Posted on 1 Comment on Science Society – Reflection 1 (LO: 1)

Science Society – Reflection 1 (LO: 1)

LO: 1

Joining high school science society this year has been a great experience that has allowed me to learn many new and interesting things about science. Given that I take two sciences as part of my high school course, I find that this activity is a good way of exploring how my knowledge learned in school translates to more real-world applications. Additionally, we also explore many areas of science that I am unfamiliar with, particularly in physics and computer science. I find this quite refreshing as I am then able to see how the sciences that I take and do not take link together to form a larger web of information.

One aspect of the activity that I particularly enjoy is the discussions we have with other group members. Being able to talk to other people about their thoughts and ideas regarding new scientific advancements provides me with more perspectives and frames of thought. After learning about something new in the activity, I have found it beneficial to try and work through my newfound questions with another member to develop our understandings. Additionally, my skills in communication and the ability to work through an idea with new information have benefitted from this activity. As such, many prominent concepts and ideas in modern science have been introduced to me through this activity.

I have found this activity to be a wonderful experience of learning that has helped me realize both my strengths and identify my areas for improvement. In the future, I plan on joining another activity of this sort where I can explore science in the real world with other passionate students.

Posted on No Comments on Table Tennis – Reflection 1 (LO: 5)

Table Tennis – Reflection 1 (LO: 5)

LO: 5

This year’s season of table tennis has been an enjoyable experience that has allowed me to learn new skills and form new relationships. My favorite part of this experience would certainly be the collaborative and competitive atmosphere when members played against each other. Since I had only played table tennis for a short amount of time prior to joining the activity, there were many areas of play that I could have improved upon. I found that playing against and working together with the other students was a major contributor to this, as we would suggest ways to fix errors and mistakes after each game. Additionally, we would also sometimes play doubles which required us to communicate and work together to face the opponent. Over the course of the season, as I attended more sessions and played more games, I found that the collaboration between members grew stronger and made it easier to help each other and play as doubled as our skills developed.

While the season may have ended, I still find myself applying the skills in communication and collaboration to other situations in my life. This experience has made me realize the importance of teamwork and how it becomes easier over time as we learn more about each person. In the future, I aim to find another activity where I will be able to apply these skills and develop them further.

Posted on No Comments on Tabitha – Reflection 4 (LO: 7)

Tabitha – Reflection 4 (LO: 7)

LO: 7

Helping Tabitha has been one of the highlights of my high school experience, as I have been able to meet and work with so many people towards a common goal. When I first joined Tabitha, I did not have a clear idea of just how many families in developing nations lack access to shelter or decent housing, or how much of a difference I could make as an individual. Upon joining the global concern at the start of grade 11, I have been able to recognize the many different ways that people living in different countries can still help these families. Despite not living in the same area or being able to interact with them physically, we are still able to contribute to their well-being. One of the most fulfilling things about working together with others in the global concern would be the planning and running of fundraisers. By raising awareness throughout schools and our local area, we have been able to draw attention to this issue in Cambodia and on the global scale.

The issue of a lack of shelter is not isolated to Cambodia, but also affects many other families and children around the world, most commonly in developing nations. I have been able to feel a sense of accomplishment by contributing to this global concern. Something that I am very fond of about this global concern is that we aim to help the families help themselves as well, educating them on health and safety while also marketing the products that they wish to sell to people in Singapore. By empowering them and also providing them with support, I have been able to contribute to the reduction of this global issue with the help of my fellow students and supervisors in Tabitha.

Posted on No Comments on Drumming With Hougang Center – Reflection 5 (LO: 6)

Drumming With Hougang Center – Reflection 5 (LO: 6)

LO: 6

My participation in the service group Drumming With Hougang Center has helped me gain a better understanding of the importance of student-led activities that give back to local and global communities. My time spent each week coming together with a group of students to plan activities aided my learning and helped me develop various collaborative skills. Continued participation in the service group made me more interested in exploring the different service groups that provide global support to mentally disabled people. We made sure to plant the activities so that they provided mental and physical exercise while improving motor skills. The prevalence of such disabilities and the impact that they have on the lives of individuals and the difficulties it poses for many families. By helping service groups such as Drumming With Hougang Center, I have been able to contribute to this global issue. I have been able to gain skills and recognize the global prevalence of supporting people with mental disabilities, through the help of students and fun activities. My participation in this service group has been a valuable experience and I am sure to continue helping such global groups in the future.

Posted on No Comments on Project Week – Reflection 2 (LO: 7)

Project Week – Reflection 2 (LO: 7)

LO: 7

My Project Week experience has given me the opportunity to learn more about a new culture and demonstrate the skills and values I have developed over the year. Our planning phase for Project Week was very thorough, as we aimed to minimize our wastefulness during our time in Taipei. A major part of Project Week were the hikes organized with Taiwan Adventures, one of the major concerns was identifying how we would reduce our waste and pick up trash we saw along the way. We wanted to make ethical choices and take action to help the environment when we were on our hikes. Another choice we made was to reduce our use of taxis as we opted to walk to our destinations to reduce carbon emissions. We remained mindful of our behavior around the locals of Taipei and ensured a respectful presence.

A big part of our plan for Project Week was the development of a documentary on the history of Taiwan, however, when gathering footage for our video we made sure not to film anybody without their consent and considered the ethicality of using certain videos over others. Our visits to historical sites were very intriguing as we were able to learn a lot about how Taiwan’s culture has developed over time. We made sure to capture this development from various perspectives while carefully considering the choices we made.

Project Week was an excellent experience that allowed me to learn more about a new country while also ensuring I made ethical choices as a respectful visitor of the country.

