Planning out CAS experiences:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1LOOM_vggfr8CO8LUW_gkHkP3mpzWHuVcJHGD1nwjmrw/edit
Month: October 2017
Applying Music Theory to Practical
Last weekend I sat the ABRSM Musical Theory Grade 5 examination at the Suntec City Convention Centre here in Singapore. I have been playing the classical guitar for more than 5 years now, having learned, rehearsed and performed pieces largely for the ABRSM guitar exams. After many years I have finally begun preparing to take my grade 8 exam, the last level before I can begin to work towards a music diploma. However before I can take this exam I had to complete up to grade 5 in musical theory. I have always found this a very frustrating and tedious requirement, as it involves learning about so many different classical instruments that does not include the guitar, as well as memorizing hundreds of different keys and sequences and terminologies that I have always found of little use to me. Perhaps the most agonizing part is having to memorize such an extensive amount of content, only to be asked a very limited number of questions in the final exam, such was the case this year. While I am now finished with music theory, my regular guitar lessons will be ongoing every Saturday, with the aim of passing grade 8 and therefore reaching diploma level next year.
However, my perspective on music theory changed entirely this year. This is largely because of the fact that I have reached such a high level of guitar, so all of a sudden every single bar of music is full of annotations and directions and symbols that I would have been completely unfamiliar with had it not been for my learning in musical theory. This relates to the 4th CAS learning outcome, as I found that my perseverance enabled me to apply my learning in a very useful way. Thanks to my extensive understanding of musical theory, I have been able to enhance my practical application, using the definitions I had so tediously memorized and experimenting with them in real, audible music. As a result I feel that I am a far more complete musician, and hope that I can use my new skills and understanding to become even better in the future.
CAS Supervisor: Aemilio from Aureus Academy, Singapore (admin@aureusacademy.com)
Starting STEM Club
This year I have had the opportunity, along with two of my peers, to create and lead UWC East’s very first High School STEM Club. The term ‘STEM’ stands for Science, Technology, Engineering and Math, with the abbreviation often used to refer to career paths relating to these respective fields. Furthermore, the aim of STEM club is to create a platform for those passionate about one or more of its elements to further explore and discover them alongside peers with likeminded interests.
This process was initiated when my friend and fellow leader contacted an organization called STEM girls, a group that aims to empower women to pursue careers in the fields of STEM. She proposed to me the idea to start a club here in UWC based on their movement, something I was very excited to be a part of. There was already a group in dover functioning on the same ideas, but we tried to hold this with indifference in influencing our personal approach in any way.
With the inclusion of a friend of ours who we knew to be interested in STEM as well, our progress towards creating this club began. Our ideas and aims for the group changed drastically from beginning to end, the most influential of which being the decision to change the club from STEM Girls to just STEM. I was particularly adamant on making this change, as I felt that boys experience the same isolation as girls in school when it comes to discussing their interests in the fields of STEM due to existing social stigmas. After all, our underlying cause throughout this whole process was to create a club distinct from such stereotypes, where the the limitations of high school life should not be a hindrance to those who would like to express their interests with others.
I have long since had a distaste for the way that groups like the Science and Math Clubs here in UWC have created an incredibly competitive and knowledge-based environment, for I do not feel that passion is a measure of intelligence nor the extent to which people are willing to dedicate all of their time and interest. For example, both of the other student leaders of this group have taken two sciences and math at higher level, whilst I have chosen to pursue english as my third higher level subject with the intention to diversify my subject package more than anything else. I do not feel this makes me any less capable or interested in the field of math. Many of the math based clubs in school require students to take HL math, but I strongly disagree that there should ever be a criteria for someone to do what they enjoy. Therefore it became a primary aim for us in the structuring of this group that we would attempt to create an environment that is attainable and inclusive to everyone involved. In the end, we were able to formulate the following plan for the year ahead:
– Group discussions. In these sessions, we will discuss as a group a particular topic relating to a field of STEM that will be introduced and described to everyone by one of the leaders. These topics will be relevant in current affairs and be debatable and ethically questionable in nature, allowing us to consider different perspectives and understand the moral and otherwise responsibilities that one may face in a career relating to STEM. For example, the first session will be on the controversial topic that is eugenics and genetic manipulation, which falls under the science category.
