Kirstin Parkes outlines some strategies to help practice educators facilitate improved critical reflection in practice learning experiences.
In UK social work education, practice educators supervise and assess students while they are on placement. Practice placements are the most important element of social work degree courses, accounting for half of the overall programme for undergraduates. So the role of the practice educator is vital, particularly if a student is struggling or at risk of failing.
Written for Learning at Work week, this is a list of resources about reflection.
Supporting struggling students on placementA new book by Jo Finch is published next month: Supporting struggling students on placement, a practical guide.
This article is about use of self and the our analysis of the SiSWE standards/ the Degree Review so particularly relevant just now.
XXXThe app consists of a number of interactive sections. A range of content is provided on social work theories and on critically reflective practice. The user can enter information about their own practice and the context of their work and content which directly links to this will be provided.
This podcast looks at how social workers make critical reflection happen, despite the pressure and busyness of our work.
This podcast takes a look at the theory and evidence around using critical reflection, and offer a model for doing good reflection in practice.
An interesting article which argues that once you’ve accumulated enough experience, reflecting on that experience to “articulate and codify” what you’ve learned is the most powerful way to improve your performance in the future. Includes some reflection exercises.
What really drives learning? Is it, as we've been taught for years, the idea that "practice makes perfect”? Is experience - or the act of doing - the key to learning? Or is it that we learn through reflecting on that experience?
Social Work Practice Placements book, published by Sage, will help to develop student's critical thinking, analytic and reflective skills as they progress through their placements. It will help them build a successful practice portfolio and understand exactly how they fit into the myriad of other professionals and services that make up day to day reality of practice. Crucially, the book also features chapter on developing these skills into the workplace.
