Vinland Saga is Peak

Posted on by christianl

Once upon a time in a classroom driven with knowledge, we set off on a journey not with swords or ships, but with words.  Writing is one of the most primordial skills humans have ever developed and was how we’ve passed down stories, beliefs, and legacies since the very beginning. This time, we were the ones shaping the story.

Driving Question: “How can we develop our voice as writers?”

 A writer’s voice is what makes their writing sound like them. It’s their tone, their word choice, the rhythm of their sentences, and the way they see the world. Some voices are bold and direct, others are quiet but powerful.  Think of it like a sword style, one unique and personalized to each individual.  My voice came through in the way I asked questions, made connections, and chose topics that actually meant something to me. Developing your voice isn’t about copying someone else’s style, it’s about learning how to write like yourself.

The technique that we revised and used throughout our journey was the Zettelkasten. A “second brain,” built on our iPads, the weapon that we have used since the start of PLP. The Zettelkasten is filled with thoughts, ideas, and connections from everything we read, watched, or listened to.

This powerful technique, Zettelkasten, was a system that helped us organize our thinking. The word itself means “slip box” in German, and originally, it was used to store handwritten notes on paper. In our case, we used our iPads. Each note we made, whether it came from a book, a video, or just a thought, was saved and linked to others. Over time, those notes formed a network, where ideas connected and grew. Zettelkasten wasn’t just about remembering facts. It was about building understanding and discovering patterns that could lead to stronger, more meaningful writing.

Along the way, we read articles, created literature, permanent, and fleeting notes that built structure through reflection.

Fleeting notes were quick, simple thoughts. These were the small ideas we captured as they came: Raw, messy, and not always useful right away. But they were important because they helped us not lose anything that might become meaningful later.

Literature notes were more focused. These were notes we took while reading or watching something, and they helped us capture what the source was actually saying.  Instead of copying it word for word, we wrote it in our own voice, making it easier to understand and connect with later.

Perma notes were where it all came together. These were notes we wrote after thinking deeply: when an idea felt solid enough to stand on its own. They weren’t summaries; they reflected our perspective and were linked to other notes to help form a bigger picture. These perma notes helped build the foundation for our final writing.

These steps weren’t random, they were like trials in a dungeon, each one unlocking a new skill. We weren’t just learning how to write. We were learning how to think, connect, and express what actually matters to us.  Link to my project guide:

https://christianl.craft.me/W0t8cKE4QrolZE

Each note we made was a stepping stone to be able to complete out final trial, a written piece that allowed for us to express ourselves and what we learnt throughout the project. One idea led to another, until eventually, a path started to form.

That path led me to Vinland Saga, a story that felt human and honest, something that I could connect with. I explored how its characters wrestled with their identity, purpose, and the weight of violence. It wasn’t just about Vikings or violence. It was about change: redemption, meaning, and a reflection of our day to day life. I was no longer just writing about the story, I was using the story to say something about how I see the world, and how I can better mine.  Here is the written piece that I developed:

https://christianl.craft.me/4FfvqIxR894U28

In the end, my final piece wasn’t just an analysis, it was my voice that reflected my beliefs, learnings and growth through this quest. That’s when my answer to our driving question was able to develop.

We develop our voice as writers by following what speaks to us, by staying curious, and by building something real from the ideas that hit the hardest.

That’s how we write with a voice that’s truly ours. It’s how I will utilize my writing in my next journeys.

Status – A Deep Dive on Indigeneity

Posted on by christianl

“How might understanding the sensitivities around Indigeniety, help us understand B.C. First Peoples?”

Hiya!

What is Indigeneity?  

Indigeneity is the identity, culture, and experiences of Indigenous peoples. It’s shaped by connections to land, traditions, communities, historical/ongoing struggles for recognition, rights, and self-determination. Unlike the Indian status, indigeneity is rooted in the culture, shared histories, and resilience of their past and present.  However, can people of non-Indigenous roots have Indigeneity?  If they were adopted into an Indigenous culture can they be considered as Indigenous?

In this project, we explored social status and Indigenous identities. This project aimed to deepen our understanding of the line between being Indigenous and not being Indigenous.  What defines someone as Indigenous, and what are the consequences of falsely claiming to be?

