“Thank you for coming to my presentation of learning. I am the expert on my own learning. I am also responsible and accountable for my own learning. You can expect me to give an honest evaluation of my progress. We will discuss my strengths and opportunities for growth. Thank you in advance for listening and for offering feedback that I can use to improve as a learner.”

Grade nine has been an year of improvement for me. Over the course of this year, I believe that I have grown considerably as a learner. The first thing I want to discuss is my learning plan. At the start of the year, I felt confident in myself, while also acknowledging my growth areas. Looking back, I can see that one of my goals was to improve at recognizing when something isn’t aiding my learning. I can confidently say that I have made progress in this area, which has improved my schoolwork.

Grade 8 was a challenging year for me. I was in a new school with new people and a different way of learning. When I compare my work from then to now, I can see a clear difference. For example, when I look at my post from my first-ever Winter Exhibition. I notice how short it was and that it lacked detail about the actual exhibition.

If I compare it to one of my most recent blogs, Exploring the shadows, the making of “The Dark” (which happens to be a personal favourite), I can see the writing tools that I have been taught coming into play. Not only do I have a hook, but the post is also filled with more detail and includes crucial aspects of the project.

Reflecting on my growth from last year, I can see that my goals have changed. Previously, when working on a project, I aimed to finish it for the sake of finishing. While I still feel this way at times, my learning goals have shifted. Now, when I work, I ask myself, “Am I learning this, or just doing it?” Most of the time, the answer is learning.

I discovered early on in the year that I am interested in video making, especially the aspect of crafting the story and incorporating my visualization into the film. For instance, in our “Thrill Us” project, I enjoyed suggesting scene ideas and letting my imagination run wild with creative ideas. Such as this shot here, where I figured it would be good if it was filmed right beside the main characters head, as if it was in a third person view.

My mindset towards PLP and work has also changed. When I used to struggle with work, I would get frustrated with myself, which only would make it harder for me to work. Now, I set goals for myself, and once I achieve those goals, I allow myself to relax. I believe I have learned to manage my workload more effectively than before, and my goal is to continue improving in this area as the workload increases with advancing grades.

Overall, I am proud of the growth I have achieved this year and am excited to continue learning and improving as I move forward in my PLP journey.