DRIVING QUESTION
Why do you feel you are ready to advance to the next grade level?
As I stand here and think about the past school year, I can’t help but feel a sense of accomplishment wash over me. It’s hard to believe that an entire year has gone by so quickly. As a student, I have experienced a wide range of emotions over this year – excitement, anxiety, joy, frustration – you name it. But despite all the ups and downs, I can honestly say that this has been a transformative year for me in many ways. It’s been a unique year, and I want to take a closer look at what I’ve learned and how I’ve grown as a result of my experiences.
https://www.blog44.ca/izabeller/2023/01/25/mpol-2023/
To go back to my mPOL at the beginning of the semester, I talked a lot about how I had always felt as if my opinion should only be expressed outside of school, and that my work should show what I think the teachers wanted to hear. But now, I have started expressing my opinions more and more, which has not only helped my work but made me a good leader in other people’s eyes. I think that point was a really good learning skill for me in the fall, and it will help me feel good about my work for many years to come.
Strengths
https://www.blog44.ca/izabeller/2023/05/28/plp-oregon-2023-
One strength that came up this semester was my perseverance. I knew I had some, but it was tested throughout the PLP 8 trip to Oregon. During the trip, we were faced with a lot of challenges, from working with new people on quests to being flexible as we travelled all around Oregon. At times, I was exhausted and wanted to go home, but I pushed through and kept going. I realized that my perseverance not only helped me feel better about my learning but also inspired me to enjoy all of what our head teachers had planned for us. This realization gave me a sense of pride and motivation to continue pushing through the days to come. Some days were hard, from being tired, thrown into new surroundings every day, and never knowing where you might end up. I feel as if the trip made me appreciate getting to learn and grow as a student by putting us into these situations, and I think this has changed my outlook on learning for the better. Overall, this experience strengthened my belief in my abilities and taught me that perseverance can truly make a difference in achieving our goals.
Growing points
https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/842310134/
One of my biggest growing points this semester is when we were assigned to make video games. I love science, and the context around the game, different states of matter and how they affect us, I loved learning about that. But coding games are not a strength for me. I procrastinated so much, trying to think of a way to figure out how to create a game, I started to fall behind. But I watched a few videos on YouTube, asked my teacher and peers, and spent hours on it, and I finally figured it out. I do have to give a special shout-out to Finn, who helped me with the fine-tuning of the coding process, and without him, I would have a half-finished video game. I now have lots of respect for coders and video game designers. The entire creation process was not made for the faint of heart, but it was a good learning and growing experience for me and will come in handy in the future.
Accomplishment
I am adding a new category to my list of strengths and areas to grow, which includes reflecting on my accomplishments from the past year. I am proud of how much I have grown as a learner, specifically in public speaking, collaboration, and time management. I overcame my fears and gained confidence, learned the importance of collaboration, and improved my time management skills even more. Reflecting on these accomplishments reminds me that growth is continuous and I am excited to continue developing as a learner in the future. Both exhibitions, my mPOL and even my blog posts are all evidence of how I have grown as a learner. From being a student who wrote their assignments for the teacher’s preferences to express my feelings and opinions, or even the confidence I hold, are all signs that I am heading in the right direction, and make me extremely excited for my future years in PLP.
Conclusion
The driving question puzzled me for a while, but I now am certain that I have figured it out. This last year has been crazy in the best and worst ways, which have caused lots of opportunities for growth and learning moments. I have learned skills I never thought I could comprehend, let alone master. From becoming more confident in my own opinions, to directing an audience, to even writing a blog post. I know that these are just the beginning of my learning and discoveries, and I feel as if I can’t wait to experience them all. So to answer the driving questions, I don’t feel ready at all, but I have tools and experiences that can help me along the way, and that’s as ready as I can be.