Status in Canada is given by the government under the Indian Act that grants individuals specific rights and benefits. While it provides some advantages (like tax breaks and educational funding), many of these benefits come with restrictions (only applicable on reserves).  Not only that, status also plays a role in shaping Indigenous identity, as it serves as proof of heritage in a time when many falsely claim Indigeneity for personal gain.

We utilized multiple resources, like the Fifth Estate and multiple articles, to understand Pretendians and why they are such a problem we currently face.  

Pretendians are people of non-Indigenous ancestry who claim to have Indigenous status for financial benefits, social status, or a sense of belonging.  They take resources made for Indigenous people to use for their own personal gain. 

A notable example of this is Buffy Saint Marie, an “Indigenous” artist from the Piapot nation.  She utilized their benefits to gain fame, and won awards whilst labeled as the first Indigenous person to do this.  

This prevalent problem is seen throughout a lot of places, with people using it for universities, schools, and other organizations.

However, what if someone grew up in an Indigenous community, what draws the line for someone being Indigenous?

Reflecting on the 6 Talking Circle Questions

What does “status” mean in Canada, and how does it shape identity and access to rights and resources?

In Canada, “status” is the official recognition of someone as Indigenous under the Indian Act. It comes with certain benefits, like healthcare, tax exemptions, and funding for education. However, it’s not as simple as just having status, many of these benefits are only accessible on reserves or have other hidden conditions. Status plays a significant role in how people identify as Indigenous, but it isn’t always clear-cut. Is being Indigenous just about ancestry, or does living in a community and participating in the culture matter too?

Why do some people falsely claim Indigenous identity? What are the consequences of this?

There are three main reasons, as mentioned in The Fifth Estate: for money, status, and a sense of belonging. Money is an obvious motive.  People can receive financial benefits by claiming to be Indigenous. You’re able to charge significantly more because it’s seen as “exotic” or rare to have an Indigenous performer. 

Some people want a sense of community, a place they can call home. People with broken families, no home to go back to, or a lack of belonging may try to fill that gap by claiming to be Indigenous. They gain a community and a family that looks after them. 

The consequence of people finding out is your reputation.  Buffy Saint Marie had a variety of her awards taken away, and many of her fans condemned her actions.

How has my understanding of Indigeneity, identity, and authenticity evolved through this study?

Before doing this project, I never fully understood the complexities of what it means to be Indigenous.  I thought it was just about having Indigenous blood running through your veins, but I have come to a realization that their is a lot more to it.  Being Indigenous is about more than ancestry, it’s also about culture, community, and shared experiences. I also now understand how harmful false claims are.  They not only distort what it means to be Indigenous but also make it harder for real Indigenous people to be taken seriously.

What is the difference between cultural appreciation and cultural appropriation? Where do we draw the line?

Cultural appreciation means taking the time to learn about and respect a culture. It’s about engaging with it thoughtfully and with permission from the community. 

On the other hand, cultural appropriation is when someone takes aspects of a culture for their own benefit, without understanding it or seeking permission. The line is tricky, but ultimately it comes down to respect. If the community says something is offensive, then the person doing something harmful should listen. When people profit from Indigenous culture but don’t give anything back to those communities, that’s where appropriation crosses the line.

How do media and institutions contribute to the problem of false claims to Indigeneity?

Media and institutions make it too easy for people to claim Indigenous identity without any proof. Many universities, organizations, and media outlets rely on self-identification, which allows for people to easily falsely claim to be Indigenous. When false claims are exposed, it causes confusion and distrust towards people who are actually Indigenous. It creates a public perception that undermines the authenticity of Indigenous voices. This is how the system gets distorted, leaving the real Indigenous experience hidden under misinformation.

What responsibility do we have when discussing these issues outside of class?

The most important thing we can do when discussing these issues is to educate ourselves and others. Many people don’t realize how damaging false claims can be, and a lot of these issues aren’t widely talked about. It’s up to us as students of this class to bring these conversations into our communities, schools, and social circles. We need to be active in educating others about the harm caused by appropriation and false claims to Indigeneity. If we can do that, we are able to create a more informed and respectful space for Indigenous people and their culture.

https://christianl.craft.me/statusIndigenous

Participating in the Talking Circle was a thoughtful experience.  It allowed for open, respectful dialogue but lacked equal power for everyone participating. I realized the importance of listening and the value of diverse perspectives, but felt that some voices weren’t being heard.  I talked with some people after the circle, and they agreed on my point.  The system of not using hands led multiple people to not be able to share their thoughts due to numerous students trying to speak at the same time.

