LO5

Project Week Planning Reflection (Preparation)

CAS

LO5 – Demonstrate the skills and recognise the benefits of working collaboratively

The planning and preparation stage for this trip was one of the most challenging things that we had to get through as a group. I don’t think we would have been able to complete all the necessary steps if we didn’t work collaboratively. However, we encountered multiple challenges along the way.

As a group, we were very open to one another’s ideas and willing to work together – there were few internal problems. One of our strengths was also that we were very organised (for example, we immediately created a folder with all of the documents needed for the whole process). However external circumstances proved challenging along the way.

We played to our strengths and divided up the different parts of the trip (activity, service, accommodation) amongst the members. But there were many problems with communication along the way. Our NGO replied to us very sporadically and infrequently. This made it hard for members in charge of logistics, as they weren’t able to solidify any plans until very late in the planning process. Even though we tried to maintain clear channels of communication and tried our best to keep updating the planning document, this was a significant challenge that we only overcame after contacting the NGO multiple times as a group. I think that if we were planning this trip individually, it would have been much easier to give up and find alternatives. But since we were all determined together, it felt much easier to persevere after what we originally wanted.

Another significant challenge we faced near the end was the miscommunication between some of the members in the group. Not everyone was clear with the activity option we originally wanted to do, especially since some members still didn’t have parental consent. This caused a few problems in terms of logistics again, and there was some frustration. I think since we were a larger group, miscommunication was one of our biggest concerns. However, by the end of the process we learnt how to work together in an effective manner by meeting once or twice a week to discuss the updated plan while also using an online group chat.

 

STEM CLUB: Final Reflection

CAS

LO5-Demonstrate the skills and recognise the benefits of working collaboratively.

In sessions, we were all working hard to publish our individual projects onto our website (https://stemclubuwcsea.wordpress.com/). Although the objective was for us to create projects independently, I realised the importance of relying on the people around you to edit, refine, and improve your own work. I found this out primarily through the process of peer editing we implemented.

It’s easy to get defensive over your work. But I found that there was real value in listening to suggestions from my peers about my work: what other ideas I could implement, advice to remove long-winding sentences from my writing, and simple grammatical changes. I also found that listening to alternative perspectives helped me broaden my own views on the issue I chose to write about.

For instance, in my article I chose to discuss the implications of asteroid mining. I was originally writing solely about the economic and social repercussions of this phenomenon. But after discussing with some of the members in the club, I found that there were so many more issues I could incorporate into my article such as the political tensions and legal consequences over ownership of land in space. I found it fascinating that my perspective broadened so much after hearing out others’ opinions.

Ultimately, this process really helped me achieve the level of breadth I was aiming to cover in my article. Here is the link: https://stemclubuwcsea.wordpress.com/2018/08/19/what-lies-beyond-us-the-implications-of-asteroid-mining/

SEAMC: Action + Demonstration

CAS

LO5: Working together to achieve an outcome

Planning and running SEAMC was one of the hardest yet most rewarding things I have ever done. This year, our organisational committee was faced with the challenge of preparing students for the competition while also partaking in the logistical aspect of hosting. I can confidently say that the outcome of our efficient and targeted planning was a success, especially in regards to how our school’s team performed. We were able to take home many medals and placed 2nd overall, which was an unprecedented feat in UWC’s history.

A major challenge that my fellow planners and I faced was during the week of the competition however. We were given the task of opening the competition with an hour long presentation as well as providing help with running the different rounds. We were only given a week’s notice for this and without our effective communication and organisation, we wouldn’t have been able to pull it off. This was also a personal challenge for me, because I absolutely dread public speaking. I grew into a more confident and self-assured person after presenting to over 300 people and helping them throughout the weekend. It was a great experience of personal growth.

It was thanks to the fellow organisers, teachers, and staff that we were also able to execute this event successfully. We obviously faced challenges with logistics, timings, delivering questions, and the results, but it was ultimately through the support of everyone that we were able to overcome them. For instance, Joanna (another organiser) and I faced the problem of having a lot of volunteers drop out on the last day, so we had to divide the work between ourselves to get everything done instead. It was challenging, but worth it.

Something interesting that we also had to address was an important ethical dilemma. As the organisers of the competition, we had access to everyone’s tests, results, and the questions in the rounds. But we had to be incredibly responsible about maintaining their secrecy. It was an interesting for me to experience such an unfamiliar responsibility, because normally this sort of stuff is taken care of by teachers or other adults. I think it was an important lesson for us to learn for the future; we now knew the etiquette and the trust that comes with leadership.

SEAMC Highlight Reel

Kahaani: Final Rehearsals + Performance (Demonstration)

CAS

LO5: Working together to achieve an outcome

Kahaani Full Dress Rehearsal

This phase of Kahaani, I feel, is the most important. I saw this as the time as our group showed the most development and growth. It was remarkable how we went from being sloppy and uncoordinated to one of the most in-sync and energetic performances in the show. I think there were so many important factors that shaped this process. The first was definitely our collaboration as a group. We initially faced a lot of challenges (which were expected of a dance show), but it was our ability to put aside our differences and continuously make time for extra practice which was what helped us overcome them. Everyone’s enthusiasm and commitment throughout the process only further motivated me to stay committed to the process. Their supportive attitudes were also key in making me more resilient when I failed. I would say that this collaboration was crucial in shaping our performance to what it was on the day of the show. I think this experience was spectacular and completely worth it, despite all of the time I had to dedicate to it. This time commitment only helped me manage my time and balance my school work with activities better. I would not have traded this experience for the world.