Welcome to my grade 8 mPOL (mid-year Presentation of learning). This post is my reflection on everything I have done in grade 8 thus far. I’ll be talking about my core competencies, some of my projects for each subject, some things I’m doing well at, and some opportunities for growth. The driving questions for this mPOL are:

• How have I demonstrated growth as a learner so far this year?
• How can I sharpen my learning plan to make sure that I hit my targets by the end of the school year?

These are my chosen core competencies that I was asked to pick earlier this year: 

Communication:

This year I have learned about lots of opportunities to collaborate and have learned lots new ways to communicate. A good example of me growing communication abilities was the Constructing Creative Communication project where I learned how to use drawing and photography as means of communication. A good example of collaborating was the Laser Laws project, where I had to be able to communicate with my group members even when they weren’t at school. I can grow my communication abilities is by always making sure to interact with everybody around me.

Thinking:

I have learned lots of great ways to express my creativity this year. Projects such as Constructing Creative Communication or Working With Words where I learned lots of new ways to express my creativity. I have also been able to expand my reflective thinking by posting reflections on every project on my blog. I can expand my thinking by always striving to create things that reflect my creativity and making sure to regularly reflect on things I do.

Personal and Social:

This year, Destination Imagination was a big part of my personal and social responsibility. where I have identify my strengths and use them to further my team towards completion of out challenge. I also have to be responsible for my contributions to my team in order for us to succeed. In terms of cultural identity, projects about my worldview such as The Outsiders and Working With Words, where I had to think deeper about who I am as a person. I can further grow my personal and social competency by making sure to always be responsible for my actions when I’m alone as well as when I’m with others.

Systems, Habits, and Disposition: 

I think that I have expanded my abilities to stay on task and get my work done substantially. I have been a lot better at managing my time, especially when I have lots of work due at one time. One good example of time management has been this past week, in which I had to make three blog posts, this mPOL, and an ebook.

Humanities:

This year in Humanities, we have done three projects Medium is the Message, The Outsiders, and Working With Words. Out of the three projects, I am most proud of my Working With Words poems. I think that they incapsulate who I am in a creative way. The poems are also great to read and listen too. My self portrait poem was even selected to be read at the grade 8 coffee house performance.

I think a good growth opportunity for me this semester was during the Medium is the Message project. In this project I learned how work can go through many revisions in order to be complete.

Scimatics:

This semester in scimatics we have done three projects. Fractions of Your Time, Tectonic Chances, and Laser Laws. My favourite work in scimatics this semester is my Laser Laws laser triangle. It looks great and creates a proper right triangle. 

I think a great growth opportunity this semester has been during the Tectonic Chances Project, where the game that I created with my partner was far too time consuming and long. Although I did think that it was a fun game, I learned that sometimes its better to make things simpler, in order for them to be more enjoyable or interesting.

Maker:

This semester in Maker, we did/are doing five projects. Becoming a PLP Learner, Constructing Creative Communication, The Geek Out Blogging Challenge, and Destination Imagination. My favourite thing I did this semester in maker was Constructing Creative Communication where I learned about new ways to creatively communicate. I especially am proud of my learning in the Herzog side, where I build my otherwise basic photography skills to a much higher level.

I think a great growth opportunity has been Destination Imagination, where my group has had to do all of the work completely by ourselves. It’s taught me to be responsible and make sure that my team is working together in order for us to succeed.

Demonstrations of Revisions, Teamwork, and Responsibility:

I think something that demonstrates my revisions, teamwork, and responsibility is the Medium is the Medium is the Message project. In that project, we had to create an advertisement for a business with a group. When we stared, we each made individual ads that went through lots of revisions. This thought me a lot about the many revisions that work can go through before being even close to completion.

This project also thought me a lot about teamwork when we had to decide on a way to combine our ads to make a group ad. On top of that, I was away when we made our final ad, so I had to be responsible for my end of the project.

In the end, we created a great final product. These are some phases that the ad went through:

For the rest of the year, I will continue to improve by always striving to learn and create to the best of my ability. I will keep up my disposition, habits, and systems, and try my best to reach my core competency goals.