However, I really enjoyed connecting my learning back to other projects from before, and I think the talking circle really allowed for me to do that.  The discussion flowed in a way that allowed for anything to be said, and I felt that we all had the “anthropological mindset” where we were all open to each others ideas.

To answer the driving question, Indigenity isn’t a black and white word.  Understanding how people falsely claim Indigeneity creates an identity of mistrust towards their image.  It undermines their reputation, and makes it harder for Indigenous people to be accepted. It is a problem that can’t be easily solved, and understanding what defines Indigenous isn’t simple.   

Thank you so much!

-Chris

MPOLLL – 2025

Posted on by christianl

Hello Ms. Mc, Hello Parents!

“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.”

“You don’t learn from experience; you learn from reflecting on experience.” – John Dewey.

I believe that this was one of my most successful years in PLP: I’ve implemented new working plans and utilized previous habits for me benefit.  

Vision Mission Values (VMV)

Vision:  Better my community!

The main area that has allowed me to significantly grow in my learning is asking other people for help, and helping others when needed.  

Notable people:  Daniel, Logan and Lucas.

I’m not the best at everything, I have strengths and weaknesses.  Utilizing other people to help with my growth will allow me to become better at things I struggle with.  I tend to write as much as possible; a habit that leads me to write a lot of unnecessary writing.  I’ve slowly gotten better at focusing on quality over quantity and looking at the bigger picture.  I think it’s shown in my humanities work, my last presentation delved deep into my area of focus, and my grade showed it.  If I focus on improving my work, the marks will follow.

Helping others in areas that I enjoy and excel in is something that I have improved on over this past year.  It tests your knowledge; it makes sure that you understand the topic.  During my study block, I work with the people mentioned above in areas like math, chemistry, PLP, and other aspects of school to help each other put out the best possible work.  We’ve created a sort of study group that helps push each other to become better. 

These two aspects both play a role in my VMV, connecting to all my values.  

I’ve engaged positively in my community through this idea of helping each other.  

I’ve communicated and collaborated with my friends to create work that I’m proud to present.

I’ve been honest and led others to become successful in their own regard.

So at the end of the day: How have I shown growth as a learner so far this year?

Though I’ve always been open to feedback, I’ve been seeking critique and pushing my work to become better.  My final product tends to have been seen by multiple people, with a couple rounds of critique being done beforehand.  This mPOL right now has probably been seen by my friends a couple times.  

I’ve been blessed with a good set of friends that’ll support me through my work. 

Areas that I want to focus on:

Put the same care and effort on smaller assignments, not just on the final product.

Able to maintain the same level and quality throughout the year.

Thanks for listening!

-Chris

The Dig to go Deeper

Posted on by christianl

Hello Everyone!

Anthropology Definition: The scientific study of humanity, concerned with human behavior, human biology, cultures, societies, and linguistics, in both the present and past, including archaic humans.

We have been utilizing an anthropological perspective to help with our idea of Reconciliation.  This allows for us to view with an unbiased perspective, learning and viewing the Indigenous culture with an open mindset.

Driving Question: How might we use an anthropological perspective to better understand the history of British Columbia?

Anthropology provides a deeper lens through which we can analyze ideas, cultures, and human evolution. We can break it down into its four major subfields, each of which provides valuable insights into the significance of this artifact:

  1. Cultural Anthropology:  The study of human cultures, societies, and behaviors. It focuses on understanding how people live, interact, and create meaning within their social and cultural contexts.

  2. Archaeological Anthropology:  The study of past human societies through their material remains, such as tools, buildings, and artifacts. Archaeologists aim to reconstruct past ways of life, uncovering information about historical cultures and civilizations.

  3. Linguistic Anthropology:  The study of language and its role in shaping human societies. It investigates how language influences communication, identity, culture, and social relationships, as well as the history and evolution of languages.

  4. Biological Anthropology:  The study of human biology and evolution. It examines human genetic variation, evolution, and the biological aspects of humans, including topics like primate behavior, human skeletal remains, and the fossil record.

