“Our knowing is ordinarily tacit, implicit in our patterns of action and in our feel for the stuff with which we are dealing. It seems right to say that our knowing is in our action.” (Schön, 1991)
It is a difficult task for a practitioner to be conscious of their knowledge or skills, even though individuals think whilst in action (Schön, 1991). Schön (1995) claims that process of reflection-in-action is crucial to the practitioners to cope with “situations of uncertainty, instability, uniqueness, and value conflict” (Schön, 1995, p.50).
I have been introduced to the Gibb’s cycle of reflection in 2006 when I studied FdA Health and Social Care. Reflection is a process in which I carry out briefly in my head - without writing the events and thoughts on paper – or through discussions at workplace meetings. It is not a rigid structure which I have in place.
However, this pattern is starting to change through blogging. My blog, Berlin mit Berlin, started off as an online sketch book for my ideas and to keep a note of websites I have visited. This routine is slowly developing into keeping journals and reflective notes on my experiences. As my research on Digital Arts course relies greatly on internet, it has been a convenient tool for recording my thoughts and perspectives. And I have an awareness of how I was able to reflect on my practice whilst in action, to alter my course of action.
Being able to navigate and to change will depend on how effective my reflective skills are. Often, I find myself continuing the pattern or being unaware of repetitive cycles. It could happen at my work at the school, or to do with my personal photography projects. Habits could dominate a large proportion of my actions, and motivation or creativity, the drive to try out something new sit at the back. The blogging has now become my daily routine, and I keep a record of the websites I have visited, experiences, ideas and inspiration are documented on a frequent and regular basis.
Blogging has provided an objective eye for me to reflect on my practice, as well as being functional as a sketch book which I can pick up at work or at home. It is hard to imagine myself without my blog now, and how I have changed my view on the blogging culture is enormous.
