In our class we have recently done a unit on poetry and something called the “Teen-Life Project”. The poetry unit included us doing a research project on famous poet, making a poetry book of over twenty poems that we wrote ourselves, and having a poetry night where we all read a poem. The “Teen-Life Project” included us choosing a category for the project we wanted to work on (from a list of around twenty), and then creating a short video with five other kids from all over the world.

By participating in and completing the “Teen-Life Project” I believe I was definitely showing the skill of being an Involved Citizen. By being an Involved Citizen I mean I interacted respectfully with people of diverse cultures, basically I worked together with different people from places all around the world. To be one of these Involved Citizens while doing the “Teen Life Project” I merely had to participate cooperatively which becomes very easy when the people you work with do the same, which they thankfully did. To complete my part of the project all I really had to do was write one poem and take one picture, however you see I over achieved on this by writing five poems and taking two pictures. This means I wasn’t only an involved citizen while doing the “Teen Life Project”; I was also an Academic Achiever. One thing I must say about my previous contribution to this ESLR is the fact that I have always been an Involved Citizen; however, in past years I have touched the part of the ESLR that states demonstrates to care and take concern for your environment which indicates that this is maybe the first time I have conquered the part of the ESLR I did with the “Teen Life Project”. If I were to go back and start the whole “Teen Life Project” again the one thing I would do is set up a schedule for times in which the entire group could chat on MSN about the topic. All in all I believe it is finally time for me to cross off being an Involved Citizen from my list of things to do with a high rating, maybe a 9/10.

While creating my poetry book I think I was a great Self Directed Learner. By being a Self Directed Learner I demonstrated competency in goal setting, time management, and organization skills, basically I was organised and used time wisely. Something else I must add to this ESLR’ is the fact that there are many ways to do this by being creative with your time table and organization. I feel I drove right through this ESLR with ease, all I had to do to complete this ESLR was I made a time table the first day we got the project and then once I had done something I crossed it off the list I also made to make sure I didn’t forget to add one single poem. I believe if I were to compare my Self Directedness from last year no one would believe me. You see last year I was horrible, I was always doing projects the day before they were dew, a paradigm of this would be the “Medieval Fair” last year, I was supposed to make a model and I didn’t do it till the night before the fair. To improve on my self directedness for next time I think I would maybe pay more attention when creating my time table, for you see there was actually one mishap I never put any time in my timetable for editing which means when I was reading through my final product I found typos but it was to late to fix them. If I were to grade my self on being organized on this project I think I would do well, maybe an A- or an A.

Throughout the poetry unit I realized that as you’re writing a poem you are effectively communicating. This means when you write a poem you are touching the ESLR Effective Communicator. To be one of these I demonstrated my creative talents to convey ideas, or I gave my own ideas in my own creative way. To complete this ESLR I merely had to write the poems to put in my poetry book. You see the reason this is, is that every poem that someone writes is saying a message wether it be a story, some kind of moral, or even a joke, every poem communicates something to someone so by writing over twenty poems I was definitely an effective communicator. By writing poems to convey a message I was also an Academic Achiever. I think this because for our poetry book we were to write twenty or so poems that each have meaning and since I was being an effective communicator I was automatically doing this which meant I was also being an Academic Achiever because that was what we were supposed to do to get a good grade. I believe if it were possible to go back in time I would tell my self to write my poems while thinking of something that was close to me, this is because by doing this you would create a message that would get across to you audience even more effectively. Over all I believe I now have the chance to tick the Effective Communicator box with at least an A- if not an A or A+.

In many more ways than one I was an Involved Citizen while participating at “Poetry Night”. I was an Involved Citizen because I was able to improve the lives of others in my community; basically I helped others around me. To complete this ESLR all I had to do was teach adults and children how to write poems for a half hour shift at the “Poetry Night”. I believe this as a way of improving others lives because I think being able to write a poem does in fact improve your life in many ways. Another view of how I accomplished this ESLR is the fact that no one wanted to sign up for a half hour shift and I did which meant that people who did not want to sign up did not have to. By teaching people to write poems I was also being an effective communicator because I was successfully teaching them which meant I was successfully getting my message across to them. In my mind being an involved citizen is very easy and looking back at last year, the year before, and the year before that I have actually managed to maintain my role of an Involved Citizen throughout my life. If I were ever to go back to that faithful night of poetry then I would definitely sign up for more than one shift and instead of just teaching people to write haikus I would sign up to teach them sensory poems as well. To conclude I think I have conquered this ESLR and if I were to grade my self on how well I did it I would give myself an A.

