniques, methods and activities to enhance children's learning and development in the most effective way (wanting). I will implement ideas and activities to see how effective they are, as you never know how something will go until you actually do it with the children (doing). I reflect upon ideas and practice to assess effectiveness for the children, myself and the setting (digesting). I always ask myself how I could do things better (intrinsic feedback). I always ask for feedback from my colleagues and manager, so that I am able to fully analyse my strengths and weaknesses, make informed decisions and improve my own professional development (extrinsic feedback).
All models of theoretical perspectives on reflection hold the same basic principles of having an experience, reflecting on the experience, analysing the lessons learned and implementing change, which I think shows the importance and the necessity for reflection to learn and develop professionally and personally.
Has anyone else read about Phil Race's experiential learning model and how does his theory relate to your own perspective on reflective practice for professional development?