Creative Process

Our team went through several stages of design while creating our solution for the DI challenge. We started with brainstorming ideas for our 8-minute story, focusing on the theme: how something small and/or simple can create a big impact. After exploring different directions, we decided to tell the story of a poor musician who’s trying to get her sick mother out of the hospital. A small yellow piece of paper becomes the turning point in her life—a seemingly insignificant object that ends up changing everything.

We chose music and dance as our Team Choice Elements, weaving them into the story to highlight emotional moments and add depth to our performance. We experimented with different musical pieces and movement styles, choreographing sections that enhanced both the message and mood of each scene.

One of our biggest creative challenges was designing a Special Effect that would enhance the Emotional Moment—a key scene where the main character expresses desperation and hope through song. After testing several options, we landed on a combination of fabric, cool motion, and minimalistic set design that created a powerful visual and emotional experience.

Story Development

Crafting a compelling story that met all the challenge requirements while still feeling original and meaningful was a huge part of our journey. Our Focal Character—the struggling musician—was at the heart of our story. We made sure her motivations and emotional journey were clearly shown, especially in the moment when she discovers the yellow paper that changes everything.

We went through many drafts, revising dialogue, character arcs, and pacing to make sure the story flowed well and kept the audience engaged. We were especially proud of how naturally the Emotional Moment emerged, supported by theatrical elements and our Special Effect to heighten its impact.

Provincials: Stepping Up

After Regionals, we knew there was still room to grow. At Provincials, I personally pushed myself even more by writing and performing an original song for our Emotional Moment. Songwriting and singing helped me tap into the character’s emotion in a more powerful way, and I could feel the audience connecting with that moment. It was a risk to add something so personal and vulnerable, but it paid off and became one of the strongest parts of our performance.

We also refined our set, costumes, and transitions based on feedback from Regionals. Our team got better at using innovative and creative solutions to enhance the story—like designing interactive props and rethinking staging to emphasize the transformation caused by the yellow paper. It was amazing to see how each little detail added up to something really impactful.

Skills I’ve Gained

Compared to last year in PLP 8, this year’s DI challenge pushed me out of my comfort zone in the best way. I built new skills like adaptability—things went wrong all the time, and I had to learn to adjust quickly and stay calm under pressure. I also learned more about performance design, like how lighting and staging can completely change the mood of a scene.

Most importantly, I developed confidence in myself as a performer and creator. Writing a song, singing it live, and telling a meaningful story—all while sticking to the time limit and challenge rules—was something I never thought I could do.

Communication & Collaboration

Our team truly grew together through this process. We practiced active listening, worked through disagreements respectfully, and supported each other during every rehearsal. The pressure of Provincials could have divided us, but instead it made us stronger. We leaned on each other and celebrated our successes together.

The Outcome

I’m proud to say that we won Provincials, and it felt like all of our hard work, creativity, and risk-taking really paid off. This DI journey showed me how powerful collaboration and storytelling can be, and how even the smallest idea—like a yellow piece of paper—can make a big impact.

I’ll be adding photos and a link to our final performance video soon!

“How does experiencing a workday shape our view of career choices?”

Stepping into a professional workplace offers more than just a peek behind the curtain—it provides an immersive experience that helps us understand the nuances of a career. My day at ‘DYS Architecture’ during Take Your Kid to Work Day opened my eyes to the realities of architectural work, revealing its collaborative, technical, and creative aspects. By participating in real-world activities, I could better visualize what it might be like to pursue this profession and gained clarity about the skills and interests I might need to succeed in it.

The day began with a guided tour of the DYS Architecture office. As I walked through the workspace, I noticed how intentional the design of the office was—open desks fostered collaboration, while private rooms were set aside for focused work and client meetings. This set the stage for a better understanding of how architects blend creativity and structure in their workspaces, not just their designs.

Next came one of the highlights of the day: a lunch and learn session. A private company presented a lecture on various types of bricks and their architectural applications. While I initially thought bricks were just a basic building material, I learned how their texture, color, and functionality influence the final aesthetic and structural integrity of buildings. It was fascinating to see how much thought and expertise go into materials that often go unnoticed in daily life.

Later, I had the chance to sit in on a client meeting. This was a interesting moment of the day. I witnessed firsthand how architects work closely with clients to align creative vision with practical needs. From discussing design adjustments to addressing client concerns, I observed the importance of clear communication, adaptability, and problem-solving in this field.

