Greetings everyone.  Welcome back to Dr. Education's Blog #4.  I want to say first of all, I hope everyone has had an awesome day with very little complications.  If by some chance you've experienced obstacles and minor set backs today, then just know that things don't have to stay that way.  You always have something to be grateful for. So smile and be happy!
        Today I want to discuss different topics centered around the idea of, "Reflective Learning in Reading."  Before getting into further details concerning this topic, lets identify the definition of the term, "Reflective Learning," this is simply when an individual recalls or reviews information learned during a previous reading.  In relation to students in reflection learning, It is said that after an activity is given, the student needs to be in a relaxed environment to reflect on the assignment.  This process is also referred to as post reading reflective strategies.(p. 108)  I believe that this is the most important part of reading comprehension.  Students must be able to process what they've read in order to gain substantial knowledge concerning the content given within the reading.  Since we've discussed reflective learning I think that it is necessary to discuss reflective thinking.
      Reflective thinking is defined to be the retention of material to further learning. Students are expected to learn more and assume more responsibility for their thinking.  This includes remembering key points, main idea, order of events, and identifying primary and secondary characters.  According to John Dewey, He considered reflective thinking to be careful thought persisting toward an objective of coming closer to the truth.  He also was credited for being the first educator who introduced the term reflective thought into literature (Shermis, 1999).  It is also a proven fact that the longer students reflect, the longer they will remember what they've read.
       Another topic I want to talk about communication skills.  I feel that students must learn how to communicate clearly the information that they've reflected upon.  Communication is an important tool for proving that students have successfully processed the material read.  Interestingly, I found that in an Australian study discovered that teachers are in need of training to use communication skills in promoting student thinking.  As educators, we must always challenge our students to enhance their comprehension level.
      The understanding of critical thinking seriously needs to be taught to both students and teachers.  Critical thinking is the process of thinking thoroughly enough to link recent and early experiences together to promote a more complex mental schema.  Pretty much critical thinking bridges the gap between past and present experiences to formulate a more concrete hypothesis.
        In closing, what activities would teachers assign to students to help them understand how to use critical thinking skills? Should critical thinking assignments be assigned daily to students?