




































Billen (2020) Print


Educational Renaissance Vol. 9  (2020)

#learningt oref lect : Preservice Teachers? Ref lect ions 
on Inst agram
Monica Bil len, PhD. California State University, Fresno

     email: mbillen@csufresno.edu

Feature Article

Although teacher reflection is widely accepted as 
integral to the field of teacher education, recently 
the concept has been critiqued and questioned 
(Beauchamp, 2015). Some critiques are theoretical 
in nature while some relate to the practical 
implementations of the concept (Collin et al., 
2013). In a review of literature, Beauchamp (2015) 
outlined multiple critiques of reflection including 
(a) the lack of real reflection, (b) the narrowness of 
approaches to reflection, and (c) the structural 
limitations on reflection. Some have argued that 
?reflective teaching? has become much more of a 
slogan than actual practice (Noffke & Brennan, 
2005) and may merely be a fictional piece in 
professional literature (Marcos et al., 2011). 
Additionally, the reflective work that is taking place 
lacks a holistic approach that includes an 
emotional element (Akbari, 2007).  Last, the 
hierarchical structure in which reflection is 
typically encouraged, has also been questioned, 
especially when less experienced students reflect 

under the direction of a skilled instructor (Enfield 
& Stasz, 2011). The purpose of this research was to 
better understand if using a different medium of 
reflection might address these critiques.

Teacher education programs have placed an 
emphasis on encouraging reflective practice 
(Calderhead, 1989; LaBoskey 1994; McCaleb et al., 
1992) and many different methods to this end 
have been considered.  Some recent practical 
strategies to influence reflection include 
collaborative reflection (Clarà et al., 2019), 
processfolios (Silveira et al., 2017), video analysis 
(Hollingsworth & Clarke, 2017), microblogging 
(Krutka et al., 2014), conversation analysis with 
action research (Hale et al., 2018), reflective 
interviews (Wetzel et al., 2018), and video 
reflections, (Gröschner et al., 2018).  Other very 
common reflective methods include journal 
writing (LaBoskey, 1994), portfolios (Wade & 
Yarbrough, 1996), narrative writing (Van 
Halen-Faber, 1997), interpersonal seminars 

Abst ract  

Although research on teacher reflection is vast, research on preservice teachers? (PSTs) use of social 
media and multimodal reflections is minimal.  This study provides greater understanding into how 
PSTs used Instagram as a platform for engaging in reflection.  Throughout an academic year, a group 
of fourteen PSTs used Instagram several times each week to reflect on their field experience rather 
than writing a reflective paper.  I propose that the participants in this study were photoreflecting, 
which is the process of deep consideration as one transmediates images and print language.  The 
participants in this study photoreflected by (a) photojournaling, (b) noticing, (c) noticing and 
extending, (d) noticing and problem solving, and (e) noticing and changing.  Participants 
photojournaled the most and noticed and changed the least

mailto:mbillen@csufresno.edu


BILLEN|  #LEARNINGTOREFLECT

(Zeichner & Liston, 1987) and in-depth 
observations (Andrew & Teitelbaum, 1983).   

The practical strategies listed above, though 
beneficial in many regards, do lack several key 
components and may be connected to the 
critiques identified earlier.  First, the reflective 
strategies described above may lack an emotional 
element (Akbari, 2007). Second, the strategies also 
seem to be disconnected from teachers? lived 
experience (Dewey, 1938).  Some have suggested 
that pre-service teachers (PSTs) dread sitting down 
to write (Bolin, 1990; Yinger & Clark, 1981), and I 
wonder if some strategies may be ?forced 
reflection? (Beauchamp, 2015, p. 127).  Third, the 
reflective assignments most often used in teacher 
education programs have a narrow focus and do 
not seem to holistically consider the individual. 
Additionally, an apparent absence of visual 
literacies and multimodal literacies (Walsh, 2015) is 
seen by the heavy use of alphabetic text, prose, 
and aural communication to represent deep 
thoughts.  Visual data ?evokes deeper elements of 
human consciousness that do words? (Harper, 
2010, p. 13), yet through my research, mainly 
prose has been used to elicit PST reflection.  Third 
the structure of reflective assignments does seem 
hierarchal and may include too few reflective 
moments (McCaleb et al., 1992).  For instance, 
engaging in a seminar or interview several times 
throughout a semester may not be frequent 
enough for ongoing reflection. 