We also learn about terms like ethnocentrism, cultural relativism, xenocentrism, and culture shock.  Ethnocentrism is the belief that one’s own culture or ethnic group is superior to others, often leading to judgment of other cultures based on one’s own cultural norms.  Cultural relativism is the idea that a person’s beliefs, values, and practices should be understood in the context of their own culture, without judgment from an external perspective.  Contrary to ethnocentrism, xenocentrism is the tendency to favor and value other cultures over one’s own, often placing foreign customs and practices over their own beliefs.  Culture shock occurs when a person encounters a culture vastly different from their own, leading to feelings of confusion, disorientation, or discomfort.  These terms are highlighted in anthropology, as avoidance of these things are crucial when studying a culture.

I talk more in my final display of how the Ball-Headed Club is associated with these terms.

To display our knowledge, we also took a test to make sure we fully understand and grasp the topic!

If you want all of my research, understandings, and work here it is:

Link

Our research on anthropology led us to focus on one Indigenous artifact that is currently being held in the Museum of Anthropology (MOA) in UBC.  The end goal was to be able to send this to the MOA for them to look and display our work.

My focus was on a Ball-Headed Club that was created by the Coast Salish Nations.  Its discovery was quite rare, as Ball-Headed Clubs of this nature were not usually common in the area of British Columbia.

The final product was comprised of a couple different parts, including an analysis of the artifact, how it relates to anthropology, a nation deep dive, and an interactive element.  We were also allowed a lot of freedom on how we took things and the areas we wanted to focus.  This gave us the ability to be able to have our pace, own direction, and ideas that would come unique to us, creating a really interesting digital exhibit of artifacts from the MOA.  These factors really allow for us to understand and go deep into our learning of our respective areas.

I had also decided to create a digital map for my interactive element because I wanted to showcase that the Coast Salish Nation was not just one culture, but a vast amount of communities that came together during the colonization of North America.  This allowed me to place all points and locations of each nation!

All my research and final focus display is in this link here:

Link

Anthropology can really allow for us to analyze ideas, cultures, and human evolution, allowing for us to delve deeper than just the surface level. Not only does it allow for us to do this, it makes us learn something with an open mind.  If you are unable to grasp, or not understand a different person’s culture, it creates a mental blockade that prevents you from wanting to learn ones culture.  Like mentioned before, a lot of people in school and around Canada have prejudice against Indigenous people, viewing them as “lesser” and “vulgar“.  They will never be able to truly understand the diversity of Indigenous culture unless they are able to remove this ideal within their mindset.  This is why an anthropologists mind is so important when doing research related to Indigenous culture.  If you are able to start just as an anthropologist, and slowly learn about more cultures than just yourself, you will be able to remove that mental blockade.  It paves the way for Reconciliation, and promotes education and research on this topic.

If you go into my display I talk more about how this club specifically plays a role in Reconciliation!

I really liked combining anthropology and BCFP together; this project was a really interesting blend, and was able to captivate my attention.  I enjoy doing research projects like this, where we pick one specific item/event and focus all our attention on it.  It gives us the freedom to connect it to past learnings and ideas.  Overall I think I did a great job utilizing all information that I had access too, as finding sources regarding this topic was really difficult.  Since the actual nation was undiscovered, it was really hard generalizing it as it may not show the full picture.

Thank you for reading!!!

-Chris

Let’s take Action for Reconciliation!

Posted on by christianl

Reconciliation:

“The act of restoring friendly relations between two parties.”

Has our past ways of reconciling been effective?  Are we moving towards a brighter future of where Indigenous people are given an equal playing field as the rest, and for our past wrongdoings to be forgiven?

An issue we currently face is a lack of initiative, and action being taken in this topic.  Lots of people have a sort of aversion towards this subject, and generally turns a blind eye, and/or don’t support the cause.  Sure, there are plenty of people that are part of “Reconciliation”, but are simply using it as a way to increase status, and use this idea to their benefit.  For this project we used a word called Reconciliation, the verb form of Reconciliation, where we take initiative and try to move forward as a class.  We aim to be able educate the people coming to this year’s winter exhibition by showcasing them a diverse set of points focused around different areas of reconciliation.