– Begin, write and publish/present reports. this will be an individual research task that we will assign to each member, in which they will have the freedom to choose any topic related to STEM, describing this topic in detail, considering its controversies and relevance to STEM in the modern day and finally discussing and justifying their own stance towards it. While we had initially planned for this to be in the form of a report, we are now inclined towards allowing everyone to publish their findings in any (creative or otherwise) digital manner they please.
– Host panel talks during the final weeks of the academic year
CAS Supervisor: Mr. Yorksmith (MYS)
CAS Learning Outcomes: Learning outcome 3, learning outcome 5
Linked here: Details regarding the club (session dates, timing, etc.)
Kahaani Planning
This year has been my second year participating in Kolkata GC, a global concern aiming to raise awareness and funds for the ‘Voice of World’ NGO in Kolkata, India. Voice of World aims to help those who suffer from disabilities, in particular seeing impairments, and as a result create universal peace and harmony. While the GC organizes various fundraisers and events throughout the year in the name of Voice of World, our main annual event that we focus a lot of our efforts into due to its continued success is the Kahaani dance show. The word ‘kahaani’ translates to ‘story’ from Hindi and that is exactly what it aims to do, telling a story about the lives of those with disabilities in a country as diverse and unique as India. The event includes a variety of traditional dances organised and led entirely by students. For last year’s Kahaani, the theme of the show was the Indian festivals. Each dance specifically highlighted one Indian festival, with some of the dancers wearing a blindfold to show that those with disabilities are just as capable of expressing themselves through art and dance as those without.
By the time I joined the GC last year, the theme and its dances had already been decided. This year I have had the chance to be actively involved in the planning process from the start, allowing me to fully perform the 3rd CAS Learning Outcome for the very first time. Given the success Kahaani has had for so many years, it was difficult to think of an original theme that would compare to the creativity of those used in the past. Eventually it came down to a decision between two potential themes: dances related to each of the five senses, or having the entire show structured like an interview in which a person with disabilities communicates the story of their life. There were challenges with both options. While we had some really exciting ideas for the ‘senses’ theme, some of them such as taste and smell would be very challenging to pull off, especially given our shortage of resources. The interview option was also interesting, but would definitely require a lot more effort in order to compose and interesting and coherent script, whereas in past years the only speaking that took place were the introductions and background information for the dances themselves. In the end, we decided to choose the ‘interview’ theme. I was very happy with this decision, for I felt it best justified the idea of Kahaani being a story rather than just a series of dances.
While we have yet to plan out any of the specifics besides the theme itself, I am excited to see what ideas others come up with in future weeks, especially those who are more experienced from participating in the planning for previous years.
AMK MINDS- First meeting with clients
AMK MINDS, or the Movement for the Intellectually Disabled in Singapore, is a local service offered to us by the school located in the organisation’s centre in Ang Mo Kio. I have had a lot of experience working with those with intellectual disabilities, as I have been volunteering at the ward for special needs children every week for the past few months. I have really enjoyed this experience and grown to deeply care for the cause of the marginalization of those with special needs. It was this, and a sense of curiosity given that I have never worked with intellectually disabled adults before, that motivated me to sign up for this service.
Sessions take place every Tuesday from 3-5 p.m., although due to the lengthy travel time, we usually spend no longer than 45 minutes to an hour at the centre. The overall objective of the service is to not only improve the motor and social skills of our clients, but also provide them with company, exposure to an interactive environment and simply allow them to have fun. Some of the activities we intended to perform with them are drumming, allowing them to familiarise themselves with different patterns and sounds, as well as coloring. We hope to include some additional activities in the future.
In previous weeks, we had focused each meeting on planning some of the activities we could conduct with our clients at AMK MINDS, and some essential agreements regarding our commitment to the service and our behaviour during sessions. This week we had the chance to meet the clients themselves, traveling to Ang Mo Kio as a group for the first time. Here, we met one of the heads of the Ang Mo Kio branch and updated him on some of the ideas for the sessions that we had come up with. He received all of our ideas very positively. Besides the organisation of the meetings, we were informed of some of the challenges we may face in our meetings throughout the year. As our clients bear a range of intellectual disabilities that affect them in different ways and to varied degrees, it would be possible that we would have a hard time really connecting to some of them and our interactions may not be entirely positive. He warned us that not all of them are familiar with the concept of acceptable social behaviour, which could lead to some potentially uncomfortable situations.