As a teacher educator, I believe that engaging my 
PSTs in ongoing reflection is worthwhile. Before 
engaging in this study, however, I did not feel that 
common practices were an effective medium for 
deep thought.  Not only did my PSTs dread their 
current journal writing, they hurriedly completed 
the weekly task without thinking much about what 
they were writing and confessed it was ?forced 
reflection? (Beauchamp, 2015).  I set out to find a 
better way.  I sought a practice that would allow 
individuals to engage in real reflection that was 
connected to their life, that more holistically 
considered the emotional aspect of individuals, 
and operated in a nonhierarchical community. 

With the understanding that seven-in-ten 
Americans use social networking sites (SNS) 
regularly and 71 percent of Americans ages 18-24 
use Instagram (Smith & Anderson, 2018), I 
considered the use of a SNS as a platform for 
reflection. Instagram, a photo sharing mobile 
device app, seemed to have the potential to elicit 
real reflection and widen the reflective process to 
include emotion.  Additionally, Instagram is heavily 
focused on sharing visual data, a mode that 
seemed to be lacking in typical reflective work. 

In this article, I discuss the project and findings 
from a yearlong study wherein I engaged PSTs in 
Instagram throughout their field study.  The 
purpose of this qualitative study was to better 
understand the reflective journey of 14 PSTs in the 
midst of a yearlong education internship.  More 
specifically, I sought to better understand how 
using Instagram might influence reflective practice. 
I sought to answer the question, in what ways do 
PSTs reflect using photos on Instagram? I begin 
this article by reviewing literature in regards to 
teacher reflection, Instagram and multimodal 
literacies.  Next, I describe the details of the 
project.  Next, I discuss the qualitative results that 
describe how PSTs reflected on Instagram.  
Additionally, I introduce the term that emerged 
from this work, photoreflecting.  I conclude by 
arguing that the practical implementation of 
reflection should be considered in teacher 
education programs. 

Review  of  Lit erat ure

Reflection

Teacher reflection can be considered the ?hallmark 
of professional competence? (Larrivee, 2008, p. 
341) and some have argued that without 
reflection, teachers would remain stagnant (Fuller 
& Brown, 1975). Although it is clear that the term 
reflection is a popular term used by educators, 
what one actually means when using the term is 
less clear (Beauchamp, 2015). In this section, I 
review some scholars have defined reflection and 
how I define reflection in this study.

Reflection as thought

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Many consider Dewey (1910; 1938) to be the 
pioneer of reflection in education.  With his 
landmark publication, How We Think, Dewey 
argued that one reflects in order to understand 
their surroundings.  The process of reflection, 
according to Dewey (1938) is a meaning making 
process that includes reorganizing and 
reconstructing experiences.  Dewey (1938) also 
explains that while reflecting, individuals make a 
distinction between the actual experience and the 
experiencing, or the how one experiences.  
Similarly, Zeichner and Liston (1987) defined 
reflective action as ?the active, persistent, and 
careful consideration of any belief or supposed 
form of knowledge . . .? (p. 24).  Dewey (1910) and 
Zeichner and Liston (1987) specifically describe 
reflection as a thought process and careful 
consideration.  Other scholars have extended and 
added to these definitions. 

Reflection as thought and action

Osterman (1990) maintained that reflection is 
problem oriented in that individuals are prompted 
by a problem then engage in a ?dialectic process of 
thought and action? (p. 134) then seek to improve 
or develop one?s craftsmanship.  Similarly, Hatton 
and Smith (1995) also connect reflection to 
becoming more effective in one?s practice.  
Reflection is ?deliberate thinking about action with 
a view to its improvement? (p. 40). Though Dewey 
(1910; 1938) and Zeichner and Liston (1987) 
focused on reflection as understanding the world 
through thought, Hatton and Smith (1995) and 
Osterman (1990) posited that reflection entails 
improvement and action. 