In conclusion of the entire poetry unit I would like to say that it was a terrific experience I would love to do again. The entire quarter was full of fun with the “Poetry Night” and the poetry books making it even better. Over all the poetry unit is over and I hope the next unit is just as spectacular.

the slide on one of the walls in our project

English Project Write-up…1

Pictures of our project:

Annes desk that is in the memorial.

This is the railway tracks that people walk on in the memorial.

One of the walls in the memorial. This wall has facts about the war on it.

Another wall in the memorial. This wall has quotes from Annes diary.

This is the entrance of the memorial. It is ment to be like the gas chambers with the shower heads.

this is a top view of the memorial.

~Eslrs that we achieved while doing the project on Anne Frank.

Effective communicator

Collaborate with others in appropriate learning situations to achieve group goal.Example:We all worked together to get all work done in school, in class, and out side of school. We did this for English but we made the model to improve our model building skills.Evaluation:Excellent

Demonstrate the skills of effective collaborationExample:We communicated after school to get more work done and reach our goal. We talked about our ideas, and got what we had to get done, done!Evaluation: Good

Self directed learner.

Demonstrate competency in goal setting, time management, and organizational skills.Example:We planned out a Blue print, and we organized a time to meet after school so we could get things done. We made sure t that we had a majority of the project done by Monday. We also organized who would do what when, so we new what every one had to do.Evaluation:Good

Academic achiever

Demonstrate the ability to work both independently and collaborativelyExample:We all took on our own responsibilities with the writing work, but we all worked together on the visual, and putting it together. Evaluation:Excellent

Critical thinker

Solve problems using a variety of strategiesExample:The Silver paint pen sank into the styrofoam, so then we decided to say that it was engraved like the Vietnam war memorial in
Washington D.C. Then for the other wall we changed pens. We had to do what we could!Evaluation:Good

We all worked together very well from the very beginning. We all pitched in ideas for our memorial, and we all helped assemble it in and out of school hours. Mitchell and Taylor brought all the things to make the model, and Laurent and brought the lap top and assembled the model with Taylor and Mitchell. We all put our heads together to get the model figured out. We had many ideas and great ones at that, so it was hard to know what to do. In the end we finally got some ideas down and all agreed on them. It was the little things that we all came up with, like
Taylor suggested we put down train tracks as you walk through the memorial. Laurent gave us all the idea to put in the gas chambers (showers) in as you walked in. Mitchell came up with the brilliant thing of putting in the desk, and actually making it stay up. Every one wrote something for the written part as well. We all had about 2 things to write about, so it was fair and no one person did all the work, because sometimes that does happen.We all worked really well and we all feel that as a team we were exceptionally strong.

When we first got the choice of the two different projects, our group thought almost straight away that we should do a memorial. In this spectacular memorial we have put many things all with different meanings that all just happen to have something to do with Anne Frank. To be able to create such an extravagant display we have used many things including tooth picks, Styrofoam, paint, paper, and even a laptop. After we had all the materials, it was time to get building. First we got the (already painted) floor and glued the (already painted) walls on it, next we made train tracks with toothpicks, then we made a desk, and finally we put shower heads up to represent the gas chambers.After all the craftsmanship was finished we decided to designate who would write what and who would do certain things over the weekend, for a paradigm we told Taylor to do the ESLR’s, Laurent to do the symbols, and Mitchell to do the summary/grade write up.Since we all (Taylor, Laurent and Mitchell) put such hard work in to this we would definitely give ourselves a good grade. We believe this because we did all the ESLR’s (at least one bullet from each) and put our hearts and souls into completing it. Overall on this project, because of the above reasons, we as a group definitely deserve an A- if not an A.