Posted on No Comments on Tabitha – Reflection 3 (LO: 6)

Tabitha – Reflection 3 (LO: 6)

LO: 6

With the end of grade 11 approaching soon, I have had some time to reflect on my time in the Tabitha global concern. Overall, I have found this year to be a fulfilling and enjoyable learning experience that has allowed me to help people that I would not be able to otherwise. Some of my favorite moments from Tabitha this year would certainly be the times when we worked together in preparation for events such as The Royal Hunt of the Sun, Wavelengths, Aida, and the Family Fest. For each of the events, every member of the global concern spent their personal time baking goods for bake sales or spending time unloading swimsuits or selling swimsuits in the Family Fest. I quite enjoyed the time that I spent baking goods and unloading swimsuits as I felt that through these small actions I would be helping a much larger cause. I enjoyed these times because I was able to see the benefit of working collaboratively and I felt that we were contributing to the solution of issues of global significance. While we were ultimately unable to go to Cambodia to build houses, I believe that our actions this year in raising money will certainly help the Cambodian families in need of housing, education, and healthcare. In the end, we were able to raise over 2,000 Singapore dollars from all of the work we had done this year, money that will now be contributed to Tabitha’s cause in Cambodia. For me personally, I think my participation in contributing to this global issue has also helped me develop my own skills in creative thinking and commitment. I am glad that I have been a part of this global concern this year and hope to further develop these skills by contributing to other issues of global significance in the future.

 

Posted on No Comments on Drumming With Hougang Center – Reflection 4 (LO: 4)

Drumming With Hougang Center – Reflection 4 (LO: 4)

LO: 4

This year of drumming with Hougang Center has been an excellent learning experience that has helped me develop my skills in creativity, persistence, and collaboration. During the final service session, I was able to see the personal growth that each of the clients had gone through over the course of the year. Another thing that stood out to me was the level of collaboration between each of the members which had improved greatly each week with new sessions. During the session, it seemed that the clients were having the most fun with the orbital drumming and rain drumming activities, as they were both creative and easy ways of playing the drums with everyone at once. It was nice to see that both the clients and the students were able to enjoy the final session of drumming together.

While the year has certainly been fulfilling, there were also a few challenges that I had to face. it was important that I remained committed to the service group regardless of how busy things got with outside commitments. I find that my commitment to the service has certainly helped me in other areas as I am able to remain persistent despite the extra work that I may receive in school. Another skill that has benefitted from this group is my collaboration, as one of the key aspects of the service has been working together to provide the best drumming experience to the clients.

Overall, I have had an enjoyable and insightful learning experience through this service. I believe that in the future, I will be able to employ the skills that I have learned and developed in this service to other areas that I apply myself to.

Posted on No Comments on Project Week – Reflection 1 (LO: 3, 5)

Project Week – Reflection 1 (LO: 3, 5)

LO: 3, 5

Project Week has been a truly unique experience that has provided me with many cultural and personal learning opportunities. The event of Project Week gave me a chance to take initiative in planning a learning experience which proved to be an enjoyable challenge. An extensive amount of planning and preparation was required prior to embarking on Project Week, while some aspects of the planning may have seemed tedious it proved useful on the actual trip. One major obstacle arose during the planning stage when our chosen service partner informed us they would be unable to host us. This was a slight difficulty as a large part of our trip revolved around working with the service partner, however, we needed to overcome this challenge and did so by swiftly planning another activity to do during the week. Other obstacles such as this one occurred throughout the planning process but being adaptable and responding to changes in plans allowed us to easily overcome these challenges. This element of adaptability continued on even during the actual trip, as despite the extensive planning, we were sometimes faced with difficulties that required us to think critically and take the initiative in promptly changing plans. For future experiences, I will make sure to remember the benefits of remaining adaptable when taking the initiative to plan an experience.

A key aspect of Project Week was the act of working together with others as a team with a common goal in mind. Planning the trip with four other people was certainly much easier than if just one person had to do it alone. In the event of obstacles, the group was able to put ideas together from each member to find a solution. Within the group itself, each member had assigned roles that they were held accountable for. The element of responsibility for a specific part of the trip motivated people to work on their specific tasks properly and effectively. Even after the planning stage, collaboration remained a core part of the trip. When on the trip, all members of the group found it more effective to blend different ideas together to maximize the potential learning in each experience. One such instance occurred during a day of hiking, during one part of the hike there was an obstacle that required a high degree of caution. Each member looked out for each other and made sure that everyone was able to get across this obstacle quickly and safely. I found the collaborative aspect of working with others with a common goal in mind throughout all of Project Week an excellent learning experience.

Overall, Project Week was an unforgettable experience that gave me the chance to do things I had never done before. When planning for future experiences, I will certainly remember the events of Project Week and apply them in necessary areas.

 

Posted on No Comments on Boxing and Muay Thai – Reflection 1 (LO: 2)

Boxing and Muay Thai – Reflection 1 (LO: 2)

LO: 2

With a new season of activity beginning in school, I decided to undertake a new challenge by joining the boxing and Muay Thai activity in school. I have had limited experience with martial arts in the past so this has been a completely new experience to me. Currently, I am finding this activity to be an excellent blend of exercising and learning at the same time. I find that the sessions are always planned to be physically demanding and that I am learning new techniques or improving old ones each time. This activity has helped me develop a more open mind about learning things that are not necessarily academic and is a great way of maintaining a good level of fitness. Initially, the activity was quite challenging due to my lack of experience but this has allowed me to undertake a new challenge and develop new skills in the process.

I am looking forward to continuing the activity as I am sure that there will be a multitude of new things for me to learn and the activity will assist me in maintaining fitness. Going into the activity I was unsure of whether it would be too challenging, however, this experience has also helped me become more open to trying new things despite the inevitable difficulty.