IDS Inquiry Reflection

IDS February Monthly Log

My groups inquiry question is “How can an assembly celebrating and educating students on Indigenous history lead towards truth and reconciliation in our school and community?” We decided to change our inquiry question because we feel this changed one better encapsulates our goals and demonstrates how we want Truth and Reconciliation Day to go. I have spent every cent time with my group members and Ms. Razzell brainstorming, planning, and talking about how to create an inclusive, open school community. The resources I have been using week after week include Google, Office 365, YouTube, and EduBlog to help support me in my work. My group has tried to work through many struggles such as budgeting problems, time management, and engagement issues with students. We have done our best to overcome these complications and figure out ways to work around them. I have grown immensely in my Communication Core Competency by being a part of the Social Justice Committee and really feeling like my ideas and opinions are heard. Listening to other members opinions and suggestions has also helped me to be a better group member and collaborator. I will show my growth, understanding, and learning of my IDS project through Truth and Reconciliation week next September when my group and I are finally able to show our work. I will be able to have a final plan and schedule ready to present by May to Early June of this year to demonstrate my project.

Metalwork Progress Reflection

Copper Rose Progression
Jewelry Torch

Critical and Reflective Thinking

Having never been in a metal class before, using the torches at the start was very intimidating. We were tasked with creating a copper rose using the Jewelry Torch but before we could start we had to do a demo on the Acetylene Torch. I was worried about using the torch, but knew I could to use my critical thinking skills to make sure I used all the correct procedures to keep myself and my classmates safe. Mr. Peterson (being the amazing teacher he is,) was able to prepare me to feel confident in my abilities. I successfully completed the Acetylene Torch demo and was then able start my rose. Reflecting back, I wish I had started sanding the rose with sandpaper rather than a file because I felt I had a lot more control once I switched. I have now moved onto the Jewelry Torch and am finding a lot of success in using it. I have observed and understood how to properly use it and now enjoy using it and investigating all the different colours I am able to create on the copper. I have a ways to go with my rose but am excited to continue the process and see what else I am able to make.

Spanish Dialogue

Collaborating and Communicating

I feel my group collaborated and communicated well, and that helped us to complete our first Spanish presentation smoothly. Working with others can be hard when you are not yet well acquainted with them, but my group persevered and we were all able to communicate effectively to get the job done. I believe for my first Spanish project of the year I did a proficient job, but have some areas of growth. My group members and I were able to share our opinions and ideas with each other to create a good project. If I were able to go back and change anything it would be to focus more on little mistakes in our script and the presentation because, I feel that would make the project more preferable. Overall, I feel for the first presentation of the semester I am proud of the outcome and am excited to improve on my Spanish presenting and writing skills.

English First Peoples 11 Reflection

My Artifact

Character Infographic on “The Mountain Legend” by Jordan Wheeler

Curricular Competency Reflection

Create and Communicate: What did you learn about Indigenous themes, issues, or perspectives during this assignment or task and how did you grow in your writing, speaking, or representing skills? 

In the process of creating this infographic for the main character in “The Mountain Legend” by Jordan Wheeler I believe I gained a lot of important knowledge. I feel I deepened my understanding of identifying a theme in a story; the theme of this one being the affects of peer pressure, mistakes and how they affect not only yourself, but the people you surround yourself with. Perspective is something that alters the plot of a story extensively. I am curious as to how different the story would be if it was told from the eight year old girls perspective instead of Jason’s, because the entirety of the storyline would be modified. I believe this assignment helped me to grow in my reading as well as my presentation skills. After reading the story I felt I had a respectable understanding of the storyline and the discrete notes hidden between the margins. I learned more about how important the reactions from others are and how they can effect a storyline entirely. I worked diligently on the layout, presentation and wording of my infographic so that it may connect with the story and so that the reader may be able to see my deeper understanding.

Core Competency Reflection:

Thinking Core Competency

I trust that I showed good thinking skills through this assignment and that such is shown through my project. I had to collect facts from different parts of the story to obtain enough information to write on the characterization elements I choose (actions, thoughts, and reaction from others.) To create this infographic I had to fully comprehend the characters and storyline to be able to make such a project. If I had the ability to do this assignment over I would try to expand and deepen my thinking towards Jason’s thoughts and identity.

Graphing a Parabola

Curricular Task

Having ‘a’ being negative determines that the parabola is going to face downwards. Having 0<a<1 also tells us that this specific parabola is going to expand by a factor of negative one third. When ‘h’ is negative it shifts right, so when h=-7 the parabolas vertex shifts 7 to the right. When ‘k’ is positive the parabola shifts up, so when k=1 the vertex shifts up one. Together ‘h’ and ‘k’ work to find the vertex of the parabola which is (7,1). Everything changed when my parabolas equation changed. I feel ‘a’ made the biggest difference because it changed to negative so that switched the parabola to face downwards.

Self Assessment

I represented the same mathematical equation (shown above under “Blue Parabola”) in graph form, writing the equation and through breaking down and explaining the equation is sentence form. I used mathematical vocabulary throughout my paragraph by talking about the vertex, horizontal shift, vertical shift and my parabolas function. I find keeping my work organized helps me to convey and portray my exact thinking in a clear and concise way. The size of graph I choose to how I laid out my writing all added to how I wanted to share my ideas and thinking.

Core Competency Self-Assessment

Communication and Thinking

Dichotomous Button Sorting Key

I chose communication as one of the core competencies that best connected to my dichotomous key button project because of the group aspect. I displayed communication through asking questions, listening to my peers and working well with my partner. Communication is a critical part of group work because without it, the end result would never turn out like you want it to. Listening to each others ideas, speaking our opinions, understanding how we work together and allowing one another to take over at times helped us to collaborate well. I also enjoyed the critical thinking aspects of this assignment as my partner and I constantly had to step back and rethink our decisions. Changing button placements and switching how we looked at our key helped us to come out with the result we did. This project was challenging at times however, I enjoyed thinking outside the box.

Core Competency Goals

I respectfully advocate for my needs by asking for help when appropriate and communicating with my peers. Asking for help can be scary sometimes but I have learned not asking for assistance is much worse. Talking to my peers helps me better connect to them and benefits both of us in the end.

Some skills I have developed to make my school work perform better are knowing strategies of how to keep myself calm and engaged. I find listening to music, drinking water, dim lighting and being comfortable, really benefit me when I am studying or doing assignments. Feeling rushed to complete work is one of my biggest downfalls and nothing ever comes out how I want it to when I am in a hurry. Not procrastinating is a big way of how I get my school work to perform better.

One of the ways I ensure my group is clear on the common purpose is to communicate my ideas and hear what my group members thoughts are. Making sure everyone feels included and has a job ensures we will be the most productive and complete our work with no setbacks.

English 10 Core Competency Self-Assessment

Creative Thinking

Digital Awareness Campaign on Violence in Verona

For my self assessment I chose to use my final Shakespeare project to reflect on. We were asked to create a Digital Awareness Campaign (photo above) for one of the major themes in Romeo and Juliet; I chose violence. The second part of the assignment gave you 6 different options to choose from. I chose to create a five song soundtrack for a movie production of the play and write about my reasoning for each song. I can demonstrate creative thinking through this project by generating new ideas and building on the ideas of others. I can persevere over time to develop my ideas, I expect setbacks, but use that to develop my ideas. I appreciated the creative freedom given to us with this unit project and feel it helped me to achieve my full potential for this assignment.