Schön (1983) is well recognized for his 
foundational work on reflection and action as he 
clarified the definition of practitioners.  
Practitioners are constantly solving problems while 
engaged in their craft and become ? . . . a 
researcher in . . . practice . . .? (p. 68). Schön 
identified that practitioners reflect and research 
while they are engaged and after they have 
engaged in their craft, coining the terms 
reflection-in-action and reflection-on-action.   

Schön (1987) argued that professionals 
harmoniously combine reflection and action to 
solve problems by problem setting, enduring a 
state of puzzlement, reflecting, and experimenting.  
This cyclical process, posed by Schön, involves 
reflection and action.  However, in order for one to 
engage in problem setting, the individual must 
?buil[d] up a repertoire of examples, images, 
understandings, and actions? (p. 138).  This 
repertoire of images greatly influences reflection 
and stands at the foundation of problem setting.  
For an individual cannot reflect about a problem 
that he has not noticed.  

Reflection as critical

Critical reflection, which ?may be described as the 
type of thinking that serves to challenge notions of 
prior learning? (p. 51) occurs when one questions 
personal beliefs, goals, or expectations. Some 
posit that a major component of reflection should 
be critical, so that teachers are developing cultural 
critical consciousness (Gay & Kirkland, 2010), are 
reflecting on culturally relevant pedagogy 
(Ladson-Billings, 1994), and recognize that 
teaching is not a neutral act (Howard, 2003).  

Smyth (1989) argued that reflection should be 
critical and identified four steps in which to engage 
teachers including, (a) describe, (b) inform, (c) 
confront and (d) reconstruct.  Francis (1995) also 
posited that an additional step should be added to 
the work of Smyth (1989)? challenging beliefs and 
changing action, arguing that actual change of 
beliefs is part of the critical reflection process.  

Although the term reflection is clearly common in 
education, the way in which we define the term is 
less clear.  In the preceding section, I identified 
that reflection can be defined as deep 
consideration, as change and action, whether it is 
in action or on action and reflection can also be a 
vehicle to think critically and change beliefs.  
Throughout this study, reflection was understood 
as consideration, active, and critical.

Instagram

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Dewey (1938) discussed the importance of 
connecting life experience to educational 
experience. He argued that education should be as 
closely related to the ?actual life-experience of 
some individual? (p. 89).  With current 
technological advances, it is true that actual life 
experience of many students now involves avid 
use of social network sites (SNS) (Lup et al., 2015).  
SNS include Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and 
Instagram, which are virtual collections of personal 
profiles that can be shared with others (Hughes et 
al., 2012).  

In June 2018, Instagram, a mobile-based photo and 
video sharing SNS, reached 1 billion users, quickly 
surpassing the growth rates of other popular SNS 
including Facebook and Snapchat, a drastic 
increase from the conception of Instagram that 
launched on October 6, 2010. In eight years, 
Instagram grew to a worldwide app with 1 billion 
monthly users, 500 million daily users, with 50 
billion photos shared total (Constine, 2018).

 Instagram users between the ages of 18- 34 
account for 65% of the 1 billion Instagram users 
(Statistica, 2019).  It is very likely that typical college 
aged teacher candidates use Instagram regularly 
and it is very much a part of their actual life 
experience (Dewey, 1938).  Besides being directly 
connected to most young people?s actual life, SNS 
have affordances. SNS can encourage learning 
outside of the classroom, give students purpose in 
creating content, and allow student collaboration 
(Krutka & Carpenter, 2016). In addition, SNS offer 
multimodal texts as it includes images, aural, and 
print (Walsh, 2010).

