I can examine and evaluate to improve my own work; evidence of that is…
Throughout our “Corporate Conquest” project, I made sure to test the game with classmates to see if anything was confusing. After each playtest, I took feedback seriously and used it to improve the instructions and balance the game. For example, when players said some events were too unpredictable or the rules weren’t clear, I rewrote sections and adjusted the cards. This helped us make the game more fun and understandable for everyone.
I look for, develop and weigh different perspectives and pieces of evidence, as demonstrated by…
When we were deciding which companies and economic events to feature on the board, I made sure everyone’s ideas were included. We discussed as a group what would make sense for the game and what would be the most interesting for players. I listened to my teammates and made sure we all agreed before making changes, so the final product reflected all our contributions and different perspectives.
I gather and synthesize information to develop logical conclusions, such as when…
While designing the Chance and Community Chest cards, I researched modern economic situations like tech booms and stock crashes. I used this information to create cards that would teach players about real-world economics, not just random events. By combining what I learned in class with current events, I helped make sure our game modeled concepts like inflation, scarcity, and supply and demand in a way that made sense and was fun to play.
The above is a mind map that I completed for an assignment that draws on many of the Indigenous perspectives we have drawn on in this class. During this assignment, I feel that I strongly demonstrated aspects of create and communicate competencies. I did this by creating an interesting online design to effectively show everything that I have learned regarding the assigned topic.
Throughout the semester, I have shown good competency in the communication competency by representing my ideas successfully during class group discussions, and through my work on projects and assignments as well. For next time, I would consider improving my creative abilities, and try to go more above and beyond to extend my learning. Additionally, I would maintain a deeper focus during class, and be consistent with my efforts towards class-related tasks.
This semester, I have feel that I have improved my higher-level mathematical abilities significantly through the AP Calculus AB course. While facing challenges, I try to take a step back and make a plan as to how I will execute my tasks to the best of my ability, while maintaining maximum mental steadiness.
When I need to boost my mood or re-focus, I usually take a walk in nature or engage in physical activity, as it helps me focus on my body and mind rather than get distracted needlessly. Additionally, I often sit in silence for a brief period of time (without doing anything, just staring at a wall).
I can prevent some school-related stress by creating a comprehensive schedule and sticking to it, and using my free-time to efficiently complete any of my work. I can also seek help if needed and use additional resources to aid my learning.
Some of the things I do to stay mentally and physically healthy include running and biking, as well as meditation and yoga. These help me more easily relax my body and stay focused during stressful situations.
When I am feeling down about school, I remind myself that failure or falling short is a part of long-term success, and that whatever happens is for a reason. I also remember that I can always improve my academic situation, and that there are many ways to succeed.
Artifact of something that helps me manage my stress:
Something that helps me manage my stress inside and outside of school:
When I get stuck on a problem, I have strategies for what to do next. They include trying to review content related to the question I am working on, and theWhen I make mistakes, I don’t beat myself up. Instead I …n try again with new insight into the problem. I also like to watch videos on the topic, as I find different explanations on a challenging topic to be interesting.
When I need to boost my mood or re-focus, I often enjoy meditating or listening to calming music. I also like to indulge in creative activities like writing and playing the piano when I have lost my focus. These activities help me, as they reset my mind from all distractions and make me feel more calm.
I can prevent some school-related stress by trying to finish my work whenever I have free time, and creating a proper study plan that fits within my time schedule. I can also reduce stress by taking short times off to recharge, like spending time with friends and family.
When I make mistakes, I don’t beat myself up. Instead, I remind myself that mistakes are a crucial part of learning effectively, and progress does not happen without them. I continue to put my best efforts forward, and correct mistakes along the way.
For my inquiry this semester, I had originally decided to do something related to Good Health & Wellbeing, but then switched to something more focused on Climate Action, as I felt that it could tie into some of the other goals of the United Nation’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals, and thus be more effective and interesting to do a project related to. For this, I decided to write a novel focused on children aged 7-12, which would give them an interesting perspective into sort of ‘the modern climate situation’ in an interesting and captivating matter.
The above is a small part of the so far 7 chapter book I have been writing for part of this semester.
Curricular Reflection
So far, one challenge I have faced is being able to consistently work on my project, as I sometimes find it difficult to manage many assignments simultaneously, however I’ve been able to drastically improve my work habits and prioritize my commitments. At one point, I shifted my inquiry focus from researching about Good Health & Wellbeing to writing a book about the effects of climate change, in a very child-friendly yet informative way. Moving forward, I would like to eventually publish this book, and continue to learn more about the interesting topics of the science of climate change.