Driving Question:  

How might we engage in meaningful Reconciliation?

To start, we were given a set of different topics that we wanted to focus on and dive deep into.  I was placed in a team with Cameron and Daniel, two of my friends that I am very confident in working with.  We focused on the subject of land acknowledgements, what do they mean, what they are for, and whether or not they were effective.  I really went extensive into the individual research, as this topic really fascinated me and I wanted to know more.  A major issue my group realized that affected not only land acknowledgements, but reconciliation as a whole was tokenism.  Tokenism is when a company, or organization, does something for the sake of their own personal gain, not actually tackling the issue.  It’s superficial, they just want to look good without putting in the effort of actually researching the topic.  We can see this in land acknowledgements, the constant repetition of the same thing being repeated over and over again.  They are just using a template that has been copied and pasted thousands of times.  Whether it’s through speeches, or the tagline at the bottom of email addresses, we see this happen all the time.

https://christianl.craft.me/Scjjh4646jJIRy

After putting in the research, we wanted a perspective of someone who was Indigenous, and have their thoughts shared to us.  Cameron Bringsli, born in raised in the Yukon, was able to schedule and interview with both an Elder from the Kwanlin Dun Nation (Elder Dawson), and a Professor from the Yukon University (Professor Theresa).  They were able to share with us the information of how they felt towards the topic, and what they found worrying.  Please take a bit to watch our interview with them.

This led us into the idea of creating a booth that allows for the learner to be able to create a land acknowledgement of their own.  Instead of focusing on the same reused information, we wanted them to create a personalized connection to the land, what makes living here so special to them, and why living here is irreplaceable.  When I moved here, I had to restart almost everything that I had done for the last 12 years of my life.  I didn’t know anyone, and was scared meeting people from a foreign nation.  Now, being able to walk to school with friends, or go climbing outside has created life long bonds with the people around me.  Since about last year, I still held a large attachment to my friends back in Brunei, but as I continue to live here, I realize how much I enjoy living in North Vancouver and attending Seycove.  These things are irreplicable to me, aspects that make up who I am, and something that I would write in a land acknowledgement.  This personal connection creates a land acknowledgement that is special to me, whilst also acknowledging that I am on the territory of someone else.

I believe that the best way of reconciling, or spreading awareness in any topic in general, is through education.  Education is the key to most of our modern day issues, whether it’s to spread awareness, or gaining skills to use in the world, it helps with everything.  The awareness allows for us to have compassion and empathy, to realize what we were doing is wrong, and the need to apologize.  Education needs a clear balance, whether we are pushing a topic too little, or too much depends on the people taking in the information.  An example of this is BCFP, though I believe in the necessity of the topic, I am aware of other students that are not as fond on the subject.  I think each person would need an individualized way of learning about reconciliation, as pushing a subject onto someone may create disinterest and a sort of resentment if they were forced.  The winter exhibition was a good balance of the topic, they were able to go there, learn about the topic, and be able to think about it outside of the night.  If they were not interested, or loss interest, in a topic they had the option of walking away, giving the direct freedom to the people who are learning.

Education, my key to reconciliation, requires an open mind with people willing to learn.

I really enjoyed delving into this topic, lots of issues that I was previously were unaware with were brought to light after researching this topic, and I think that we did a fantastic job in presenting during the exhibition.  This was honestly one of my most favourite topics, I really enjoyed working with my two group members, and I believe that we had great chemistry working together.  We all pulled our weight, and I think our final product really showed off all of the hard work we put in.

Thank you so very much for reading, and learning about this topic.

-Christian Lo

The Manhattan Project (Kaboom)

Posted on by christianl

Hiya!

This is a pretty late post due to the blog site not being up when we finished this project.  This is “technically” my first blog of the year, where we focused on the Manhattan project and its effects on the world.  Not only did we learn about atomic bombs, but how to take effective notes using Zettelkastens and Axioms.  Sit back, relax, and enjoy reading about my journey!

“How did the Manhattan Project’s scientific breakthroughs change the world?”

This project focused on atomic bombs, and researching it during its devastating effects on us today (more on that in a different post).  Before that, we had to learn how to take great notes, using a system that combined Zettelkastens and Axioms.

