Creating Meaning with Metaphor: Ideas for Reflecting on Learning

February 18th, 2009 By: Jen Stanchfield in Articles, Teachers' Corner

Editor’s note: This article is an excerpt from Stanchfield’s book, Tips & Tools: the Art of Experiential Group Facilitation. (2007) Wood ‘N’ Barnes Publishing, Oklahoma City.

Since the beginning of civilization, humans have expressed themselves through symbols. Often people can more easily express themselves through a symbol or picture than through verbal means. Symbols spark feelings (Takahashi, 1995) and work to make feelings outwardly discussible and objectively real (Sandelands, 1998). Symbols help people communicate and share their frames of thought. They can help people understand abstract concepts that cannot always be translated into words.

Image cards, pictures, artwork, and tangible objects can be used as meaningful and engaging tools for facilitating reflection, goal setting, creating group norms, resolving conflict, and celebrating individual and group strengths and attributes. Brain research suggests that using metaphors and symbols helps cement lessons and transfer learning to everyday life (Sousa, 2006; Jensen, 2004).

My collection of postcards, image cards, and interesting objects is invaluable for prompting group discussion and reflection. As mentioned throughout this book, I use these tools in a variety of ways – for introducing groups and goal setting at the start of a lesson, helping to establish group norms and identifying the qualities of a positive group environment, and resolving difficult group situations. All of these tools are especially useful in reflection or processing with a group.

These methods are effective because students can attach their thoughts to an object that can be touched and shown to a group. Because the participants can talk about the object or image rather than about themselves directly, they sometimes express thoughts that would otherwise be left unsaid. When groups use pictures and objects in group discussions, the thoughts, ideas, and connections seem broader and deeper than when using dialogue alone.

Students who are normally reticent about sharing seem more comfortable when they can attach their thoughts to and object. These methods are not only engaging and non-threatening; they allow abundant opportunities for creative, spontaneous, and meaningful interpretation of an experience. A visual representation of an experience can be effective long after the experience is over, reminding a group or student of the key lessons learned.

Object or picture card methods are useful as introductory activities, for processing reactions to a specific experience, for closure, or even as tools to help students resolve conflict. Although both the image and object activities are similar approaches, I find that groups respond differently to using cards or pictures than they do objects. You can present both object and picture activities in a unit and they won’t be perceived as a repeated activity; they actually will reach students in different ways.

Using Pictures and/or Objects in Reflection

• Ask the class to come to consensus on one picture card/object that best represents their experience as a class, the strengths of the class, or something they have achieved.
• Have the class pick three objects or images that represent three important skills they used in the activity that they think will be useful in upcoming activities. Have them carry these objects with them to the next activity and find a way to integrate them into the next activity or refer back to them to illustrate transfer of skills/learning to future situations.
• Group members can use picture cards/objects to relate the “story” of their experience by lining up four or five picture cards/objects that demonstrate how they progressed through the activity, the day, or the class as a whole.
• Participants can each pick their own picture card/object and then draw or write about it in their journals.
• Groups respond differently to using cards or pictures than they do to using objects, even though they are similar approaches. When facilitators mix up their methods, they reach different learning styles.
• In some situations, it could be appropriate for group members to choose a symbol/object for another person in the group as a memento or gift representing the strengths or contributions that person lent to the experience.
• Consider allowing participants to keep the charm that represents their strength or achievement as a memento/reminder.
• Use your creativity; the possibilities for this type of activity are endless.

Tags: kinesthetic