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Critical Reflection and Writing Process Evaluation
Student’s Name
Institutional Affiliation
Course Code and Number
Instructor’s Name
Date
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Introduction
The ability to define a systematic process and strategic approach is essential for engaging
in ongoing reflection and evaluation. This enables professionals to ponder their reactions,
outcomes, and approaches, ultimately enhancing their practices in the field. Critical reflection is
a cognitive process that facilitates the construction of meaning, informing subsequent actions and
yielding tangible consequences in real-world contexts. Curriculum leaders depend on
fundamental principles of cognition to inform their decision-making and ascertain the subsequent
course of action while critically reflecting on difficulties and issues. A comprehensive grasp of
research-based knowledge, skills, and contemporary theory is needed to effectively create and
deliver curriculum and instruction and inform choices and implementation processes. Engaging
in critical self-reflection, challenging assertions, and questioning prior knowledge has
significantly contributed to my development as a learner, fostering cognitive growth and
influencing the development of my emotional intelligence. By incorporating feedback from my
instructor, I employed reflective writing techniques to address the task of clarifying concepts and
showcasing comprehension of theoretical principles and course material. This paper serves as a
comprehensive reflection and evaluation of my journey as an educational leader, showing my
writing skills, ongoing professional development through reflective practices, and aspirations for
my career.
Writing Process Evaluation
My approach to writing has evolved significantly as a result of this course. I have reached
a new level of independence and self-assurance where ideas and thoughts pop into my head
naturally, and I am comfortable starting to write about any topic. The more I practice, the more
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aware I am of punctuation and grammar errors in my writing and other classroom work.
Checking for mistakes is a habit I have developed that has helped me tremendously. According
to my instructor's feedback, the writing was free from grammar and appropriate to the audience.
Besides the instructor also mentioned that my assessment one was able to provide a detailed
analysis of the literature. This kept me going and encouraged my writing.
As I prepared for the second assessment, writing at an academic level came more
naturally to me. Initially, I struggled to get a flow and develop ideas more naturally without
relying on outside research. Specifically, I had difficulty narrowing my research for the Diversity
component because there are many excellent sources. The second assessment's most difficult
aspect was planning its structure. I was worried that I was repeating myself too often in my
writing. In the past, I had relied solely on the Word document for the paper's structure, which led
to my leaving out key information. However, my instructors' feedback was positive for both
assessments. I was excited and this encouraged me to keep providing relevant sources and letting
my voice come through my analysis of reviewed sources. Before I started writing, I made an
outline that has since changed as I have read more and honed down on my topic. I took my time
getting my first draft down on paper, thinking out loud, and then going back and edit it multiple
times over several days.
How Writing Resources Can Be Helpful
The most evident improvement between my initial and final drafts for the second
assessment task was in my grammar and language use. Before using Grammarly, I went through
numerous drafts of my paper. To ensure that my writing for this project was error-free, I once
again used Grammarly. From the first to the second assessment task, I have been working on
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developing a more polished writing style and sentence structure. The Writing Self-evaluation test
was a helpful tool in identifying my areas of strength and improvement before the first
assessment task. The tool offers links and suggestions to help readers get the background
information they need to submit quality academic work (Al-Mwzaiji and Alzubi, 2022). One
such method employed to turn in schoolwork was the utilization of the Smart Thinking resource.
Students could use this tool to receive comments on their work to improve their comprehension
and grade.
Smart Thinking resource's recommendations on evaluating and critiquing articles were
also very helpful to me as a writer. Throughout the writing, I tried numerous methods to gain
access to the journals and articles. To effectively use other sources, strategies such as integration,
evaluation, and analysis, evaluation were vital. My independent research allowed me to review
and improve my use of APA in-text citations. My work is scholarly, and my instructor's
comments following submission in the first assessment proved it. There were a few suggestions
for changes or edits in the second assessment.
How the Writing Strategies Will Help in Future Writing
The strategies I have learned from these assessments will be vital in my future writing.
As an instructional leader, the ability to think critically is essential. According to Bean and
Melzer (2021), critical thinking is "the art of thinking" that includes "analyzing, evaluating, and
bettering" one's own thinking. Critical thinking skills are essential for anyone working in
educational leadership. Leaders who think critically ensure that their decisions align with the
organization's objectives and are held accountable for the outcomes of those decisions (Bean and
Melzer, 2021). Writing clearly and honestly about my professional aspirations will be possible
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after I master executing a logical thesis and precise content development. Besides, by reflecting
on my failures and the instructor's positive comments, I will be better prepared to tackle future
writing assignments.