Multimodal Literacies

In a technologically advanced world wherein 
individuals are constantly constructing, designing, 
and reading messages with print, aural, and visual 
information, it is clear why new literacies (Leu et 
al., 2004) and multiliteracies, (New London Group, 
1996) have become an important component of 
educational research.  Additionally, the term 
multimodal, which means multiple modes of 
communication, including, reading, writing, talking, 

listening, and viewing, has become a common 
term (Walsh, 2010).  Though print writing has been 
a common mode of communication for the past 
several centuries the advancement of technology 
has added additional layers to the way in which we 
communicate (Kress, 1998). In addition to print, we 
communicate with visuals (Bailey & Van Harken, 
2014), photos and selfies (Bakhshi et al., 2014), 
emojis (Doiron, 2018), hashtags (Veletsianos & 
Kimmons, 2016), and videos (Hu et al., 2014). This 
is not to say that before technology, print was the 
only form of communication.  Visuals, for example, 
have been connected with print for many years; 
however, the ease with which we can create 
multimodal text with technology has made 
multimodal texts even more prevalent (Kress, 
1998).  

The specific use and benefits of visual images has 
been considered and researched by many 
scholars (Lemon, 2007; Kress, 1998; New London 
Group, 1996; Siegel, 1995).  Siegel (1995) stated,

Immersed in a world of words of our own 
making, we have come to regard our reliance 
on language as natural and, in doing so, fail to 
recognize that they are multiple ways of 
knowing? music, dance, visual arts, and so 
on? each of which offers a distinctive way of 
making meaning. (p. 456)

Although there are many ways of knowing and 
constructing meaning, most classrooms remain 
?deeply rooted in a verbocentric ideology? (p. 473).  
However, after studying children?s drawings, Siegel 
posited that when one uses signs to express 
meaning and knowledge, one understands 
concepts on a deeper level. Transmediation, she 
argues, is the reason for this deeper 
understanding. Transmediation is the process of 
?translating meanings from one sign system to 
another? (p. 455), which encourages more 
?opportunities to engage in generative and 
reflective thinking because learners must invent a 
connection between the two sign systems, as the 
connection does not exist a priori? (p. 455).  
Through transmediation, individuals generate new 
ideas and engage in reflective thinking because 

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they are inventing and creating meaning.  In 
discussing the findings of Siegel (1995), Bailey and 
Van Harken (2014), explained that transmediation 
affords individuals ?an expanded way to 
comprehend and learn? (p. 242).   Similarly, Kress 
(1998) specifically discussed the connection of 
images and verbal language arguing that visuals 
extend meaning of language and when engaging 
with multiple modes, one is required to think more 
deeply in the process.  When individuals are 
afforded the opportunity to engage in 
transmediation of multimodal texts, individuals 
may think more deeply about the topic at hand.  

Met hodology

The purpose of this qualitative study was to better 
understand the reflective journey of fourteen 
pre-service teachers engaged in a yearlong 
elementary internship. This research focused on 
better understanding human experience through 
non-numerical, language data (Denzin & Lincoln, 
1998).  More specifically, a qualitative researcher 
focuses on understanding what participants 
identify as important and worthwhile through the 
participants? words, experiences, and stories.  This 
particular study focused on participants? words 
and stories through the use of photographs and 
sought to understand lived experience over time 
(Willman, 2008).  

Photovoice is a qualitative methodology that 
allows participants to tell their story from their 
own perspective through the use of photographs.  
It is a participant action research methodology 
based on the concept that individuals are the true 
experts on their own life (Wang, 2006). This study 
is heavily influenced by photovoice methodology 
but does not perfectly align with the stated goals 
(Wang & Burris, 1997) or photovoice steps that 
have been identified (Wang, 2006). The purpose of 
photos in this study is to understand the 
participants? stories and reflections but does not 
focus on reaching policymakers or stakeholders. 
As participant researcher, the participants and I 
constructed reality together as the investigation 
unfolded (Guba & Lincoln, 1994).  

Participants and Setting

The participants in this study was a cohort of 
fourteen PSTs attending a large university in the 
southeastern part of the United States working 
toward a master?s degree and a credential as part 
of a nationally ranked five-year degree program. 
The participants completed a yearlong internship, 
working in an elementary classroom under the 
direction of a mentor teacher four days a week 
and attended university classes one day per week.  
As I sought to construct reality together with the 
participants, I worked closely with the participants 
throughout the week as a coach in the field and 
met with them in classes on Fridays at the 
university. However, I was not their instructor or 
professor.  The mean age of the participants was 
21.  There were 13 females and one male. The 
participants were split between three local 
elementary schools.   

