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Imtcr Cuttingcorners

1. This activity involves participants writing details about a specific incident and sharing it in small groups. Group members note which details are mentioned and which are not. 2. Participants then cut out or mark two details that were not mentioned to encourage focusing on the most important aspects. They repeat this process in new groups to continuously refine their summary. 3. The goal is to help participants critically reflect on their experiences by eliminating unnecessary details and focusing on the key elements, assumptions, and potential future actions. Group collaboration further challenges participants' understanding.

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47 views

Imtcr Cuttingcorners

1. This activity involves participants writing details about a specific incident and sharing it in small groups. Group members note which details are mentioned and which are not. 2. Participants then cut out or mark two details that were not mentioned to encourage focusing on the most important aspects. They repeat this process in new groups to continuously refine their summary. 3. The goal is to help participants critically reflect on their experiences by eliminating unnecessary details and focusing on the key elements, assumptions, and potential future actions. Group collaboration further challenges participants' understanding.

Uploaded by

api-283935863
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Cutting Corners

Looking Beyond Unnecessary Details and Encountering Challenges


1. Each individual receives a blank sheet of paper and a colored marker.
2. Individuals select a specific incident that they would like to discuss and spend
two minutes writing as many details about the incident as possible on their
paper.
a. Participants should not only list details about what happened, but also
consider why the circumstance occurred, as well as potential solutions
and/or resulting actions.
3. After forming small groups, participants have one minute to share their
experiences with one another. While each individual is sharing his or her
experience, the other members of the group keep track of which details the
presenter referenced from his or her paper. If the presenter mentions details
that are not recorded, group members will write these on the paper.
4. Group members discuss which details were referenced when the individual
explained his or her experience. After this discussion, the individual who
presented must either mark or cut out two of the details listed on the paper
that were not referenced.
5. New groups are formed, and the process is repeated several times.
Participants continually eliminate details until they can succinctly summarize
their experience and potential future actions.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Reflection is a natural process that blossoms from real-world problems.


Individuals experience discomfort when experiences do not match expectations, and are
thus motivated to make sense of what happened (Dewey, 1933; Sellars, 2014). This
activity requires participants to succinctly define their experiences, identifying exactly
what surprised them and motivating them to investigate why circumstances occurred.
Critical reflection is a challenging process that requires individuals to question long-held
beliefs (Brookfield, 1995). If this process is rushed, it is likely that students simply rearrange misunderstandings, rather than investigating the assumptions that are likely to
cloud their understanding. Eliminating details encourages students to grapple with the
more challenging components of the experience, and potentially transform narrow
beliefs. Furthermore, group members can record details and interpretations that the
individual did not explicitly describe. Thus, group members work collaboratively to form
challenging, yet often promising future actions.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------This strategy is inspired by Cutting Corners, a metaphor used in the Incubation
Model of Teaching to describe information processing processes that lead to insight.
Torrance and Safter (1990) suggested that Cutting Corners requires learners to avoid
useless and irrelevant information and elaborate on more promising solutions to
determine a plan of action.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Brookfield, S. (1995). Becoming a critically reflective teacher. San Francisco: JosseyBass.


Dewey, J. (1933). How we think: A restatement of the relation of reflective thinking to the
educative process. Boston: DC Heath and Company.
Sellers, M. (2014). Reflective practice for teachers. London: SAGE.
Torrance, E. P and Safter, T. (1990). The incubation model of teaching: Getting beyond the aha.
Buffalo, NY: Bearly Limited.

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