Monday, September 21, 2009

Courtney's Reflective Thinking

It’s a strange feeling to think about how you think. Our brains are always active so we don’t really realize when we’re thinking sometimes, so to concentrate on it is interesting. I realize that I have different ways to organize my thinking depending on what I am thinking about and why. For instance, when I am studying for a test, I organize my thoughts through flash cards or I take notes. My flashcards usually have a concept on one side and the other side I write my thoughts about the concept. Sometimes I even draw pictures to describe the concept if it helps make my thinking more clear. When I take notes to study I read through text books, worksheets and notes I have taken during class time and then formulate new notes. Normally I type them because it helps me stay organized and be clear about what I am thinking (I tend to ramble a lot). Typing helps my mind not wander as much as when I am writing for some reason.
When I am thinking about a concept I am about to write about I organize my thoughts differently. To be honest, I normally just start writing/typing (kind of like I am doing now). It is easier for me to just start writing and let my thoughts come together in the final product. When I ponder about a concept I am supposed to write about for a long time I usually end up stuck and frustrated. However, when I start typing my thoughts and words flow together and end up making sense. Then once I finish my first draft, I have to print a copy and then read through and add and take away things that do not make sense. Then I put together the revisions with the original and create a more organized and final product. If it is an assignment that needs more structure however, I will usually just write random notes about the topic that I want to include in the paper and try to order them in how they will appear in the paper. I actually also realized I organize my thoughts when I am reading as well. However, I do not always record these thoughts. Instead, I organize my thoughts in my head so I can make sense of what I am reading. When I am reading my textbooks I tend to pay attention to the first sentence of the paragraph the most and think about that while I read the rest of the paragraph. This way I will better understand what the paragraph is discussing. Basically, I organize my thoughts more than I thought I did!

1 comment:

  1. I like how you thought about organizing information for a test. I completely forgot about that. I also study for tests with flash cards and then when I am taking the test I can actually see the flash card in my head. It is kind of weird actually.

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