Procedures

While working with PSTs, I began wondering when 
teacher candidates had the opportunity to reflect 
and in what ways they reflected.  After interviewing 
the participants about their current reflective 
practice, I held a training seminar for the 
participants where I introduced Instagram and 
discussed privacy and ethics. After receiving IRB 
approval, approval from the elementary schools, I 
asked the participants to discontinue the use of 
their web-based journal (previously used in their 
program) and use Instagram to document their 
experiences.  The PSTs created private accounts 
and followed each member of the cohort.  I asked 
the PST to regularly post photos (3-5 per week) 
from August - May.  Every Friday, the cohort would 
come to class and discuss the photos from the 
week. Throughout the school year, the following 
data sources were collected.  

Data Sources

This qualitative study is ethnographic in nature, 
and included observations, interviews, and 
documents.  As a participant observer, I collected 
field notes and wrote analytic memos during or 
after all observations throughout the year.  

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Participants were observed weekly in the field at 
their particular school site.  This included 
observation of the participant?s teaching as well as 
conversation in lesson debriefing.  I also engaged 
in participant observation weekly on Fridays 
throughout the school year in the university 
setting. This resulted in over 50 pages of field 
notes. In addition to multiple observations 
collected each week, I conducted two rounds of 
individual interviews during the course of the year, 
in November and April. Semi structured interviews 
included the use of photo elicitation techniques 
(Samuels, 2004) where I used participant photos 
and asked individuals to expound upon the 
pictures. This resulted in 60 hours of recorded 
interviews.  I also collected many documents on 
Instagram throughout the year.  Documents 
included photos, captions about the photos and 
comments from peers.  On average, each 
participant uploaded three photos per school 
week from August through May.  This resulted in 
over 1,800 photos and captions. 

Data Analysis

As a participant researcher, I engaged in informal 
analysis throughout the data collection process as 
I decided what to include, what to pay close 
attention to and what to ignore (Hatch, 2002).  All 
data sources (observations, interview transcripts, 
documents) were uploaded to a qualitative 
software package for formal analysis.  I engaged in 
formal analysis of all data toward the completion 
of the project in May.  All informal and formal 
analysis is inextricably related and influenced from 
the lens in which I view this work.  

During formal analysis, I commenced with specific, 
particular observations and moved to general, 
explanatory statements.   I placed codes into the 
data and interpreted the data through my own 
understanding of what was occurring, while 
constantly checking with participants to ensure 
correct representation. I did this in three phases 
(a) coding (b) analytic memos and (c) categories.  I 
started by viewing all data sources and assigning in 
vivo codes (Saldaña, 2009) to the data. In vivo 
codes highlight the actual words of the 

participants.  For examples, if a participant said, 
?This is a photo of a stack of worksheets that I saw 
my teacher copy for the week.  I feel frustrated 
with the amount of worksheets I have seen.?  I 
assigned an in vivo code of ?frustrated with 
worksheets?.  After assigning in vivo codes, I 
continued in inductive analysis by continuing to 
move to more general statements.  I took in vivo 
codes and noted descriptive codes as I sought to 
condense the participants? words into shorter 
words and phrases.  During all coding, I kept a 
word processing document of analytic memos 
open to explore my thoughts and wonderings.  
This included disjointed sentences, bullet points, 
and questions that I considered.  Through coding 
and analytic memos, I moved from codes to 
broader categories. Throughout all coding and 
memo writing, I constantly considered my 
positionality, my influence on the participants, and 
my assumptions, and how each affected the 
participants, data, and research findings. During 
Friday conversations and interviews, I engaged 
participants in member checking to continually 
ensure accurate interpretations (Guba & Lincoln, 
1994). 

Result s 

In this study, I sought to answer the question, in 
what ways do PSTs reflect using photos on 
Instagram? 