What it says on the walls:

Black wall:

Who would ever think that so much can go on in the soul of a young girl? I don’t think my opinions are stupid and others do; so it is better to keep them to myself.

I wonder whether you can tell me why it is important that people always try so hard to hide their real feelings?

White wall:

Approximately Six Million Jews were killed.About 220,000 Roma were murdered

Holocaust victims at 9 to 11 million, are just a rough approximate of the number killed

It is estimated that is
Berlin alone, 1600 Jews killed themselves rather then face the feared camps.

1.5 million Children were exterminated in the holocaust.

Symbolism

We want our audience to leave this memorial with the idea that, as Ann is positioned, that she represents the humanity in all of us, and the horror and marvels humans are capable of. The contrast, from the deafening tracks to hell and the infernal moaning of pain, to Ann. Simply Ann. She represents the light, and hope struggling to shine within this dark and terrifying time. My group’s intentions are that Ann’s diary will spread the voice of so many others that suffered. A light from the dome will spotlight Ann’ desk, (diary). This represents the hope and nature as we will have birds chirping from that opening. The chimneys will also play a big role in the symbolism. On the Concentration camp side, a chimney will be located near the center, a black fearful and miserable one. On the opposite side, the chimney will be centered, (like the other), and be bursting with light and made of red warm bricks, (and bring out the family atmosphere.) A railroad track will circle the desk, to guide the audience around. This track will symbolize the painful journey the Jews were forced to take, only to lead them to their deaths. One side of the wall will be packed with the most meaningful quotes my team and I could find, while the other side will be loaded with the ugly and true facts about the Holocaust. Simultaneously, a PowerPoint will be centered on Ann’s personal life and siblings. This will probably the only piece of technology used, but it will repeat over and over, smoothly. In the alley, one wall will be illustrated with handprints, desperate to leave, and the other, (separated by the showers), will demonstrate a happy warm family. The most powerful symbol within this memorial is most likely to be the diary. Although it is small and innocent, it is at the same time the simplicity of the diary that spreads the power. I truly hope this is the way Ann would have liked her memorial to be, as she grew from her self-centered, princes-like character, to the most supporting and meaningful figure that stood out, shined amongst all others to bring peace to the way she conceived the world. Unfortunately, terror again reins our world, but maybe, another light will shine.

In our class we read a book called “The Lord of The Flies” during this unit I did overall pretty good but here are some more detailed reflections.

While reading the Lord of the Flies by William Golding, I was a Critical thinker. By being a Critical Thinker, I built meaning and understanding using prior knowledge and new information. In clear more understandable terms this means questioning the book and thinking of patterns that aren’t clearly shown. I also believe this includes doing some extra research to decipher information I don’t understand. I feel I executed this part of the ESLR by writing down a diverse variety of questions while reading and then researching them after I had finished. By being a Critical Thinker I am also a much more improved Effective Communicator because I have a better understanding of the book, which enables me to get my point across to others more effectively. Next time I could also listen to other people’s thoughts and opinions and tie them to my own research to further enhance my understanding. When I was reading the book, I believe I became an excellent to average Critical Thinker thus I think if I was graded on my ability of showing how to be a critical thinker I think I would get an A-.

During our class discussions I do not believe I was being a very good Involved Citizen. I don’t believe I demonstrated awareness and respect for others, because I wasn’t willing to help anyone say anything, I would just lazily listen to them struggling to get their point across even though most of the time I knew what they were trying to say. To clarify what I mean, in our second class discussion one of my friends was caught trying to get his point across. I knew what he wanted to say, but I didn’t help him like I really should have. Comparing this to a couple of years ago I have slowly gone from a great involved citizen (while having a discussion in class) to a personality that isn’t so good at it. For example in our English class last year we had many ESL students so when we were reading “King Arthur” in our English class I was constantly helping them to get out what they wanted to say in our discussions. I think to help me become a better involved citizen I need to not just listen and respect my peers while in discussion but also help them get a hold of what they’re trying to say, so that they can contribute there thoughts. During most times when we were in discussion this year, I would give my self a D on Involved Citizen for I now need to learn to stop merely listening and to begin helping too.

