Developing a blog as a tool for reflective practice

Sarah Stewart

September 2008

http://sarah-stewart.blogspot.comCreative Commons Attribution 3.0 New Zealand

Journaling

http://www.flickr.com/photos/brightmeadow/281659324/

A blog can be an online journal

http://www.flickr.com/photos/lucayepa/441551991/

Perez Hilton

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perez_hilton

Samual Pepys

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samuel_Pepys

Examples of audio & video blogging

• http://sarah-stewart.blogspot.com/2008/06/iccmsn-2008-highlights-and-learning.html

• http://sarah-stewart.blogspot.com/2008/03/my-midwifery-philosophy-slidecast.html

Links can be made to other blogs, websites and resources

www.flickr.com/photos/30674396@N00/20451348

Comments can be made by readers

http://www.flickr.com/photos/66357777@N00/388020

Discussion Information sharingCritique of ideas

Further extends own thinking and learning

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ben_pollard/2342924889/

Privacy and security

http://www.flickr.com/photos/24342172@N00/155845472

Risks of public reflection

http://www.flickr.com/photos/lincolnian/135278219/in/photostream/

Litigation

Employment

Mistakes

Unprofessional

Statutory

Professional Standards

Ownership

Being open creates an opportunity for dialogue and gaining a different

perspective on a situation or problem

http://www.flickr.com/photos/thomasclaveirole/538706612/

Different way of looking at things

www.flickr.com/photos/27086465@N00/6313191

Reader sees how the blogger has approached a situation and learns

from that reflection

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ihardlyflickr/1425337109/

Reflection and deep learning

http://www.flickr.com/photos/biwook/143489429/

Mixed evidence

http://www.flickr.com/photos/drachmann/327122302/

My experience

http://www.flickr.com/photos/12495774@N02/2756835648/

• http://sarah-stewart.blogspot.com

• http://sarahstewart-eportfolio.wikispaces.com/

Themes

• Relationships with students: personal vs professional

• Online identity

• Midwifery burnout

• Direction of my future career

• Making mistakes

• Professional online behavior

Example of reflective blog post and interactions with readers

• http://sarah-stewart.blogspot.com/2008/08/second-blogging-workshop.html

www.flickr.com/photos/30137364@N00/400197231

Challenging to people who are unfamiliar with reflective practice, and are uncomfortable with

open, online reflection

The interactions I have with the readers of my blog help me process my ideas, and supports me when my reflections are painful and challenging

References:

• Michele Martin: Becoming a more reflective individual practitioner. The Bamboo Project. March 8, 2008. http://michelemartin.typepad.com/thebambooprojectblog//2008/03/incorporating-r.htmlMerrolee Penman: The use of blogging to support professional learning. Healthcare and Informatics Review Online. June 2008. http://hcro.enigma.co.nz/website/index.cfm?fuseaction=articledisplay&FeatureID=070608Paul Trafford: Mobile blogs, personal reflections and learning environments. 2005. Ariadne. Issue 44. http://www.ariadne.ac.uk/issue44/trafford/intro.html