My Project Reflection

Experience with Digital Technology

In the beginning I was intimidated by all the different components that we would have to incorporate into this project because I was not familiar with a lot of the digital technologies or I was not sure how to make the different components required for the project. I was especially nervous for the movie trailer and the TED Talk. However as I progressed through the project and we were given tutorials and guidance on how to use different technologies, my anxiety lessened and I started to feel more confident. 

I found all the different digital technologies to be interesting and useful for my future. It was amazing that we were able to explore and use so many different technologies in this Project. I would have to say that I was the most familiar with Google slides and the least familiar with Powtoons. The best part of using the digital technologies is that the more experience I had with the digital technologies the more confident I grew. An example of this is when I had to do my movie trailer 3 times and when I re-did the trailer for the third time I whizzed through the process of making the trailer due to my familiarity with Powtoons. 

Side Note: I had to redo my trailer three times because I registered for the free PRO trial version and decided to use the PRO features in my trailer. However the trial ended after 4 days and I would keep on finding little things I could fix in the trailer, which resulted with me re-doing the whole trailer and making many accounts in the process. 

When it came to making the blog I was so unconfident and struggled with the process, but as time progressed I started to figure out different features (through the use of Google search) and started incorporating them into my blog. I  still remember how proud I was when I figured out how to make the pictures/videos appear side by side.

Overall I would say that the technology part of this project was exciting and I can definitely see myself using them in the future. I know at least for Google Blogs I will be using it for volunteering and I am currently working on making it happen. It's a work in progress but here is a link to see my progress in forming the blog.

What I Liked?

I liked that this project allowed me to dedicate time to explore a topic of interest and I now had the time to learn a language that I always wanted to learn. The hardest part of any journey is always starting, and now that I have started and have some confidence in my self, I can only go up from here. I love that I have a blog that shows my growth and this is displayed in a multitude of formats (video, oral, visual, written). This is amazing (kind of like a time capsule) and a great way to reflect on my growth in the future. 

Experience as a Learner

What I Would Have Done Differently?

There are a couple of things I wish I had done differently. The first being I wish the learning strategy I used had been structured better. My structuring was all over the place and I just decided to learn whatever I wanted and felt like at the time. I was very excited to learn the signs and therefore that's what I decided to learn first. If I had structured and been more organized in my learning strategy and had a list of things to learn, this learning process could definitely have been easier. 

How I wish I had structured my learning: Learn the ASL alphabet Learn the ASL numbers Start to learn signs (slowly) Learn sentence structures

How I actually structured my learning: Learn the signs Learn sentence structures Learn the ASL alphabet Learn the numbers

I should have started with baby steps and worked my way up, my actual learning was all over the place and this resulted with me struggling. I also should have taken baby steps with the amount of signs I tried learning, I was trying to learn too much at once and this resulted with me forgetting a lot of signs; which honestly was very disappointing. Another thing that I would have done differently would be to find a way or tool to record myself without requiring someone else to help me record. My camera on my laptop was not an option as it resulted with low quality resolution videos. I wish I had thought to use my tripod or thought of another way to record myself as this would have made my life a lot easier. 

Project Experience Influence on my Professional Development 

This project showed me first hand the impact an inquiry approach in teaching can have on students. When students are curious or passionate about a topic and they are given dedicated time to pursue this topic, it allows them to act on their creativity and provides students freedom with their project. Students structuring their own learning with guidance allows students to better understand the learning process. This approach allows the student to feel like they have the power and the choice to decide how they want to learn and this promotes students to learn how to learn. Overall, it has shown me how a more fluid approach to assignments/projects with some guidance can help students to achieve success in their learning.

Adapting this Framework

I can adapt this framework into my teachables by assigning students the Genius Hour Project as the summative or culminating assessment task (CAT). Students will focus on a topic that is relevant to the specific expectations in the Relating Science to Technology, Society, and the Environment section of the curriculum document. To aid the students the course structure can be designed such that concepts will build upon one another and this will allow students to further their understanding in their topics. Students will be given relevant tasks that promote them to continue with the their research and add in the appropriate information to their project. In the end they will have a project that they will be able to present to their classmates. Classmates would also be providing appropriate feedback and comments on the students project and journey. Most students will have to complete a summative or culminating assessment task and sometimes this can be overwhelming or restricting for students. This project can be assigned in the beginning of the course, which will provide students with enough time to complete and ask questions. Overall, by providing students with the choice to choose their own topics that are still relevant to the curriculum, will allow the students to actively pursue their curiosity and interest which can result with an increase in their engagement and thereby lead to an increase in understanding. 

My teachables are chemistry and biology. 

• Grades 7-8 curriculum document
• Grades 9-10 curriculum document
• Grades 11-12 curriculum document

- Jasman Nagra