Reflective Writing

Reflection Essay on Formal Learning
Name:
Institution Affiliation:
Reflection Essay on Formal Learning
This essay describes my personal experience in attaining learning goals that I intended to achieve in the formal learning. The reflection examines my development during the learning period in addition to other issues encountered in particular events endeavored upon. Going through formal education is a norm in every country. Higher education, therefore, is a major criterion used by employers as an indicator of competence. The experience from formal learning cannot be overestimated in this country. The best theory that describes my learning experience is the Cognitive approach. According to this theory, involves an active mind of the learner in developing and processing learning opportunities that exist (Atherton, 2015). The instructor (if present) and the student engage to determine the most suitable method to instill understanding of the concept in question.
As Dewey put it, learning is a progressive process that involves “learning to think”. Rather than accomplishing a task, learning further requires reflection and learning from the same assignment. The purpose of this approach is to attain an optimal learning environment to articulate the present problems in preparation for additional inquiry. Dewey’s theory rejects the conventional theory that regards the learner as a passive role player whiles the tutor. He argues that learning can only happen while the student takes an active role in the process.

For effective learning, the content and process must remain meaningful to both the student and the instructor. Additionally, the student needs to reflect the information provided in their analytical perspective (Atherton, 2015). In this case, the cognitive approach can be argued as one of the critical proponents of experiential approach in my case.
In a bid to illustrate the essential comprehension of the learning from the encountered experience, emphasis on learning styles employed would be utilized as well as the different evaluation methods used in the period. Further, the actual roles pursued are highlighted to reflect on how I changed and developed my behavior. As an education student, I learned to acknowledge the exhilarating yet the peaceful moment that my reasoning engages with authors on different issues. In the early college life, my intentions focused on the “real” meaning of what other authors intended in their text. However, I later realized that my approach would compromise literature with its significant complexities. The most valuable learning outcome from my experience relates to a variation of opinions. Varying perspectives brings about a sense of wide-scope interpretations to a work as well as challenging issues that the author may not have addressed.
Primarily, the formal education widened my ability as a thinker to broaden skills on critical analysis. Rather than restricting my reasoning to the provided meaning or the biographical information, my analytical skills go further to answer other embedded questions on the issue addressed. Upon reading author’s opinion, I challenge my ability by digging deep into a text in a bid to unravel the underlying details and develop a comprehensive close read. Besides, I can classify different writing used by writers in a book. My understanding of any written material further developed out of the experience with identifying and making connections between texts that weave together. Looking back in my freshman learning materials, I realized that I didn’t read as actively as I do now. Currently, my reading style has to involve a pen in marking key points. This approach helps me to connect with my previous insights as identified on the page.
I realized that the ability to express my thoughts in writing broadens my thinking and knowledge that has developed progressively in every semester. My desire as a freshman was to put my opinion and thought in writing in a manner that is correct, coherent and direct to the issue in question. I recall sometimes my instructor could tell me to keep my writing organized or expound and provide examples in my answer. The above-raised issues are on the areas I strove to develop at a personal level considering the desire to provide excellent literature text. I feel that the struggle can be traced to my work and the feeling provides more courage to develop my skills. My first article was written about “Writing styles” was insipid and petite. My work then only focused on my class work and what I found in research. Over the last few years, I learned to develop my ideas and relate them to previous works. My recent class work significantly improved my writing habit to write comprehensive papers with solid ideas. At the moment, I feel confident to write about any field in different writing styles in addition to proper citing.
My study on communication was a remarkable pick for my formal education. Considering the diverse opportunities for improvement, my knowledge and oral skills facilitate a smooth association with instructors and colleagues. The reason for my interest in communication skills relates to my outgoing personality. Primarily, I meet a lot of people in different departments and the ability to exhibit a concise message in a precise manner is paramount to me. According to Woods communication, refers to the “systematic process through which people interact to create and interpret the meaning of an issue in question. The most significant thing about communication is that we have the duty to create and influence its impact on our professional development. Communication is an essential undertaking that all fields of study should hold central. One of these fields that employ communication as an integral component is the education.
Besides the social role, formal education plays a significant role in affecting my personality. Students often decide to their major depending on the value and ideologies, as their predefined identities are always in place before entering a college or university. However, the methods in the formal education as and the materials used in the learning process influenced my perspective on identity significantly. Following the collective ideologies we shared with my course mates, I discovered that we share so much in common and that people in the same profession exhibit similar ideologies.
Upon self-evaluation, it becomes hard to identify the gaps in my formal education as I feel to have acquired the adequate knowledge. I consider myself as having expanded my analytical, communication and writing skills to l=greater levels in preparation for further studies. Essentially, the learning and experience gathered add to my credibility in professional development. After my A level education, I seek to find a job that will utilize the gained knowledge in particular to how humans interact in the community. Am very determined to find out the correct information to collect and process from the varied fields in the real world. It is my expectations that completion of this course will serve as a valuable complement to my specialization. Ultimately, this course will serve my purpose as a graduate through effective communication. Am looking forward to the attainment of this degree certificate and use it as a stepping-stone towards further education.
References
Atherton, J. (2015). Cognitive Theories of Learning. Learningandteaching.info. Retrieved 27 July 2015, from http://www.learningandteaching.info/learning/cognitive.htm