I always visit this site with great intentions to post a blog and then somehow find excuses not to once I'm here. I think overall it's because reflection, and certainly writing reflections, has never come easy to me and I remember vividly as a student having to write a diary during my placements " so I could track my progress and development over the three years of training".
I'm wondering whether one of the issues I have with writing reflections is that there could be a tendancy to think too much about a subject/issue, read too much into it and therefore making more of an issue of something than is really necessary. Now I appreciate that my thoughts on this are probably because I'm more of a pragmatist/activist than reflector which means that I get easily irritated by people who think too much about issues! And I think this is what happens when i visit this blog page. I read the blogs and the comments, think that they are interesting, think that I should post a comment myself, then think about what I want to say, then realise that there are so many things that could be said and then my head starts to hurt! It's at this point that I decide that it's all too hard and tell myself I'll do it another day.
My other concern is that the information posted on a very public site is very much open to interpretation by other people. So having read my blog someone may well post a comment, where I realise that they have misinterpreted what I meant, I then have to post another comment to clarify the situation, they may then post another comment on so it goes on. This has the same effect on me as text messages sometimes do on a mobile phone, often it's much easier to pick up the phone and speak to the person directly.
So it brings me to question who would actually use and benefit from contributing to a blog? The reflectors amongst us? As a pragmatist/activist I will watch carefully how this tool is used by others as I'm still struggling to fully appreciate the benefits in practical terms.
4 comments:
Hi Kirsty,
Thanks for your thoughts....blogging and learning styles eh? Not come across that before, thanks. I'm a theorist a which could explain why I struggle with the feeling that my posts lack rigorous empirical underpinning, although I do actally prefer to read a "chatty" style blog so have resisted my need to reference!
I think though, that until we attract more people to our site, and recieve more comments we are only getting half of the blogging experience and it can feel very isolated. Web 2.0 is about interaction after all. Any comments at all are welcome... please.
PS Haven't learning styles theories been somewhat universally discredited... Must find that reference
Hi Kirsty
I think that maybe just by the fact that you have read and engaged in considering how the experience is benefitting you demonstrates a level of reflection. You have engaged in discussions with peers, reflected on the use of a tool and offered some insight into your own preferred style of learning. In doing this you have engaged in CPD activity with the blog entry as your evidence. Maybe it's going to be more useful than first thought? I hope so....
S - I think many professionals in the field have a problem with privacy and security online in relation to how it would reflect on them as practitioners with regards to client confidentiality. This is my subjective opinion.
O - Nevertheless, I can accept and empathise with their thinking, we all interpret the world in a different way as occupational beings and this has to be respected as occupation-focussed professionals.
A - Examine carefully The Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct (COT 2005) and HPC guidelines on confidentiality with regards to the current Data Protection Act. People are concerned about identity fraud with good reason.
P - The plan is to take guidance from BAOT as our professional body and the HPC as a statutory body, on the best way to proceed with this form of Information and Communication Technology (ICT).
To conclude, I hope that this has provided a brief overview for you all as a rough guide to work from as 'blueprint' for this excellent and innovative, very OT initiative to work as a useful 'e-tool'.
Warmest regards
I think rigid, traditional- OT minded individuals need to wake up to themselves and smell the coffee! realising that the profession is evolving rapidly and they must adapt or else they will be left behind in the OT past.
This my own personal opinion and vision for OT in the next 10 years.
Post a Comment