Think of Zettelkastens as a “brain”, a place where you can access all of your information through a couple clicks.  The system originally came from a man named Niklas Luhmann, a person who created vast amounts of knowledge bases by reading books, and creating small notes to place them in different boxes related to the topic.  This allowed for him to basically have a second brain, a place where he could access all of the notes that he had previously taken.  This system of tagging each document allows for you to create connections that you may not have been previously seen.  We have taken up this system and are required to tag all of the different notes that we have collected throughout this project.

Axioms are a way of taking notes.  They involve cutting off all of the unnecessary words and summarizing the point within a couple of sentences.  Each axioms has to have one clear and concise idea that involves multiple key headers, like why it matters or by the numbers, that is further broken down by using bullet points.  We tag each of the axioms, so that we can see connections related between each idea.  Have a look at the document with all the information I collected throughout the entire project:

https://christianl.craft.me/manhattanproject

The actual final product that we had to create was a 2-3 minute explainer video that covered a main topic related to how we are affected to it today.  I wanted to focus on the ethics of its use, and how it both prevented wars, and allowed for wars to happen.  Enjoy watching!

Well, to answer the driving question, we are still facing the consequences of nuclear weapons in our lives.  Wars between major nations cannot be fought, in fear of the destruction of the world.  This has allowed countries like Russia to take advantage of this, and invade Ukraine whilst the rest of the world can’t support.  This is more of a brief summary of my answer, and is further described in my video.

Though I believe that my creation of the Zettelkastens and Axioms were quite good, I believe that the explainer video could use some work.  I went with a very simplistic approach, having super simple drawings that did not look super great.  I really enjoy creating videos that involve covering a topic about the past, but drawings are not my strong suite.  This is evident in my video, and I feel like it could have been improved.  My overall idea throughout the video was pretty strong, but could have gone deeper in some aspects.

Thanks for reading!

-Christian Lo

Road to Rights #2 – The Opening of Residential Schools

Posted on by christianl

Good day,

This blog post will be focusing on the dark injustices of Indigenous people in the past, and their road to rights throughout our history.  We are part of the reconciliation, and this course helps us achieve the goal of creating an even playing field for all Canadians.

How might the acknowledgement of rights impact Indigenous peoples now and in the future?

We began this project by first understanding what we were creating, and an example of what Ms. McWilliam envisioned for this project.  We would be creating a road to right, a timeline that showed all of the significant events that Indigenous people were affected by, ranging from the initial establishment of residential schools to the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People.  Each person in our class was responsible for one of the dates, creating one infographic that covered the topic that would eventually be shown in a display case located in the hallway outside of the PLP room.

Before actually starting, we had to research and understand what we wanted to focus on, and the direction each person would like to take within this project.  We started of by creating a mini infographic on one of the topics chosen above, and I had to decided to focus on a major topic that led to the development of many more issues related to Indigenous people, the establishment of the first residential school in 1831.  This was the second topic of our timeline, and marked the beginning of the mistreatment of Indigenous children.  I believe that I did a great job in encapsulating the key ideas in only one page whilst still keeping it visually appealing.  After finishing this aspect, we focused more on building our knowledge on things like the United Declaration of Rights on the Indigenous People (UNDRIP) and learning about Indigenous woman’s rights.  I built a craft document that encapsulates all of the research that I had done in this project, and all key information needed to know.

https://christianl.craft.me/RoadToRights

Later down the line, I realized that I really liked this topic, and had built a large amount of research regarding the topic.  I decided to stick with this idea, and continue down the same path as before.

This slideshow shows off all of the different revisions made before finally creating a version that I was proud off.  They were mostly minor changes, but definitely added to the overall product.

This beginning of BCFP has already allowed for me to understand the part we play in reconciliation.  We as a collective are part of the long journey that Canada has to walk in order to regain the trust in Indigenous people, and Canadians have a responsibility to learn about the injustices we made in the past.  The best way in recognizing that we as a collective was wrong, is to educate our future generations to prevent another mistake like this to be repeated again in the future.  This course spreads awareness, and allows us to break the cycle of trauma that has been led throughout our generations.

Overall, this project was a great start to the course.  I really enjoyed creating infographics, and Ms. McWilliam was able to summarize the point very well.  It was rather short, but it served as an introductory to this course.  The creation of the panel outside went well, and I think passerbyers will look at it whilst going to their next class.