Whilst we where in the first and second class discussions, I was not bad at being an effective communicator, especially when it came to bringing up new topics and double checking with what a person had said. This is because I always listened respectfully and asked questions to facilitate understanding and achieve insight. To me this essentially means that I listened while others were talking and if I didn’t comprehend something I would simply raise my hand and ask. A paradigm of this would be when we were discussing the scene with Simon talking to the Lord of the Flies, in this I wasn’t sure what the Lord of the Flies was so I asked my friend and he said, “the talking was in Simons head but there was a pig head on a stick or pole that was covered in flies”. Judging my self against last school year, I am a superior effective communicator given that last year I was too introverted when it came to asking about what I didn’t catch onto very well, and I wasn’t the best at listening while other people were talking. I think in the next discussion we have I could exceed what I did this time by taking notes (while reading) on utterly everything that I do not understand while reading, and after I do that, I could bring up in discussion everything I took notes on, and I will also take notes during the discussion. If I were to grade myself on being an Effective Communicator I would give my self a B+, this is because even though I was good I think I could have done even better if I even harder.

I believe I was an Academic Achiever in the two different classes when our group had to imagine we were alone on a abandoned island lacking a teacher, any adult guidance, and only having our own opinions and a piece of paper. Because I demonstrated the ability to work both independently and collaboratively. I showed that I could work by myself and with a partner or two. I accomplished this by doing a little research on Blooms Taxonomy by myself (independently).After Taylor had done some on her own we eventually did most of it together (collaboratively). Comparing my skill of working collaboratively from last year, I have improved a great deal. This is because last year I dreaded group projects or any work that included a partner, but this year I prefer to do some things with a partner and some things by myself. I trust that next time I will illustrate both how to be independent and how to be collaborative even more. Although it will be hard to do it better than in those two meetings, I will try. To do this even better next time I will be a little more independent and not depend on my partner as much. On a rating of 1-10 (10 being the highest) I think I was an 8.5 because I was not bad at being an Academic Achiever and I was undoubtedly above average.

Because we had only a week to do our projects, I had a warehouse full of problems to try and solve using a variety of sources. This means I was showing signs of being a Critical Thinker. In basic terms this means I had to figure out some different ways of solving just one problem. One of the times I had to do this was when I was drawing my pig head on a stick. The drawing kept turning out more like a horse than a pig. I asked my brother for a tip or two on how to make my picture look more like a pig. After his suggestions, it was looking better but still not good enough. Eventually, I printed out a picture of a pig off the computer and tried to redraw it, and when I did this (to my surprise), it looked like a pig. By truly muddling through to solve a fairly difficult problem similar to that I have in fact showed incredible growth from last year. When I did a project previously, I would have just left it instead of trying to improve it and make it better. To be an even more advanced critical thinker I could have printed off many pictures and used all of them to help me, or I could have gotten my friends (that could draw extremely well) to give me a few pointers or hints. I would imagine that if I were rated on being a good critical thinker I would get a pretty high mark or a mark at least above average, maybe an 8 or 9out of 10.

In a not to good way, while I was making my project I do not think I showed examples of using the ESLR of Effective Communication. I especially do not think I listened respectfully and asked questions to facilitate understanding and achieve insight. On the whole I didn’t ask any questions while I was making of my project. I didn’t ask the questions I required to get a better understanding of the project when something wasn’t clear to me I just played it like it would be okay and hoped that it would be. There is another point about being an Effective Communicator that I think I did do in this project unlike the point written above. This is the demonstration of my creative talents to convey my ideas. The way I did this was that I produced a cover and then just kept adding and adding things till I thought it was superior even though I wasn’t even sure if I was doing everything fittingly. Lucky enough I did do the project accurately so I wouldn’t give myself a horrible grade on this ESLR; however, I was unquestionably below average on the project perhaps a B- or a C+.