How Teachers Reflected

Through careful analysis, I created several larger 
categories that described how the PSTs in this 
study reflected. The PSTs engaged in (a) 
photojournaling, (b) noticing, (c) noticing and 
extending, (d) noticing and problem solving, and 
(e) noticing and changing.  

Photojournaling. Throughout the year, participants 
often reported what they had done that day or 
documented an event.  This category, 
photojournaling, included all photos, comments, 
and captions where individuals explicated events 
from the day or an event.  These often started with 
the words ?Today I? ? and included pictures from 
events.  For instance, Barbie (all names are 

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pseudonyms) posted a photo (see Figure 1) and 
stated, ?Today we had the students read their 
spooky stories to the class . . . We also turned off 
the lights and had spooky music playing in the 
background as student read them! #halloween?.  
Barbie took a photo of an experience in her day 
and felt that it was noteworthy to share on 
Instagram. The purpose of this post was to 
document an event and to share an idea with 
peers.  Subsequently, at the university setting a 
few days later, peers talked about the practical 
idea and discussed similar ideas to encourage the 
sharing of student writing.  

Similarly, Charlotte posted about an unsettling 
experience with a child in her class by taking a 
picture of a necklace (see Figure 1) that had been 
worn by a student and detailing the story in her 
photo caption.  A child had, in the middle of class, 
taken the necklace and began repeatedly twisting 
the necklace until he was choking himself.  This 
event was memorable to Charlotte as she had 
experienced something uncomfortable for the first 
time.  In a like manner, Pat posted a photo of 
glasses and described a child who had a fit, threw 
his glasses and stepped on them and Josie 
experienced mixed emotions when her mentor 
teacher was absent (see Figure 1). Each of the 
posts and conversations that were considered 
photojournaling, included a description of an 
event but did not include analysis, questions, or 
other considerations. 

Noticing. In addition to recording events, 
participants also noticed things about their 
experiences and surroundings.  These posts and 
conversations were different from photojournaling 
because they did not explain an event, rather they 
were moments when the PSTs saw something, and 
thought, ?hmmm?.  The PSTs were trying to make 
sense of the new world in which they were a part 
(that of teaching).   

Kimberly noticed something interesting when 
working with a young girl in her class who speaks 
German.  While observing the girl encode a 
sentence on a whiteboard (see Figure 2), Kimberly  

Figure 1
Photoreflecting

noticed that the girl?s accent influenced the way 
she invented spelling.  Kimberly photographed the 
child?s writing and captioned that it was very 
interesting that the girl?s accent influenced her 
spelling. Kimberly saw something that influenced 
her to stop, get her phone, take a picture, and 
consider but she did not extend her thoughts.  

Likewise, Erin noticed some tension in a spelling 
program that was required in her school.  She 
noted, ?Planning a spelling lesson, 
#lessonsdontflow mentor doesn?t like the flow 
either, but this is what he was given and was told 
to use.? She posted a picture of the spelling 
textbook (see Figure 2). In this instance, Erin 
noticed a dilemma in teaching? when teachers are 
asked to implement a program that does not 
coincide with their desires.  Erin did not extend 
this thought to what, specifically, she wasn?t 
pleased with, or how it could be improved; she 
simply made an observation and recorded this 
observation. This noticing was different from a 
photojournaling post wherein the procedural 
information from an event was explicated. 
Likewise, Pat noticed a standardized test question 
(see Figure 2) that asked the child to choose a 

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picture that most closely aligned with a good 
citizen.  He stated, ?Basically, our students must be 
able to share the same opinion as the test makers. 
Just interesting.?  Pat noticed that the question was 
bias but did not extend this noticing with an 
opinion or question. Additionally, Moxie posted a 
photo from the first day of school of two chairs 
that were away from the other chairs and noticed 
that two children were already being treated 
differently while Leslie noticed that a child at her 
school was picked up from school by a tractor (see 
Figure 2).

