I did not know what I was getting into when I first applied to join PLP (Performance Learning Program) in 2020. At the time, my two childhood best friends (Ava and Sabrina) were both interested in applying, so I decided to hop on the bandwagon. 

“Why not?” I had thought to myself. “That looks fun. It’s not like I’m signing up for a cult.”

Oh boy. Famous last words.

The only area of the PLP website I had navigated through at that point was the application process. I did not know what PBL (project-based learning) was or how to use an iPad, never mind in an educational context. I had never even owned an Apple device in my entire life.

Sabrina, Myself, and Ava (First day of Grade 8)

When I applied to join PLP, nobody was wearing masks as of yet. I remember tugging at the sleeves of my hoodie, and trying not to sound too nervous during my application interview with Ms. Willemse and Mr. Hughes. However, when I walked in on my first day of Grade 8 in 2020, there was not a single person without a mask.

For context, the goal of our first PLP 11 project was to apply rhetorical analysis and use our writing skills so as to communicate purposefully to an audience of PLP 8 students. We were meant to inspire, assert ourselves as good role models, and provide guidance through the power of written text. Which, if you know anything about writing and being a role model, is easier said than done. There’s irony in that we begun the year in Humanities talking about the power of words, meanwhile in Pre-calculus 11, we begun the year talking about the power of numbers (radicals and exponents).

This project truly resonated with me because it reminded me of how far I have come since I was in Grade 8. It’s odd how you never quite realize how much you’ve grown until you reflect back on your past experiences – which I suppose is the entire point of these blog posts. I realized I had grown a lot more than I previously realized, albeit… not vertically. My hardly 5’0 self has been a constant throughout my high school experience, haha.

Throughout the project, we applied a specific writing method in order to improve the quality of our work. This method included the following:

1. Pre-write: This is where idea generation, collecting sources, and planning starts.
2. Draft: Write a draft, or rather a starting point in advance of your final product.
3. Revise: Make changes based off self-critique, peer feedback, or even guidance from your teachers.
4. Publish: Your text is now ready to be published, presented, or handed in. You did it!

Our first time experimenting with the pre-writing process was on the topic of Grade 11. This process allowed me to first brainstorm some thoughts surrounding Grade 11, then express them in a free-write that was authentic to my own experiences. 

Pre-write Sticky Notes

When given a writing prompt or topic that I have a strong connection with, I frequently feel as though the sentences end up writing themselves. The words come naturally, rather than leading to the awkward fumbling and re-wording of sentences that writing can oftentimes be. The level of my own passion and emotions surrounding a topic directly affects how my voice shines through in my writing. For this reason, this particular free-write activity feels reflective of who I am, and my initial thoughts entering Grade 11 – and ended up being the inspiration behind my finalized letter later in the project.

My Free-write

➡️ View complete Pre-write Experiment reflection

Rhetoric.

A word likely to cause many a PLP 11 student to groan, cringe, or sigh in agitation. Whether we like it or not, understanding the rhetorical situation is integral to formulating a strong piece of writing. However, knowing that does not make it any easier.

We practiced using rhetorical analysis in order to create a cohesive and strong piece of academic writing; a slightly different context than writing a letter to a younger student.

Our topic for this written assignment was: “Why is PLP a good choice for students?”

Academic Writing Paragraph

➡️ View complete Academic Writing Process

➡️ View completed Writing Journal

It was admittedly difficult for me to write my paragraph. I have firsthand experience being a PLP learner (what a surprise), and whether my teachers appreciate it or not, I do have opinions on varying aspects of the program. I do believe PLP is a good choice for students, however I also believe it depends on the individual and their learning style. I have witnessed contexts in which technology and PBL managed to further an individual’s learning, and contexts wherein it only managed to create more distractions.

Of course, this was an academic writing assignment of a more formal nature, and therefore my individual opinions were not necessarily irrelevant in this context, but did have less of a priority. Instead, I supported my argument using reputable sources from the internet of which had indisputable relevance. I was not satisfied with the initial few drafts of my letter due to the problems I could see in my own writing. Often, I find that I’m overly self-critical of my own work, though being able to look at my own work with a critical eye has proved to aid me in consistently producing quality work.

After a few rounds of revision and peer feedback from my friends (Special thanks to Fraser, Nolan, and Teva!), I reached a version that was satisfactory enough to hand in. It was easier to approach writing the first draft when I acknowledged it was less about writing a strong paragraph off the bat, and more about getting my ideas on the page.

➡️ View My Letter to Grade 8

➡️ View Letter Writing Process

I have mixed feelings about my letter. Although it gives voice to thoughts and experiences that had been on my mind since we were first introduced to the project, I was hesitant about how much it necessarily fit the criteria of the assignment. My letter seemed like it was far too long for a grade 8 audience, despite the careful spacing and concise wording I attempted to implement within my writing. It also felt as though the topic itself might have been more mature or serious than one would have expected given the nature of the assignment. It was obvious that my letter was a written text meant to advise or target a very specific demographic of students – those similar to who I was when I was first starting out in high school, especially because I approached it with the attitude of what I thought I needed to hear at that age. This could be problematic in the sense that it may alienate grade 8 students who aren’t overachievers or simply never really cared about academics. On top of all that, I also felt unsure as to how comfortable I was sharing the experiences that I did within my letter.

I was on the verge of completely scrapping my first letter draft, when I instead went to my friend, Ava. She offered a different perspective on my letter and reassured me that my letter wasn’t as ill-fitting as I thought, despite the anxieties I was experiencing. This alleviated a lot of my worries, and made me feel more confident in the risk I was taking with my letter; especially since it was of a more personal nature than the assignment necessarily called for. Other friends of mine responded similarly with support and helpful advice.

I honestly think that the reason why I ultimately ended up going ahead with my original letter concept was because I felt strongly about the topic itself, and the reassurances I received from my friends made me more confident in doing so. My letter included affirmations that I believe I really needed to hear at that age, and the thought of having the chance to say those things to someone who needs it, and choosing not to truly felt like it would have been a missed opportunity.

Haiku Writing Exercise & Definition of Leadership

I didn’t end up revising my letter nearly as much as I had revised my piece of academic writing. This was partially due to time constraints, though also because of my need to keep the raw honesty, authenticity, and vulnerability that was seen in my first draft remain. At the beginning of the project, we were asked to define leadership. My definition for leadership was admittedly vague and simply put. However, when I now think about the leader and mentor figures that I have in my life, what stands out to me the most is the ability to openly be vulnerable, rather than adhering to the pressure of having to always put on a strong front. With these things in mind, I submitted my final letter to a grade 8, feeling a little lighter than I did when I first began this project.

“The pen is mightier than the sword.”

– Edward Bulwer-Lytton

Written text, when done effectively and with purpose, has a method of inspiring, communicating, and convincing, that can make mere actions fall short. I didn’t expect to feel so impacted by this project, as the goal was to effectively and purposefully influence an audience through our writing, rather than being influenced ourselves. Even so, I can’t help but believe that the past few weeks have allowed me to receive a sense of closure that I hadn’t even known I needed.

It’s bittersweet to end the first project of PLP 11 with the understanding that a chapter of my life is beginning to close – a chapter that those in PLP 8 have only just begun. However, I don’t think I would have preferred it any other way.