In my TPOL, I’ll talk about things I’ve succeeded in. But for this blog post, I want to explain some other things- some areas where I want to improve, and some things that will help me improve in those areas. 

The first, and most important thing, is what will help me improve. I think a huge thing that could help me improve in every area is from the 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens— Habit 2, Begin With The End in Mind. I’ve used this Habit a lot since I learned about it back in March. It means that you think about what you want your end product to be before you start the project. This helps you stay on track along the way. 

 

Next, I want to mention the project I most enjoyed creating this year— Chemistry Stories. I created this animation with Amelia B, based on how chemical bonds work between molecules. Now, I didn’t just enjoy this project because of the end product, because the process of creating this was really enjoyable. We really had free rein on the creative side. I loved choosing a genre- rom-com. We got to write a screenplay together, and play off each other’s strengths to make the script funnier and stronger. We got to storyboard these scenes we’d written, figuring out the best way to portray the moods of the scenes- funny, romantic, sad, etc. Then, we got to create the animation, and create the art we wanted to represent our story. This project, too, was on a really tight timeline— a week, to plan, write, and create! This quick deadline made us get more involved with the creation, and helped us to focus on it better than if we had been given several weeks to create it. I also really enjoyed what we did to our animations and our stories— combine them with another group’s story! This added another layer of complexity and plot detail that we hadn’t been able to come up with, and it helped us be creative with our stories. Then, I had the opportunity to help write this story— not a screenplay, a short story. It was an incredible opportunity, and I really appreciated the chance to develop my writing skills in that way. 

The area I want to improve in is the writing of my blog posts. I think I could improve here because sometimes I don’t plan out my blog posts beforehand, and they can end up messy or rambling, and I have to make many edits before they’re presentable. Some of my best blog posts are the ones that have clear outlines—such as my Scimatics blog posts, where I explain how I used four curricular competencies in each project. It’s important to use Habit 2, Begin with the End in Mind, here, and have a clear outline before I write them. I think that from here on out, I’ll definitely timeblock more time for outlining my blog posts, rather than starting with no clear goal in mind. 

I also want to talk about what the work we do in PLP really means to me. There are some things that I find very frustrating about it, but actually are very beneficial in the long run. One of these is the constant drafts, iterations, and changes we make to our projects. They can get very tiring, but they help me improve my work by a huge amount. I just need to work on being patient— with myself, and with others who are giving me feedback— so this won’t frustrate me as much anymore. Another thing about PLP that I find frustrating but is beneficial in the long run (and definitely the short run!) is the critique that we are given. Now, critique should be kind, helpful, and specific, but even good critique can be frustrating, as it would take a lot of work to make that change to my work. It’s important, though, to recognize when a critique can improve your project and whether it’s worth it to do all the work. (Spoiler alert: it usually is!) But like creating several drafts, critique is vital to good work, and I’m very glad I have the opportunity to receive critique in a classroom setting.

Finally, I want to reflect on this year. It’s been… a long year. I have created so many things this year that I am so proud of, and I am very glad that I was able to create them. I have grown my video skills immensely, since the start of the year. I always appreciate the chance to learn, and being in PLP is just the perfect opportunity for me. I believe that everything I’ve done this year is going to help me in the future, and has more than prepared me for the next grade level of PLP. 

Thanks for reading my blog post!