Hello and welcome to my second mPol (My presentation of learning)
As you may already know, instead of individually reflecting finished projects, Iāll be reflecting on my growth as a learner in the past semester. Although Iāve only had 1 PLP class for the past 4.5 months, Iāve also had 2 āregularā science and math classes Iāll talk about as well. I truly believe that this year was a new experience for me, and I am grateful for that.
Before I begin my presentation, Iād like to declare my declaration of learning.
Declaration of LearningĀ Ā Ā Ā Ā
Ā āThank you for coming to my presentation of learning. I am the expert on my own learning. I am also responsible and accountable for my own learning. You can expect me to give an honest evaluation of my progress. We will discuss my strengths and opportunities for growth. Thank you in advance for listening and for offering feedback that I can use to improve as a learner.ā
Ā Surprises and Challenges
Scimatics 9 was definitely an interesting class for me. I had a brand new teacher who was also brand new to the school and PLP. The class was rather slow moving and I found it pretty laid back. I never really liked the class Ā because I found that the information wouldnāt stick. Anyways, Science and Math 10 were like āwake upā types of classes. Both were very fast paced and there was A LOT of information to go over. If you missed 1 day, you missed a lot.
Science 10: š§Ŗ
Throughout the long semester we looked at many many topics from Biology to Nuclear chemistry. The style of teaching was questionable but it worked and I rather liked the class. I found the new things we learned mostly interesting because I quickly began to connections to the topics we learned in real life. As I said before, this class was a challenge adapting to and the things we learned were very different and much more complex compared to last year so obviously I went through some F.A.I.Ls (First Attempt In Learning)
My biggest FAILs and Successes this semester:
Successes:
- A deep understanding in certain scientific topics
- Creating quality sets of notes and finished assignments
- Keeping my work under control to avoid stress
- Confidence that Science 10 was a success
FAILs:
- Studying methods for tests and quizzes
- Amount of effort put into some assignments
- Focus
It was hard to work in this classroom at times because there were constant distractions all the time. It was hard enough toĀ sit for an hour and ten minutes listening to a man talk, but also the fact that I could be messing around with my friends during class was also tough.Ā I did however manage to finish assignments and labs with my Spanish international friend Pelayo. He was a great friend and classmate in this class and we helped each other reach the end with a pretty good mark. Below are some pictures of our labs, assignments, and notes
ā¬ļøExample of the work I completed in classā¬ļø
Math 10 š§®
The truth about Scimatics 9 is that we barely did any math. I remember more math from grade 8 than from grade 9. Brutal. So when Pre-calculus came around the corner, it was like a slap in the face. On our first day we were given a worksheet which was just to see where we were at. Iāll just put it this way, it was not a great start to the year. This class was also very fast paced which was frustrating at times. We would start a unit, the week after we would have a quiz, then we would start the next unit, and then a test for the previous unit. What I did really like was that my teacher Dr. Welch was really kind and supportive, probably one of the nicest teachers Iāve met. She would hand out progress reports every couple weeks and that really helped me stay on top of my work. It was a challenging class for me, but Iām glad I took it. Like in science, this class was really different and many different challenges were faced
My biggest FAILs and Successes this semester:
Successes:
- Deep understanding of new types of math
- Managing to adapt and solve my own issues regarding this class
- Prioritizing work over less important activities/tasks
FAILs:
- I could have asked more questions and guidance
- Didnāt feel very confident with asking for help
- Study methods
- Pressure/stress management
Like science, math was a hard class. The fast paced environment was hard to work with while learning complex math. I did however learn a lot in this class. To be honest, the backbone to my success was my dad because he would quickly learn the math himself and help me understand it better. There was no need for a tutor since my dad was putting in hours just so that I wouldnāt fall behind and watch my grade drop. I had several friends in this class who were also very supportive when I was lost which I also believe had a positive impact on my learning throughout the semester.
ā¬ļøExample of work i completed in classā¬ļø
Humanities 10 š
I had a slow start to Humanities at the beginning of the year. As October got closer, I was already prioritizing my math and science classes over humanities which wasnāt wrong but wasnāt great at the same time. I wasnāt making sloppy work or anything, I was just taking longer on handing assignments in which caused me to fall behind a little at times. Once I dialled in mid October, I was on top of my assignments and was happy with the results I was getting. I noticed that I liked the balance between regular classes and PLP clases because it gave me a variety which unfortunately will come to an end in semester 2 but Iām glad I had the experience.
My biggest FAILs and Successes this semester:
Successes:
- Creating quality work
- Learning topics I was interested by
- Managing to get back on track on my own
- Began getting grades I wasnāt seeing before š
FAILs:
- Started off on a slow start
- Occasionally slacking off
- Falling behind at times
This class was different compared to last year because I was now apart of a busier schedule and PLP wasnāt dominating my academic life. We managed to get through 3 projects, Gold Digger, Ology of Apology, and Romeo and Juliet which were fun and interesting in their own way. Iām happy with the way Iām finishing the semester because of all the things I learned and the time I spent with my friends during this class. I went from working on a shared document with Patrick all the way to filming Max Rās boat out in Deep Cove on a sunny evening.
Learning plan š
Like last year, I began grade 10 by writing my learning plan for this year. In grade 9 I didnāt really take ,my learning plan into consideration very much because I wasnāt completely sure what it was and what purpose it served. After looking back at last year, I had a much better sense as to what this meant and what it was meant to do. I took my time writing my learning plan because this year was the year I wanted try something new and make a change to my life, even if it was minimal. Although I didnāt check my learnig plan very often during the semester, I realized that I have been reaching most of my goals like choosing the environment around me. I chose to sit with people I wasnāt very close with to break the trend of been doing my whole life while still being around my friends at all times. I believe this really benefitted me because I am now more confident in asking for help and guidance and stepping up and being the āleaderā of our group. I managed to reconnect with people and make new friends by doing this so even though its a simple challenge, a lot came out of it for me.
My Demonstration of Revision, Responsibility, Teamwork, and Production of High Quality Work š§Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā
Be able to discuss your demonstrations of revision, teamwork, responsibility, andĀ production of high quality work as a PLP learner
This past semester I have shown demonstrations of revision, teamwork, responsibility, and production of high quality work but I personally found that, and this might sound wierd or selfish, but my responsibility stepped up when it came to keeping up, handling assignments in, and knowing what was going on in each of my classes drove me to the success I am experiencing as I transition into semester 2. This probably seems to simple to stand out and I would agree as well except for the fact that this has been the fastest paced academic semester in my life. I luckily was supported by parents, friends, and teachers along the way but I stepped up and took responsibility for my growth as a learner and did what was necessary.
Answering the big question: āĀ Ā
How have I demonstrated growth as a learner so far this year?
This year I have showed growth as a learner by simply trying new things. I had 2 classes with a learning style I wasnāt accustomed to, I worked at sometimes a ridiculously fast rate to keep up with my classes, and stepped out of my comfort zone many times during and outside of school. I found that after experiencing and learning skills at Loon Lake and what Pre-calculus and Science 10 were like on a daily basis, I believe I have what it takes to succeed to another level in semester 2. Iām excited to see what the coming months have prepared for me and how Iām going to manage myself through it all.
Thanks again for taking the time to read/listen my mPOL, I hope it was worth your while.
Adios.