And of course,

Thanks so much for reading!

-Chris

The tPOL of Grade 10 – The Halfway Mark of Highschool

Posted on by christianl

Good Evening.  

The transitional presentation of learning, the reflection of the year and our evidence of growth.  Why do I believe that I am ready for Grade 11?

Driving Question:  How can you showcase evidence to demonstrate that PLP Success Behaviours have prepared you to advance to the next grade?

“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.”

It’s already the end of grade 10, and it’s time to reflect on what I’ve learnt, and what I still need to do.  As I progress into grade 11, I hope to meet new people and improve my work.

“You don’t learn from experience; you learn from reflecting on experience.” – John Dewey.

I’d like to start this presentation on a high note, one of the main things that I have improved on myself.

Confidence

Confidence is key, so they say.

I really struggled to connect with the PLP teachers and students last year, I had an inability to express myself confidentially, and always put up a mask, both figuratively and physically.  I believe this stemmed from when I moved to Canada, everyone was different, and I felt like I smaller and more vulnerable than the others.  Even when I had friends, I still lacked the confidence in myself to truly express who I was.  I felt scared when communicating with teachers, and was afraid how others saw me.  This year has really allowed me to understand and express who I am, through conversations with friends.  With the help of others, I slowly regained self-confidence, to take of the mask.

With confidence, comes the ability to improv and be comfortable on stage.  The confidence in what you know, the confidence to speak from your mind.  This is something that I most definitely improved on; going without a script and just speaking what I think is best in the moment.

I always enjoyed preparing scripts, making sure I was ready, so that there was no chance for any mistakes or errors in what I am saying.  I hated the feeling of when an awkward silence takes the conversation and I am unsure in what to say next.  Though it was usually effective and complete, whatever I presented always seemed to be robotic and uninteresting.  I believe that the implementation of a system where I memorize the content, and make the words on the spot has allowed for more of a conversation including audience participation.

This has significantly helped with my presenting skills, and be able to propose something even if I am unprepared.

I believe that this is demonstrated through the Pecha Kucha and Shark Tank project.  These two projects heavily relied on knowing your content, and presenting something to an audience.

The Pecha Kucha project was where it all started; I decided to make up my words on the spot, instead of memorizing a script, like I usually do.  I believe that I did a good job, but still had lots of room in improvement.

The Shark Tank project was a way to understand how to sell ourselves, and what we bring to the work world.  I really enjoyed this project, and find it to be one of my most favourite projects since starting in PLP.  It really allowed me to understand how to sell myself, how to pitch myself to employers and know what they want to say.

This also helped with things outside of school, business and engineering competitions where I had to pitch an idea to a panel of judges.

This was my main success of the year, and hope to grow in other areas of growth.

Instead of splitting up the success behaviors, I have opted to focus on the three success behaviors that I think that I have growth in.  Apart from the success behaviours I have shown, I believe that I uphold each and every other one.  I always look for rooms to grow, and want to become better.

Reflection

I thought that reflection was one of my strong suites as of last year, but it has come to my attention that I have become a bit lazy in this area.  I believe that my blog posts lack the depth that it once had, the passion and carefulness of what I once had when I joined PLP.

This may be due to a lack of motivation, always getting checkmarks and never pushing myself to do better.  This could have caused me to put out the bare minimum in terms of blog posts, and focus more on the actual project.  This could have been shown in my last project, where I poured all of my time and effort in the project and was to tired to write a quality post.  I hope that this post does not show this.

Self Care

Though I always care for myself and try to have free time, I tend to sign up for as many things as possible to fill up my schedule.  This may result in sleeping late, lack of motivation, or worse of all burn out.  I want to do as much as possible, sign up for as many extra-curriculars and become the best in what I do.

My want for more is shown in my work, in the Romeo Romeo project I always prioritize quantity over quality, which results in a large amount of work that I have to do.  My theme book had about three times the required evidence, I chose to try to find as many themes as possible, even if may not relate to the topic.  They all fit the requirement, but none really stood out.

Not only that, the schedule that I chose for next year may result in me being very tired or demotivated.  I chose to take 10 academic courses, 2 being online.  This also does not include all my extra curriculars, positions, and musical courses.