Figure 2 

Noticing

Noticing and extending.  There were times that PSTs 
noticed something and extended their noticing 
through commenting or wondering. In each of 
these instances, the PSTs did not stop at their 
noticing.  For example, Camille noticed something 
disheartening when she visited a nearby 
elementary school.  She noticed that the students 
in fifth grade were doing a lot of seatwork and 
were completing multiple worksheets.  She took 
out her phone one morning and photographed the 
stack of worksheets that the students would be 
completing throughout the next week.  In this 
moment, Camille did not just simply notice that 
large stack of papers (see Figure 3), she noticed it, 

photographed it, and extended with an opinion.  
Camille commented, 

?I'm really struggling with giving so many 
worksheet that really aren't helpful in learning. I 
know that sometimes worksheets are great! It 
shows what kids know or what they struggle on. 
But school can't just be worksheets.? Camille 
noticed something uncomfortable and extended 
this noticing with an opinion.  

PSTs also extended their noticing by creating 
wonderings.  Josie posted a photo of student work 
comparing a student?s writing growth over a 
period of time, wondering about what influenced 
the student?s writing growth (see Figure 3).  Ella 
noticed a child copying down words and 
repetitively writing the word and wondered if it 
was appropriate for the child. Leslie posted a 
picture of a post it and wondered how to instill 
confidence in a child when a student?s mother had 
called her stupid and Camille posted a picture of a 
child?s necklace that said ?MOM? and wondered 
about the child?s academics while her mother was 
terminally ill (see Figure 3). PSTs extended their 
noticings by commenting and questioning. 

Figure 3 
Noticing and Extending

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Noticing and problem solving.  Many times 
throughout the year, PSTs noticed a specific 
problem and created a possible solution for the 
dilemma. Some problems were specific to 
classroom management issues, some involved 
student learning, and others included teaching 
ideas.  Charlotte recorded a possible solution for 
student learning when she noticed something 
about a particular emergent bilingual student who 
was confident in math but was less confident in 
literacy.  She posted a picture of the student?s 
math work and stated, ?I am thinking that we need 
to focus on literacy during math through word 
problems with more complex math.  This will still 
challenge him in math but focus on his need in 
literacy.?  Charlotte identified a possible solution to 
something that she noticed.  

At times, the PSTs reflected while they were in the 
process of solving a problem.  Holly noted that she 
did not feel comfortable asking her fifth grade 
students to sit down in their desks and popcorn 
read a textbook, as she had seen her mentor 
teacher do, but she was commissioned to teach 
the textbook.  She took a picture of the textbook 
with a blank piece of paper next to it (see Figure 4) 
noting that she did not know how to solve this 
problem but was beginning the process.  Similarly, 
Khloe noticed children wanted to speak out a lot 
and wondered if popsicle sticks could be used to 
call on children.  And Rebekah posted a photo of a 
verb poster from a lesson that did not go well and 
began considering how to solve the problem (see 
Figure 4). Notice that in each of these instances, 
the PST did not reflect upon actual change.  
Rather, they were reflecting about problems and 
possible solutions.  

Noticing and changing.  Lastly, the participants in 
this study reflected about actual change in their 
practice. The PSTs noticed something; problem 
solved and changed their practice.  Moxie, while 
teaching in a kindergarten class, noticed that one 
student was unable to sit in his seat during 
independent work time (see Figure 5).  She stated, 
?So yesterday I tried sitting him in this rocking 
chair at his own private table, and the difference  

Figure 4 
Noticing and problem solving

Figure 5 
Noticing and changing

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was almost insane! He sat quietly, finished the 
assignment without getting up, and seemed 
focused on his work?.  Moxie noted a puzzling 
situation and changed her practice. Additionally, 
Erin noticed that the textbook she was expected to 
teach lacked authenticity and was disconnected 
from her students.  So rather than continuing, she 
taught the content with the children?s favorite 
lunches and their birthdays (see Figure 5). 
Likewise, Rebekah changed her practice to include 
student interest (chapstick) and Camille changed 
her science practice to include literacy (see Figure 
5).  

Throughout the year, the PSTs engaged in multiple 
ways of reflecting.  Although all participants 
reflected in each of the five ways throughout the 
study, some reflective techniques were used more 
frequently than others.  I separated the Instagram 
posts to find out the frequency in which the PSTs 
used each coded reflection.  For example, 
photojournaling was coded the most with 583 
codes, and noticing and changing was coded the 
least with 152 (see Table 1).  

