The 7 habits by Stephen Covey is all about inquiry. You won’t improve yourself simply by reading the book. You need to intake the information and implement it into your life. Immersing yourself in each habit. It’s a 50/50 task between the book and yourself to become a more effective person.

In our PLP 10 class, we spent the last few months researching these 7 habits, to improve ourselves as a class. We asked ourselves “how can we be our most effective self?” We set out to answer this through a kinaesthetic audio based, or visual based creation. Throughout this project we would be assessed on two competencies. Empowered Learner, asking “How might I use technology to construct knowledge?” and Creative Communicator asking “How might I use technology to create and communicate?”.

My answer to this is: 

I used technology to create and communicate through many different apps, and programs to convey my knowledge to the world. 

I used technology to construct knowledge through using the web as a tool to research as well as craft as a way to reflect, further constructing a web of my knowledge.

The very first thing we learned in this project was called the set up. The aspect of the set up that spoke to me was paradigms. I found it interesting how two people can see the same thing very differently depending on their perspective. To show this, I made an audio based creation. I create a playlist of 5 songs. Each song an interpretation of The Beatles: Eleanor Rigby. The playlist showed a paradigm as each cover represented a certain artists person on how Eleanor Rigby should be performed. Throughout the set-up, I showed the creative communicator competency. I showed my proficiency in my playlist, using the iPad and apps to communicate my ideas and perspective on paradigms.

The first three habits we learned about were being proactive, begin with the end in mind, and put first things first. Each of these together called the private victory. One of the most powerful activities in the private victory was the personal bank account. A personal bank account is a way to keep track of your actions using withdrawals and deposits. I found this especially useful as I could become more aware of myself in public and how I acted. Along with the personal bank account, we drew a personal mission statement table. It would have our role models sitting around a table with our personal mission statement around the table and an end in mind goal on top of it.

Private Victory Workbook

To cap off the private victory I decided to make a visual based creation. I created a collage of photos to represent each habit in the private victory. You can see this below. The fork in the road represents beginning with the end in mind, as there is many paths in life that lead to your end goals. The photo of the early morning represents putting first things first since if you wake up earlier, you can get things done earlier. Same thing with the 10pm clock. If you go to bed early, you can wake up earlier; be well rested and ready for the day. The X over the social media also means putting first things first as you should do work before wasting your time on social media. The boy reading represents being proactive as he’s taking the time to expand his knowledge. The interview also represents being proactive as the interviewee is being proactive by taking the time to get a job and make money. Finally, the money represents what the end in mind shouldn’t be. Money shouldn’t be your end goal, you should do what you want to do in life and be happy.

I was able to use my technology to construct knowledge in the private victory. I showed this through the personal bank account, personal mission statement table, and photo collage. These show my construction of knowledge as I was able to take my learnings from the 7 habits book, and transmit them into ideas in each of these examples.

Public Victory Workbook-compressed

Finally, the last 4 habits inside of the public victory. Think win-win, seek first to understand then to be understood, synergize, and sharpen the saw. For the Public victory, I used an audio based creation to show my understanding of the habits. I felt habit 5 stood out to me most, as it reflects on how friendships can become closer and how groups can work together to create. To display this, I created a song, then I put a terrible sound over the song. As the song progresses, the terrible sound gets quieter and quieter. Going from not even being able to hear the song, to only being able to hear the song. This represents the 4 types of listening. From ignoring, to attentive listening.

This creation reflects how I can become a more effective person in that I will be engaged and mindful of my surroundings. As opposed to closed off and mindless.

Lastly, we had to create 3 more creations to show our final understanding of the 7 habits, and answer how we can become our most effective self.

The first creation I made was an audio based playlist. It incorporated sharpening the saw, and keeping the end in mind. I created a playlist of Kanye Wests songs from the start of his career, to today, and how he improved his creation skills, making each song better as time went on. Kanye was able to keep the end in mind, as he’s still making music today since his debut in 2004. From the start of the playlist to the end, you can hear a clear difference in production quality and overall sound quality. Proving Kanye was able to sharpen the saw over the years.

Secondly, I created a keynote animation using shapes. It portrays a typical classroom. In the scene, a student stands up and asks a question on the subject. Instead of the teacher getting mad for interrupting the class, he’s thrilled the student is engaged in the classroom. This creation shows 3 habits. Being proactive, thinking win-win, and putting first things first. The student is showing proactive se through their engagement in the class, asking questions. The teacher is able to think win-win, as instead of thinking about how the student interrupted the class. He thinks win-win about how the student will be able to gain knowledge in the subject, and how he now has an engaged class. The student also puts first things first. They showed up to school and are engaged in the class instead of staying home and playing video games.

Third, and finally, I created a play mobile model of a group working together on a project. It displays 4 people around a table, with a box of supplies and a chalkboard to write ideas down. This creation displays the last 2 habits. Synergize and seek first to understand, then to be understood. The group is synergizing through their work together towards a common goal. They will be using the 4 types of listening to share ideas and communicate with each other.

Through the formation of these final 3 creations, I was able to take a last reflection, and communicate how I can be my most effective self. During this project, I was able to use the 7 habits to my advantage, implementing them in all areas of my work and home life. Increasing my overall effectiveness as a human being.