On Reflection

Book excerpt: Ellen Rose seeks to initiate a much-needed discussion about what reflection is and should be. The word crops up repeatedly in the discourse of teaching and learning, but its meaning is often vague. True reflection -- deep, sustained thought that takes place in conditions of solitude and silence -- has been undermined by new technologies that speed up the flow information and the pace of life, as well as by contemporary schooling that unreflectively embraces technological and market imperatives in the name of outcomes, efficiencies, and the preparation of a global workforce. Drawing on a wide range of thinkers, past and present, Rose outlines the important role reflective thought can play in the classroom and in the world at large, and makes a powerful case for slowing down and returning to our thoughts.