Core Competency Reflection
I deliberately learn about things that interest me, and new ideas pop into my head. An example of how I have seen growth in this competency this semester is when I shifted my area of focus rather substantially, which shows that I follow the ideas and topics that I am most interested in researching and developing my knowledge in. I have also further developed my creative abilities by being able to develop small ideas like a simple book idea of a young boy, into a fascinating, well-progressed (thus far) book.
I give, receive, and act on feedback to progress in my goals. An example of how I have grown in this core competency this semester is many times when I have received useful insight from others regarding my book. I have asked many friends and some teacher about what they think could use some improvement in the book, and I have been able to incorporate many of their ideas within the book, or keep them in the back of my mind for adding them into the story later, as it continues to progress. In order to reach my goal of creating the best possible book possible, I understand that accepting and acting on constructive criticism is paramount.
An example of one of my daily lifestyle trackers, in which I had a very good amount of exercise, excellent nutrition, and very good hydration throughout the day.
An example of a plate of food with a variety of fruits and vegetables, plenty of protein rich foods, and excellent whole grain options.
Considering my daily lifestyle tracker, I feel that I exceled at eating very nutritious food and burning the required amount of calories through various intensive physical activities. On the rest aspect, I am confident that I consistently get a good amount of sleep every night (usually 8-9 hours). For possible improvements, I think that I can work on being more social, especially with those I am unfamiliar with. Additionally, I can incorporate different types of sports into my exercising routine, rather than solely focusing on ‘racquet sports’. During this unit, I demonstrated the core competency of positive personal identity, which was reflected by my ability of eating consistently healthy foods, while being able to drink a good amount of water/other forms of hydration throughout the day, especially when exercising. I demonstrated the competency of personal responsibility in this way, by taking a few minutes after each day in the daily lifestyle tracker to honestly note my health down. It also reflects my social skills as I was able to effectively connect with friends, as evident on my daily trackers.
I can ask and respond to questions to be an active, supportive listener. This is true, as I am aware that asking questions is a vital part of the learning process. As a follow up to asking good questions like this, doing additional research to answer them is something which I do very well.
I can work with others to achieve a goal. I feel that I have good communication skills, in that I can exchange ideas well with my group members, and give logically sound explanations regarding my thoughts. Initially, in our group, we faced some difficulties choosing an animal mutation to research and learn about. After some discussion about the benefits of each possibility, we decided on one which we all agreed with.
I show others that I truly value their contributions by actively listening to what they have to say. In doing so, I become aware of ideas which I might have not considered previously, and encourage my group member by expanding on their contribution.
Others find my feedback useful because I am quite detailed in what I say to them. I am usually quite blunt, making it easier for them to interpret what exactly I would like to know about. This allows us all to gain a more solid understanding of the idea and our approach towards it.
Why is it important to remember who benefits from the advertisement when you view an advertisement? It is important to remember who benefits from the advertisement so that you don’t get carried away when considering it for purchase. For example, if you are viewing an advertisement for a sports car, and are thinking of buying it, possibly due to its excellent persuasive methods, it is vital to first think about who actually needs it, and would therefore benefit greatly from the information in the advertisement.
Choose one form of persuasion and explain why it is effective in persuading you/an audience: logical, ethical, emotional on an audience. I believe that the emotional method of persuasion is extremely effective in persuading an audience, largely because of its ability to connect with viewers’ feelings and deep thoughts. This can be done by enforcing feelings of guilt, excitement, or craving of some sort. For example, an advertisement portraying the lack of clean water in developing countries might have the audience feeling guilty, and obligated to do something regarding that matter.
Choose an advertising technique and explain why it is effective in selling a product. The logical technique of advertising is effective in selling a product, as it is excellent in the aspect of listing significant features of a specific product, or the reasons why you should buy it. A particularly adequate use of this method is by using a technique called the ‘Salesman Technique’, in which you act in a supporting way towards another product, and ultimately persuade the audience why your product is even better.
Core Competency Reflection
When there was disagreement within the group, I found it helpful to look at all the ideas at hand, and persuade my partner why one idea was better than others. By doing this, we grow closer as classmates and learn more through the process of exploration. I try to listen to my partner’s ideas to the very most, however, I know that it is equally important that my ideas get heard, and that I have a say in group decisions.
One of the ways I ensured my group was clear on what we were doing was to divide the tasks and clarify who was researching what. This allowed us to focus on our own aspects of the project, whether it be creating a persuasive advertisement, or analyzing the details of a good advertisement.