I hope that through the 1st and 4th CAS Learning Outcomes I will be able to overcome these initial challenges, as I will have to persevere through potentially uncomfortable situations. As a result of this, I hope to develop new strengths such as patience and empathy, both of which I have found equally challenging yet important in my work with special needs children as well.
Football CAS Reflection
Experience: Participating in Dragons Invitational
This weekend I had the chance to participate in my first ever football tournament; the Dragons Invitational Tournament hosted by UWCSEA East. There was a lot of pressure to perform to a certain level, being one of the home teams. Going into this tournament I was aware that we were facing an incredibly momentous challenge, for despite the quality we do have within the team, the teams we were expected to face were of a much higher level than what we were used to. I knew that there was a good chance that we wouldn’t win any games at all, but I was still so excited to experience football at such a high level with a team I have gotten to know so well, and finally understand the way in which you have to adapt and develop the way you play in a real, competitive environment.
The tournament itself definitely had its frustrating moments. There were times in which I felt that we were playing so well as a team, but due to a quick and unfortunate change in luck we would end up conceding goals out of no where. Being a defender, it was especially tough to stop wave after wave of attack only to have a goal go past us despite all of our hard work. It got to a point where I was second guessing everything I knew from when to commit to tackles and position myself to even the most basic passes that had once felt like an automatic motion. It really affected me at first, but I soon began to realize that the teams we were playing against had a level of experience and maturity to take advantage of every opportunity that we just didn’t. It was this realization that confirmed to me what I should have already known; that this was not an event in which I was expected to win every game and perform flawlessly every time. It was a chance for me to have fun, and to learn about the game and my own personal strengths and weaknesses in order for me to develop and improve.
Even though we lost every game, I felt that I did not lose as an individual. I love playing football, so the chance to spend a day and a half doing nothing but that was such a great experience and the opportunity to be a part of such an event was so unique and special on every level. It allowed me to learn so much about myself and my teammates, and create a sense of unity within us that we did not have before, and I hope to carry into our final few league matches. It was certainly an experience that I won’t forget soon!
TOK: Scientific Method Controversies
Vaccines and Autism
While there has been a lot of ethical controversy surrounding the use of vaccines and its potential connection to autism in recent years, the scientific method that allowed some researchers to conclude that this link exists into first place has been a topic of controversy itself. The relation between vaccines and autism was a claim first made by researcher Andrew Wakefield in 1998, who published a study for the medical journal ‘The Lancet’ claiming that 8 out of 12 monitored children who had received the MMR vaccine were demonstrating early symptoms of autism. This paper was later found to be fraudulent (the evidence was not fabricated, but chronology and some key information were manipulated in order to best accommodate Wakefield’s argument), and Wakefield found guilty of professional misconduct. However, despite his claims being legally disproven, many still believe in his theories largely due to the statistical evidence that supported his scientific method. In the immediate aftermath of his discoveries, vaccine rates significantly decreased and many still refuse to vaccinate their children out of mere caution or belief in the limited but apparent information suggesting it’s long term dangers. Wakefield to this day remains an advocate for anti-vaccination.
Being from a family of doctors myself, I find it difficult personally to find reason in such claims given the faith I have been brought up to have in modern day medicine. However, from an objective standpoint, I am willing to have my perspective influenced by research that can provide real substance to the connection between vaccines and autism. To this point, there is really no concrete biological evidence that link the two together, and to blindly follow statistical information is one of the greatest flaws in the scientific method, for it does not specify the need for different kinds of knowledge in order to reach a more definite conclusion.
Bibliography:
Forster, Katie. “MMR Fraud Doctor Andrew Wakefield ‘Returns to UK for Secretive Screening of Anti-Vaccine Film’.” The Independent, Independent Digital News and Media, 16 Feb. 2017, www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/mmr-andrew-wakefield-fraud-doctor-anti-vaccine-film-return-uk-secret-screening-vaxxers-vaccinations-a7583021.html.