Reflection in Action

Woven into your program are several themes and topics meant to enhance your learning experience and support your development as a professional who is capable of acting as a leader, thinker, visionary, and advocate. In each course, there will be one reflection-in-action journal assignment that is designed to provide opportunities for you to reflect upon and assess your professional knowledge and skills.

This journal prompt has two parts. Reflect upon and discuss each of the prompts in Part 1 and Part 2 outlined below.

Part 1: Course and Program Reflection

Complete the following:

• Explain your role in helping families and the community understand how to support children with challenging behavior.

Part 2: Career and Personal Reflection

Complete the following:

• Review the video Pursuing your Master of Arts in Special Education after your BALinks to an external site..
• Describe how the video inspires you to continue your education, whether with an advanced degree, or through professional development once you graduate.

Journal Options:Choose one of the following:

• Written reflection journal
• Create a VokiLinks to an external site..
  • If you need help creating your Voki, use the Voki Classroom: Getting Started GuideLinks to an external site..
• The integrative and critical thinking expectations (demonstrated within the content of the journal) include the following:
• Connections to Experience: Meaningfully synthesizes connections among experiences both within and outside of coursework to deepen understanding of fields of study and to broaden own points of view.
• Reflection and Self-Assessment: Envisions a future self (and possibly makes plans that build on past experiences) that have occurred across multiple and diverse contexts.

Research and Resource Expectations:Sources are not required for your journal assignments. However, if you need to cite information, you must cite your sources according to APA guidelines (see Citing Within Your PaperLinks to an external site.) and include an APA References ListLinks to an external site..Writing and Formatting Expectations:

• Professional Reflective Voice: Journals may be written in a less formal but still professional voice (i.e., avoids casual language). Refer to the First Vs. Third PersonLinks to an external site. guide created by the Writing Center.
• Organization: Demonstrates logical progression of ideas.
• Syntax and Mechanics: Writing displays meticulous comprehension and organization of syntax and mechanics, such as spelling, grammar, and punctuation.
• APA Formatting: Papers are formatted properly, and all sources (if used) are cited and referenced in APA style as outlined in the Writing CenterLinks to an external site..

Next Steps: Review and Submit the AssignmentReview your assignment with the Grading Rubric to ensure you have achieved the distinguished levels of performance for each criterion and submit in Waypoint for evaluation no later than Day 7.The Reflection in Action journal

• Must be one to two double-spaced pages in length (not including title and references pages) and formatted according to APA style as outlined in the Writing Center’s APA StyleLinks to an external site. resource.
• Must include a separate title page with the following:
  • Title of journal
  • Student’s name
  • Course name and number
  • Instructor’s name
  • Date submitted
• For further assistance with the formatting and the title page, refer to APA Formatting for Microsoft WordLinks to an external site..
• Must utilize academic voice. See the Academic VoiceLinks to an external site. resource for additional guidance.
• Must include an introduction and conclusion paragraph. Your introduction paragraph needs to end with a clear thesis statement that indicates the purpose of your paper.
  • For assistance on writing Introductions & ConclusionsLinks to an external site. as well as Writing a Thesis StatementLinks to an external site., refer to the Writing Center resources.
• ’Must include a separate references page, if sources are used, which is formatted according to APA style as outlined in the Writing Center. See the Formatting Your References ListLinks to an external site. resource in the Writing Center for specifications.