Asking Reflection Questions

The line dividing good from evil runs through every human heart.

- Alexander Solzhenitsyn

Reflection questions allow a teacher to guide students towards a deeper understanding of the subject they are studying as well as of themselves. The questions asked will vary greatly but fall into three categories: self reflection, social justice reflections, and what more do you want to know.

Examples:

For students in a first year experience program which has the theme of dignity.

Self reflection:

• How did you feel about this experience?
• What was your biggest misperception?
• Do you feel the need to respond to what you have learned?

Social justice reflections

• After 12 years of education, which people do we know the least about? What does that say about their value to us?
• Do you feel Americans are responsible global citizens?
• What do we need to change in our own lives and social structures to bring dignity to others and to ourselves?

What more do you want to know?

• Why is wealth so unevenly distributed?
• What does poverty do to the dignity of an individual?
• What more do you need to learn about the world to treat people in a dignified way?

For students studying Bloom's Taxonomy of Educational Objectives.

• Knowledge: How many countries in Africa can you name? What data did you not know?
• Understanding: Which data is important to know? Why do we not know this?
• Application: Which data are related to each other?
• Analysis: What has caused such inequality? Who could change it?
• Synthesis: What should be taught to college students about the world? How can we engage students?
• Evaluation: Is Globalization helping the poor? How do we evaluate organizations, projects and campaigns which are intended to help the poor?

Send us Suggestions,be a part of the development of the Global Awareness Project.

Share reflection questions you have found to be effective in a Word document format. Include your name and school. Send to Jnewcomb@css.edu