Daily Archives: June 19, 2017

Blue Sky

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For the past two months, we have been working on a project called Blue Sky. Blue Sky was created by a company called 3M, and has been used on a number of platforms since. It is a time period that companies give to employees to brainstorm and create an innovative invention!

For our projects, we had to come up with a problem for one of five demographics: Seniors, toddlers, babies, tweens and pets. I decided to go with pets, because I already had a problem I could fix. You see, lately, when my dog has been left unattended, she takes herself down to the beach. Because she is mostly left alone on the deck, I wanted to make something that would fit at the top of the stairs. I knew there were already things, like baby gates, that would slide up or down/left to right. I was thinking more collapsible, making it easier for people to get around. Once I pitched it to the teachers, and proved that it wasn’t already a thing, I got approved!

Once I got approved, started working on a design for it. I thought I had an idea that would work, but it didn’t. So I restarted, and with some critique, I got my idea.

I researched for a bit, and found what I thought to be the best materials. Got some interviews. So I started building!

https://youtu.be/G5iYcTtW0JI

Measuring, cutting, sawing, bending, glueing, etc was what followed. It took a while, but I was striving towards my goal.

https://youtu.be/LkwSlw_BbxA

https://youtu.be/Kmae_6OezzM

The first draft, made of cardboard, toothpicks and tissue paper, showed the basic idea. But I wanted to make it sturdier. So I tried wood. My second draft kept coming apart, but even when it wasn’t, it was not the right size. Numéro three, was blown up to twice the size. It was so big, that it wouldn’t support its own weight.

PLP is all about revision and edits, but sometimes things don’t work out the way you want them to. That is what happened to my Blue Sky. If i had more time, I probably would have done more drafts. I explained this all at the exhibition in the PLP Pet Store!

SLCs the second: TPOLs

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At the end of each year in PLP, we have another SLC. But it isn’t exactly a SLC. They are called TPOLs. A TPOL, or transitional presentation of learning, it where you show off what you have learned and how you are ready for next year. So of course, blogging!

At the start of the year, I was a little grade 8 with an iPad that I barely knew how to use. Now I am the techy in my family who’s been to Oregon, came second in a provincial tournament, and learned so much about growth mindset that I didn’t get upset when my final project bombed. PLP has taught me so much, it is awesome.

To show my improvement, I pull upon the exhibitions. At the winter exhibition, I was super nervous, and my work wasn’t my best work. I didn’t think I would have enough Ike to do a huge thing, so I didn’t. I had to explain a lot of my project every time someone came. It wasn’t a total bust, but it definitely showed that this was my first exhibition.

For the spring exhibition, we had a lot more time to do things. Approval, for me anyways, seemed a lot easier. Working, I tried my hardest to make it work. And when it didn’t work, I didn’t freak out, because from the learning we got in the growth mindset project. I knew that I shouldn’t be upset, because there is always a better and always a worse.

My favourite project of this year would probably be Destination Imagination. I know l used this in the first SLC, but I am so proud of how we did. This project helped me learn group working skills, because I wasn’t great at it at the beginning of school. Although we had a few hiccups, we came in SECOND!! And I am so proud of our team and all the Seycove teams!

In the category of growth mindset, here’s Scimathics. At the start of our finance project, I thought it was going to be so hard, and that I’d be bad. But as we continued on, it made more and more sense.

One thing I would like to improve upon for next year is my speaking skills. At the exhibitions, and various other events I have had to present at, I was always super nervous. I didn’t always know what to say, so I came off nervous. This can help me for presenting, but also if we have to do group projects, interviews, and things with other groups!

I have grown so much over the past year, and I am so proud of myself. I know I can get better, and I will strive do just that!