What? So what? Now What? Model of Reflection

Though “Looking Back and Looking Ahead” is listed as the last of the six steps of the Earth Force process, we all know that this is really an ongoing activity – a way to help students process what they are experiencing as they are experiencing it. In the service-learning world this activity is often called “reflection.” But what does reflection actually look like? Below is a summary of the very popular What? So What? Now What? model of reflection. Developed as a guide for facilitators of group discussions, the model identifies three consecutive phases of the conversation. In each of these phases the facilitator/educator prompts the group with open-ended questions or queries.

What? The discussion begins by essentially asking, “What has happened?” or “What’s been going on?” The What? phase pertains to the substance of the students’ recent Earth Force-related experiences. It is intended to elicit descriptive responses about facts and occurrences. Here are some samples (note that they don’t necessarily have to begin with the word “what”):

• Let’s talk about what happened this week.
• What were some of the interesting things you noticed about the water? The wildlife? The plant life?
• In what ways was it difficult? Easy?
• What did you learn when Mr. Smith came and spoke to us about the components of an ecosystem?

So what? The So what? phase pertains to the impact of the experience on the students themselves. It looks at the consequences of recent occurrences and tries to make sense of them. The students are asked to abstract and generalize what they are learning, shifting from the descriptive into the interpretive. Here are some examples of relevant questions during this phase:

• What do you make of high level of fecal coliform bacteria? What do you think it means, and how does it affect you and your family?
• In what ways to you think you or people you know might contribute to this? Why should we care?
• What is Mr. Smith’s perspective? What are some assumptions that he might have had about ecosystems or about us when he came to speak?
• What has the Earth Force experience meant to you so far?
• What part of being involved with Earth Force are you most proud of? Why?

Now what? The final phase of the discussion, the Now what? phase, involves taking the lessons learned from the experience and reapplying them to other situations and the larger picture. This includes considering not only the students’ plans for their next Earth Force-related activities, but also how they can apply all of this knowledge and experience to other realms of their lives (e.g., as students, friends, citizens). Questions might include some like these:

• Given the challenges that many of you have mentioned, what can we do individually and collectively to address them?
• Who should we contact for additional information or help?
• What are our goals for the next week when we talk about Earth Force again?
• How confident are you that we can do something to improve the quality of the water?
• In what ways has the stuff you’re learning as part of this program spilled over into other parts of your lives? How are your relationships with your friends/family different?

Here are some links to additional information on the What? So What? Now What? model of reflection: http://www.nwrel.org/ecc/americorps/resources/reflect_toolkit/ http://www.energizeinc.com/art/abres.html http://www.inquiry.net/adult/trainer/reflection.htm http://eduscapes.com/sms/reflection.html