Writing about that namby pamby stuff

The paper I am planning for the How to Write a Paper in 6 weeks is about blogging and reflective practice. This paper will be based on my personal experiences as opposed to a research project, and is a paper I have been thinking about writing for some time. I made a start in the form of an essay for my EdD - now I have to get on and finish it off as a paper for publication.

Here is the mapping I have done which meets the requirements of Week 2 of my writing project.

Reflective practice

• what it is
• why it is important for practicing midwives different models and processes - confusing at the best of times
  
• journaling is consistently seen as a valuable tool for reflective practice
  
• clarify the difference between reflective practice & journaling – what are the other ways/tools for reflective practice

Journaling

• journaling and reflective practice
  
• what makes journaling so effective
• how you do it – model for reflection – levels of learning (Bronwyn's thesis)
  
• evidence of reflective journaling for midwives – why they have to do it
  
• problems with journaling – learning styles, level of learning – people do not engage with deeper learning
  
• one adaptation is the modern blog

Blogging

• what a blog is...is similar to journalling but it is a separate thing with its own pros & cons....open journalling
  
• how it can be used for reflective practice - how it differs from paper journaling evidence about its effectiveness – do people do deeper reflection in a blog?
  
• problems with blogging – confidentiality, online reputation, digital literacy, Internet access

My experience

• multi-media suits my different learning styles
  
• I write in an anonymous way that protects the events/people I am reflecting on, as well as myself
  
• open blogging allows me to engage with readers - community of learning
  
• challenged to take me reflection to a deeper level – does my experience tie in with what the literature says
  
• information shared, connections made, conversations all add to my learning – conversations go else where...can leap frog into FB, Twitter etc...or go from blog to blog...don;t know who is going to respond to that post...or what perspective is offered...any perspective will make you think
  
• different perspective, not just from colleagues – I hear from health consumers and people from all walks of life
  
• people support me when the going gets tough
  
• people see what I have learned and how I have responded to that learning – accountability to the people I care for & teach
  
• contribute to others' learning eg article about burn out
  
• challenging to people who are uncomfortable with reflective practice, especially in open environment
  
• views people have about admitting your mistakes in public, especially in obstetrics
  
• what I blog about – some examples, with the comments people leave (probably this in interwoven through my narrative)

Recommendations

• Give it a go
• Keep things simple – digital literacy education
  
• Think about your online profile – how you're going to present yourself
  
• Get a mentor – some great midwifery bloggers and other healthcare professionals about to model your practice on and to link in with
  
• Get your posts checked if you think you're likely to breach confidentiality
  
• Blog in general terms rather than specifics
  
• Be patient – takes time to build a community of learners