System Thinking
There is an interdependence between ethical behavior, diversity, and civil discourse, all
of which must be addressed for instruction to be effective. During my research, a useful method
for completing the literature review was to employ system thinking. Systemic thinkers consider
the entire system and how its parts interact rather than isolating parts of a system and studying
them separately, as in conventional analysis (Rebs et al., 2019). I gained insight into the impact
of diversity and ethical behavior on civil disclosure through assessment two. Since students come
from a wide variety of backgrounds, it can be difficult to have respectful conversations about a
variety of topics, and unethical behavior in the classroom can be a persistent problem. Thus,
teachers must foster mutual appreciation, cooperation, and respect for students' cultural
backgrounds in the classroom.
Professional Growth
My career and general skills as a curriculum and instruction leader benefit from
continued knowledge in his field. As a lifelong learner, I keep up with the latest information in
my field by reading up on relevant topics, following thought leaders on social media, and
attending relevant conferences. As I continue to develop as a student and a professional, I am
taking advantage of the resources available through the University's Career Center to help me
achieve my goals during and after my Ph.D. studies.
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Professional strengths and opportunities for growth
Curriculum leaders may solve new difficulties effectively and foster a productive
atmosphere for all students by reflecting on their practices often. The resilience from overcoming
obstacles allows curricular leaders to consider new perspectives, cast doubt on established truths,
and reject conventional wisdom. As a student, I have progressed by relying on my critical
thinking principles to direct my actions, inform my future moves, and explore my understanding
of emotional intelligence.
Resources to strengthen my skills
By participating in online groups hosted by the University, I have started making
connections and establishing relationships within the community to enhance my professional
goals and skills. I have met and talked to people worldwide through my involvement in various
online forums. I long to become a more effective leader in my professional field by furthering
my education.
Conclusion
Curriculum leaders can effectively address new challenges and foster more productive
classroom climates via sustained reflection. Curriculum leaders who overcome obstacles by
considering new perspectives, challenging accepted wisdom, and rejecting outdated dogma
reveal a hidden strength. I have developed as a student and am exploring my emotional
intelligence and critical thinking skills by relying on system thinking and critical thinking
principles to direct my actions and choose the next stages. Becoming an effective leader in
instruction requires the ability to synthesize research and apply skills. My potential as a leader in
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curriculum grows as I consider my scholarly writing, my development as a learner in the Ph.D.
program, as well as my professional ambitions.
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References
Al-Mwzaiji, K. N. A., & Alzubi, A. A. F. (2022). Online self-evaluation: the EFL writing skills
in focus. Asian-Pacific Journal of Second and Foreign Language Education, 7(1), 7.
Bean, J. C., & Melzer, D. (2021). Engaging ideas: The professor's guide to integrating writing,
critical thinking, and active learning in the classroom. John Wiley & Sons.
Rebs, T., Brandenburg, M., & Seuring, S. (2019). System dynamics modeling for sustainable
supply chain management: A literature review and systems thinking approach. Journal of
cleaner production, 208, 1265-1280.
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Appendix
Writing Revision Matrix- Literature Review
Page Instructors Feedback Student Response
2 Your Introduction provides the context of the Added a scholarly source to
topic. A scholarly source can provide support for support the importance of the
the importance of the topic. topic.
3-8 Your sources demonstrate your support from I was excited about this
scholarly and current. feedback.
2-8 Your paper demonstrates your analysis of the I was glad with this feedback
literature. for a research I liked doing.
2-8 Your writing reads well and appropriately for the I appreciated such feedback
audience. since it is a confirmation of my
skills.
7 Your analysis is detailed and provides examples I was excited with this
feedback.
9 Your sources are scholarly and relevant. The feedback was very
encouraging to me.
8 Thank you for a comprehensive summary. I was excited about this
feedback.
Writing Revision Matrix- Ethical Behavior, Diversity, Civil Discourse, and Educational
Leadership.
Page Instructor’s Feedback Student Response
2 You provide the context, support, and scholarly This was encouraging for me.
sources and a clear focus of the introduction.
3-8 You demonstrate your review of relevant, scholarly I was excited by this feedback
sources with examples.
3-8 You include a selection of scholarly sources that are I was excited with this feedback.
current and focused on your review topics.
8 Scholarly sources will support your writing. You I was satisfied by this feedback.
included more than the five sources required for the
assessment.
2-7 Continue to let your voice come through your I was motivated with this
analysis of the sources reviewed. You have feedback.
meaningful
insight.