What I Learned

This experience helped me connect classroom learning to real-world application. For instance:

Technical Expertise: The lunch and learn highlighted how architects must continuously educate themselves about evolving materials and technologies.

Collaboration: Both the open office design and the client meeting emphasized teamwork and communication as essential skills.

Creativity Meets Practicality: Architecture is a balancing act—each design must be aesthetically pleasing while meeting functional and budgetary constraints.

I documented my experience in a video, capturing the highlights of the day, including snippets from the office tour, lunch and learn, and client meeting. You can watch the final video on YouTube

Thanking My Mentor

To show my gratitude, I sent a thank-you email to my mentor at DYS Architecture. (Screenshots of the email are attached below.) Their willingness to include me in their daily work, answer my questions, and share insights made this experience incredibly valuable.

Reflections on Career Choices

Experiencing a workday in architecture has reshaped how I think about career planning. It showed me the importance of exploring a profession’s day-to-day realities before committing to it. The practical skills, collaboration, and adaptability I saw in action gave me a deeper understanding of what this career entails. Whether or not I pursue architecture in the future, this experience taught me how to better evaluate potential career paths.

Through this hands-on glimpse into the professional world, I’ve taken one more step toward clarifying my long-term goals and aligning them with my passions and skills.

Hello and welcome to my blog post on the Small but Mighty project, in this project we had to show our knowledge on the immune system, cells, and bacteria. We worked hard on showing our knowledge with things like our field journal, our immune system character cards, and our vaccine media campaigns always referring back to the driving question, “How does our knowledge of cell biology contribute to public health?”Throughout the project, we delved into the intricate world of microorganisms and their impact on public health. By conducting research, creating visual aids, and presenting our findings to the class, we aimed to raise awareness about the importance of understanding cell biology in the context of public health. Our project was not only informative, but also engaging as we explored the fascinating world of microorganisms and their role in maintaining our well-being. Join us on this journey as we uncover the significance of these tiny but powerful organisms.

First, to dive into the waters of microorganisms, we started off with the field journal where we documented observations and growth in the bacteria we grew in petri dishes. We swabbed specific places around the school and used the scientific method to help observe the bacteria. In the scientific process we started of with writing a question, my question was, Where in the school is the has the most bacteria? A classroom table, a bathroom sink, bathroom floor, or the inside of a locker? (Read my conclusions in the presentation)

Second, the character cards were a fun challenge where we made the cells in our bodies into characters (I chose Ryan Reynolds’s characters) T-cell was deadpool because it kills pathogens, the b-cell was green lantern because it creates antibodies, white blood cells was guy (from free guy) because of the one scene where he had a Captain America shield, and antibodies were detective pikachu becasue antibodies stick to pathogens just like how Ryan Reynolds’s character was stuck in pikachu’s body, and I made the macrophage guy from the croods because macrophages eat pathogens with the hunger of a caveman. This mini project was a great way to learn about the different types of cells and their functions in our bodies. By turning these cells into characters, it made the information more engaging and easier to remember. Plus, it was a fun and creative way to showcase our understanding of the material. I definitely feel like I have a better grasp on the topic now and I actually enjoyed learning about it. Who knew that microorganisms could be so fascinating and entertaining? It just goes to show that even the smallest things can have a big impact.

Last, the vaccine ad campaign was aimed towards anti vaxxers and their interesting reasoning for not getting their covid shots, me and my partner chose the fact that they believe it’ll make them magnetic turning them into Bill Gates’ chess pieces. Through our vaccine ad campaign, we aimed to debunk myths and misinformation surrounding vaccines and promote the importance of getting vaccinated for public health. By creating engaging and informative ads, we hoped to encourage more people to make informed decisions about their health and the health of those around them. 

Overall, the Microorganism Project has been a rewarding and eye-opening experience, shedding light on the significance of cell biology in the context of public health. Thank you for joining us on this journey to explore the world of small but mighty microorganisms. I hope that through my research, presentations, and creative projects, I have taught others about the role that microorganisms play in our daily lives. By showcasing the importance of cell biology in public health, I have aimed to empower individuals to make informed decisions about their health and the health of their communities. As I continue to learn and grow, I invite you to join us in our mission to raise awareness and advocate for the well-being of all through everyone’s knowledge of microorganisms. Thank you for following along with me on this journey, and I look forward to continuing to explore the fascinating world of small but mighty microorganisms together. Stay tuned for more updates and exciting discoveries in the world of cell biology and public health!