Table 1 
Frequency of Teachers' Reflections

Discussion

Although research on teacher reflection is vast, 
research on PSTs use of SNS and multimodal 
reflections is minimal. This study provided greater 
understanding into how PSTs used Instagram as a 
platform for engaging in reflection and why PSTs 
felt it was an appropriate mode.  I propose that the 
participants in this study were photoreflecting, 
which is the process of deep consideration as one 
transmediates images and print language.   
Photoreflecting includes (a) photojournaling, (b) 
noticing, (c) noticed and extending, (d) noticing and 
problem solving, and (e) noticing and changing.  

In section two of this article, I introduced how 
scholars have conceptualized reflection including, 
reflection as thought (Dewey 1910; 1938), 
reflection as thought and action (Schön, 1983), and 
reflection as critical (Smyth, 1989). The participants 
in this study engaged in reflection similarly.  The 
participants showed that they were engaging in 
thought as they noticed new information such as 
their environment or teaching strategies.  The 
participants also showed that reflection was also 
connected to action as they noticed and changed 
their practice.  Additionally, the PSTs also began to 
engage in critical reflection as they noticed and 
extended through questioning.  It seems that the 
way in which PSTs in this study reflected was 
similar to how refection has been theorized. 

Although the actual content of PST reflection was 
not qualitatively different than reflection literature, 
the way they represented their thoughts was 
unique.  The participants in this study engaged in 
photoreflection through different mediums 
including, visual, aural, and print representation 
(Walsh, 2010).  They used visuals to represent 
reflective thought, wrote reflective text, and then 
communicated about the images and text through 
interpersonal interactions.  In this way, 
participants were reflecting multimodally. In fact, 
the participants even explained that at times they 
felt they didn?t need words at all; the image alone 
was a form of reflection for them.  This realization 
is a promising first step in envisioning classrooms 
where ?verbocentric ideologies? (Siegel, 1995, p. 

Reflective Technique Frequency Percentage

Photojournaling 583 22%

Noticing 471 18%

Noticing and Extending 608 23%

Noticing and Commenting 449 17%

Noticing and Questioning 159 6%

Noticing and Problem Solving 186 7%

Noticing and Changing 152 5%

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BILLEN|  #LEARNINGTOREFLECT

473) are put to the side and alternate views of 
communication are celebrated. 

The participants actively translated meanings from 
images, texts, and speech, a process known as 
transmediation (Siegel, 1995).  Although the 
participants did not use the words multimodal or 
transmediation in their conversations and 
interviews, they constantly highlighted the 
strength of incorporating visuals, text, and 
conversation and how it added to their reflective 
thought.  They also discussed how images took on 
new meanings over time and how when viewing 
their peers? images, a participant would engage in 
different reflective thought than the peer who 
posted the image.  In other words, as participants 
?invent[ed] a connection between the two sign 
systems? (Siegel, 1995, p. 455), different individuals 
invented new connections. 

Conclusion

What is the purpose of engaging PSTs in reflection?  
If the purpose is to encourage individuals to craft a 
well-written essay that they care very litt le about, 
will never go back and read, and won?t discuss with 
their colleagues? then writing essays and 
reflective journal, entries could be a good option.  
If our purpose in encouraging reflective practice is 
to encourage teachers to build up a ?repertoire of 
examples, images, understandings, and actions? 
(Schön, 1987, p. 138), ask why questions (Smyth, 
1989), and connect thoughts to action (Zeichner & 
Liston, 1987), then we should consider if our 
practical implications match these goals. Although, 
simply changing the way in which we encourage 
reflective practice is not enough in the quest to 
creating teacher education programs that prepare 
teachers to enter the field and enact social justice 
practices (Mcdonald & Zeichner, 2009).  However, 
seeking reflective practices that (a) engage PSTs in 
real reflection, (b) holistically involve the individual, 
and (c) discourage hierarchical reflective patterns 
is worthwhile (Beauchamp, 2015). 

?

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