Goals and Self Assessing   

My goals are usually generic and boring, often plaguing a large amount of people.  Though they are usually relevant, I believe that I could go more in depth and break down my ideas further.  I have a clear path that I would like to take, but setting goals for to achieve success is pretty vague.

Not only that, I sometimes give up on goals, and never end of finishing things that I want to do.  An example of this was the awards that I said I had wanted to achieve, but never ended up accomplishing it.

My Learning Plan

The last part of this presentation that I would like to cover is my learning plan.  The learning plan, a document we make every year that shows of our strengths and weaknesses.  I believe that I had completed most of my goals, and was successful in achieving my plan.  I look forward to making another one next year.

PLP Learning Plan 10 – Christian Lo 20232024

Though there were many successes this year, I always have growth.  There are always ways to improve, and I will always be far from perfection.

Thanks for listening to my tPOL

-Chris

A Shark’s Den – Back to the Future!

Posted on by christianl

Hellooo people!

After completing this long awaited project, it is time to start the reflection and examine the work that I built along the way.

Driving Question: How do you set yourself up to become the person you want to be?

The learning journey involved not only allowed me to grow as a person, but understand what I want to do in the future. These everyday skills that I learnt are vital in the work world.  Lets get right into the skills I learnt!

Stress Management:

Everyone faces it, everyone needs to deal with it, stress is part of everyone’s day to day life.

Under the short duration and pressure we had during this process, it has really allowed me to understand what calms me down, and what I need to do to in order to prevent it.

I enjoy taking long deep breathes, reflecting what I have done, and try to maintain a calm composure when under lots of stress.  Realizing that is all okay, and that I have had a lot of experience in this type of things allows me to realize that I can do this.

Knowing who I am and what I want to be:

Before starting this project, I had a rough understanding of what I wanted to do, and where I want to be. Along the journey, I realized that staying in a job and not starting anything of my own is something I do not want to do.

My parents, my motivation and inspiration, has made me come to a realization that I would like to start something of my own in the future; whether it has to do with technology or not.

Understanding who I am and where I want to be has become clearer than before.  This project gave me the time to reflect and think of what I want to do.

What it takes to get there:

Realizing that not everything is easy and having to work to be able to achieve the goal you want is what people often overlook. Everyone wants something, but nobody has the courage and determination to actually start.

To achieve my goals; to be able to enter the technology industry I need to be able to have the skills and knowledge to start. Doing side projects and creating what I want is something that I need to work on. I believe that I have the fundamentals, but lack the evidence to show for it.

A lot of companies and universites would actually like to be able to see your skills, and how you have implemented it into your work.  By doing projects it shows that there are things that you have created and they know what you were doing.

Here is a link to the document I created throughout this project:

https://christianl.craft.me/HmgTiNEsF2ADbt

During the process of creating my pitch, I tend to create a full script for my projects, which leads to a static and robotic type voice that people often get bored with.

In this case, I made a script, but refrained from using it. I had memorized the contents of it and tried to not use my cue cards at all. I didn’t follow what was written, thinking of words on the sport and from past experience. This process had allowed me to keep eye contact with the judges, and have a certain flow to my words.

Practice was my key to success.  The phrase “practice makes perfect” encompasses my idea and purpose for this project.  Friends, family, even teachers listened and watched me practice my pitch to them.  I made sure that I had all the concepts down, and focused on creating interactivity with the audience.  I made sure to smile, maintain eye contact, and most of all, ask them questions to keep them engaged.

Cover Letter – Christian Lo Resume – Christian Lo

Answer to driving question:

I do not need to have everything planned out for the future, just taking it step by step and achieving my goals is what I need to focus on. Planning out each day and making sure that every passing day is better than before is something that I want to be able to do. Having not everything planned is okay, and people our age should not have to stress about knowing where they want to be in the next couple of years.

Along with this, just having a couple clear set goals that you want to be able to achieve is what most should strive for. These goals should better you as a person; whether it is to eat more healthy or start going to the gym.

Overall, I genuinely really enjoyed this project. I found the idea of a shark tank pitch to be really effective, in not only being able to present yourself, but understanding who you are and what skills you offer. In my recent years of PLP, I have to say that this was one of my all time favourite projects, and would love to do something similar in the future.

Thanks for reading!

-Chris