Introduction👋

Hello and “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.” In this blog you will see a reflection of the projects and classes I’ve had so far in PLP, How I think I grew as a learner this year and how I showed it, how I think I can alter or fix my learning plan to ensure I will reach my learning targets of this school year some of my struggles and solutions I’ve been using to help me improve.

My Learning Plan and how I can change/ fix it to ensure I meet my goals 🤔

This is my learning plan we wrote it in the beginning of the school year to set goals and learning target to reach by the end of the school year. The learning target I set for myself was to be better with time management, I noticed when I worked I would get frustrated with “not having enough time” while every one else was finished two days ago, or getting to school and forgetting about the homework that was due. I wanted to fix this so I’ve created small solutions such as setting constant reminders and small goals within this one to try and reach this learning target. So far when I look on Showbie for the first projects they aren’t the best with time management but now on more recent projects there are only one or two projects late so I am confident that I will meet this goal by the end of the school year.

I can improve my learning plan by using it more often to help me reach my academic goals and achieve them faster. This is how I can fix my learning plan and ensure I reach my learning target by the end of the year.

My PLP classes  📝

Reflecting on my PLP classes, I can see how I improved on many skills such as communication, collaboration, and preparation. These skills are very important in everyday life and I’m glad I got to improve and work on them in humanities, maker, and science. I have been working hard on the projects practicing using the skills that have been i have learned and I have been trying to apply myself to the material. I work hard but I haven’t quite reached extendings in my classes yet, I think that when I reach some of my learning targets it will be much easier for me to get an extendings in my classes. looking back at my work I can see that I have potential to grow and improve as a learner and even getting an extending on project that made me think that way was Power play and how it started from humanities, it was a fun project about studying medieval ages and making paintings staring me with them. It was so interesting to work on the project and I was very engaged with it I think if I worked liked that with all my projects I would be able to get an easy extendings in my classes there are other projects that I think had great potential like the video game project from science and my about me video (you can watch the video and more on my YouTube Channel or my blog) but this one is my favorite from all of them. But of course, there are some projects that didn’t go as good as the others. Looking back at some projects that didn’t go as well will help me improve even though they haven’t met my expectations yet I can use them to grow and improve towards my goal of getting at least one extending.

Decoding the Past: Lessons Echoing Through Time

Creating a Fun and Educational Video Game

How Have I Demonstrated Growth as a Learner so Far This Year? 📏

I have demonstrated my growth as a learner so far with my learning portfolio. Going through all of my blog posts of past projects in my learning portfolio I can clearly see improvement in my work. For example, looking at my very first project post I can see that the paragraphs are small and the writing is minimal which isn’t ideal because I like having all of these posts as a memorabilia and it’s nice to look back at past projects I’ve done, but this one is bland and not very descriptive. On the other hand, looking at more recent posts on my learning portfolio I can see that it’s more descriptive and I can see and remember the projects better remembering the process some missteps and skills I used to help me with the project. I think writing a post for every project I’ve done was a great way to track my progress it’s like marking your height in the walls every week to see how much you grew and I think that’s an excellent way to see how I grew as a learner so far this year. I think all of my posts are great but one that I really love is my winter exhibition post. That post is about my first winter exhibition I think that its the best blog post I wrote but it really catches my attention because it’s a very important post about a very important event. The winter exhibition  post was the first time I ever made a reflection on a project that big and I learned a lot of important things from analyzing the work and reflecting on the process.

My first Winter exhibition Ft. My tryptic

Conclusion 😅

In conclusion I am very proud of my work progress and I am very confident I will meet all my goals by the end of this school year. Using all the skills I’ve learned I can build, grow and improve my work ethics and make my self a successful learner in the PLP program. I’ve learned so much on how to be successful and improve skills that are very essential to my success and every day life. Using this mpol to reflect on my work has taught me a lot about my goals and how I can achieve them using things I learned from previous work. I look forward to meeting my goals and learning more in the PLP program continuing to grow my skills and knowledge.