A Systems Thinking Approach to Reflective Practice in Blogs: Implications on Social-Emotional Learning and Resilience Building

In the present paper, we propose a model for reflective practice in blogs based on Systems Thinking aiming to promote social-emotional learning, and we discuss its theoretical underpinnings. Reflective blogging can be an invaluable tool for peer learning and professional development, particularly in appreciative environments where people feel safe to share their experiences. The proposed model introduces Systems Thinking as an effective way to facilitate group reflective practice for social-emotional learning and resilience building in a blended learning environment. Participants practice how to acknowledge different perspectives and how to integrate them into a coherent group narrative, the collective story of their community. Systems thinking entails a shift of focus from the parts to the relationships between and treats any group of participants as a living network, a learning rhizome in the becoming. In this view, collective intelligence rises as an emergent system property. We provide the case of a recent implementation of the proposed model to reflect and elaborate further on practical aspects of the approach, such as how to cultivate reflective writing among the participants, how to synthesize a group meta-narrative, how to evaluate individual contributions, and how to nurture a learning organization. The aim is to present a concise and authentic account of this approach so as to enable other educators and practitioners to get inspiration, make necessary adaptations, and utilize it in their own practice.