When my group was not productive, we took small breaks in order to get things moving in the right direction. We found that we did more work when we took breaks in between the block, in order to keep our brains energetic when they were ‘overloaded’.
By giving my full attention and building off of their in the classroom, I make a positive difference to my peers.
Examples of where I communicate clearly and purposefully can be seen in my methods of explaining difficult concepts to group members, when they need help.
When I need to boost my mood or re-focus, I usually work on math questions related to a topic I might require more practice in, as I find it to be relaxing and productive simultaneously.
An example of something I have spent a lot of time learning about is trigonometry, which involves the use of creative mathematical thinking as well as calculational ability.
All-in cost: $800,000 Down-payment: 15% of All-in-cost -> $800,000 x 0.15 = $120,000 Current allocation: $80,000 Consistent yearly allocation: $10,000
Plan A: $80,000 into a 3 year GIC, with 4.2% interest. Year 1: $80,000 x 1.042 = $83,360 Year 2: $83,360 x 1.042 = $86,861.12 Year 3: $86,861.12 x 1.042 = $90,509.3 Invest the incoming $10,000 into a 1 year GIC, with 3.5% interest. Year 1: $10,000 x 1.035 = $10,350 Year 2: ($10,350 + $10,000) x 1.035 = $21,062.25
Final Year: $90,509.3 + $21,062.25 + $10,000 = $121,571.55
Plan B: $72,500 into a 3 year GIC, with 4.2% interest Year 1: $72,500 x 1.042 = $75,545 Year 2: $75,545 x 1.042 = $78,717.9 Year 3: $78,717.9 x 1.042 = $82,024 $7500 into stocks, with no downturn, and 7.5% Year 1: $7,500 x 1.075 = $8,062.5 Year 2: $8,062.5 x 1.075 = $8,667.19 Year 3: $8.667.2 x 1.075 = $9,317.23 Savings over 3 years: 3 x $10,000 = $30,000 Final Total: $82,024 + $9,317.23 + $30,000 = $121,341.23
Plan C:
$72,500 into a 3 year GIC, with 4.2% interest Year 1: $72,500 x 1.042 = $75,545 Year 2: $75,545 x 1.042 = $78,717.9 Year 3: $78,717.9 x 1.042 = $82,024 $7500 into stocks, with downturn; 7.5% and -6.9% Year 1: $7,500 x 0.93 = $6,975 Year 2: $6,975 x 1.075 = $7,498.13 Year 3: $7498.12 x 1.075 = $8060.49 Savings over 3 years: 3 x $10,000 = $30,000 Final Total: $82,024 + $8060.49 + $30,000 = $120,084.49
Justification
All three of the methods plans listed above ensure that you will have the satisfactory amount of money in order to make a 15% down payment. Even in the case of the stock market crashing, you will have more than enough money. This is extremely risky, and our group did not originally plan on considering it. I like to take calculated risks at times when there is nothing of massive financial concern, such as the case of Plan C. The scenarios explained have great returns, however, in the case of a potential emergency, the large amount of money invested in the GICs may not be withdrawn without the face of a large penalty, which could prove a major disadvantage in many cases. Also, the returns on the stock may not be as high as expected.
Collaboration and Communication
While performing various calculations and making collective decisions as a group, I was able to give interesting ideas and suggestions to my peers, while being an active listener, which involves enhancing your own thoughts based on the contributions of others. I listened to their ideas, and participated a fair amount in the process. I would award myself a 3.75/4 for my efforts, as I did not always agree with the slightly ‘conservative’ nature of my group members.
Core Competency Reflection
I can work with others to achieve a goal. In order to find the most effective way to attain a minimum of $40,000 over 3 years, we divided the tasks which needed to be completed among the group. By doing this, we established the jobs which each person need to complete, in order for our group to achieve our goal.
I can analyze evidence to make judgements. This assignment required quite a bit of ‘trial and error’, which meant going through the interesting process of trying various ideas, or in this case, scenarios. An example of this is that I predicted that simply using a 1 year GIC or 3 year GIC on their own would not be enough. This led us to experimenting with stocks, which was something we had originally not thought of doing.
I can tell the difference between facts and opinions. One thing which my group members were taking into account was the sheer risk of investing in stocks. This seemed like both a fact and opinion. In our case, we would be considering a scenario in which there would either be no crashing, or only one year of the stock crashing. In this way, it became evident that stocks would actually fetch us more money than we originally had, not making it risky.
I can take on roles and responsibilities in a group; I do my share. When we were deciding who in our group would do what task, I actively took initiative to complete my job in the most efficient way possible. When other group members where struggling to grasp their task, I was able to provide assistance as well.
