Reflection and Self-Assessment of 2011-2012 Level: 1

PART A: The 5 areas of interaction

Approaches to learning (ATL)
ATL represents general and subject-specific learning skills that you will develop and apply during the five years of the IB programme and beyond. The focus of the ATL is on learning and finding out about yourselves as learners so that you can develop learning skills.

Your self-assessment on ATL Evaluate each one of these skills using the letters A to F.
A = Unfamiliar D = Comfortable B = Very uncomfortable E = Very comfortable C = Slightly uncomfortable F = Expert

A Organization skills Using time effectively in class Respecting deadlines Studying / doing homeworks regularly Taking notes from lectures
Finding books / periodicals in the library

X X X X X X X

Organizing binders / lockers Having the necessary materials Collaboration skills Working in groups / teamwork Speaking in public Delegating responsibilities Taking responsibility Resolving group conflicts Having open-mindedness Developing democratic spirit Developing critical awareness X X X X X X X X X

Using and interpreting correct terminology Developing my presentation skills Using a variety of media Writing clearly Showing pride in work Showing team / school spirit Information literacy skills Doing Internet research Using valid sources Organizing information Detecting bias Using citing, footnotes, references to different sources Respecting the concept of intellectual property rights Reflection skills Receiving constructive criticism Offering constructive criticism Using reflection tools Thinking skills Generating ideas (ex: brainstorming) Planning (ex: storyboarding, outlining a plan) Inquiring Taking initiative Identifying problems Creating novel solutions (ex: considering a problem from multiple perspectives) Transfer skills Making connections across subjects X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X

X X X

Inquiring in different contexts

Community and Service

This area of interaction allows you to consider how you engage with your immediate family, classmates and friends in the outside world as a member of these communities. Through different activities, you can learn about your place within these communities and be motivated to act in a new context.

Your reflection on Community and service Create an overview of your commitment to community service so far this year. Include a description of the activities in which you are involved. Explain how these experiences have affected you and impacted others.

So far this year I have completed 4 hours of community and service. Those 4 hours have been done at my old elementary school in which they had a Welcome Back Barbeque celebrating their new school year. It was on a Friday, so as I finished school I walked over to Allion to help start setting up. For this event, I helped set up all the tables outside including the table with the food and beverages. Doing that, it took about 1 hour or so. The rest of my 3 hours were just helping out with guests, collecting the tickets at the door from them, and selling food At the end I helped clean everything up and put all the tables away. I was there all night but I had a lot of fun and at least I helped out the community. Just this one experience has affected me a lot. I saw a lot of guests at the barbeque having a good time all because the community has put it all together for one night. That night made me realize how helping the community could be a lot of fun and at the same time youre enjoying yourself. It makes, not only myself feel good, but others too. We got everyone together on a special back to school night, and it was a great start to a fun and successful year. I still have one other hour of community and service to complete, and I hope to keep up my commitment to the community and learn more about it, since I am going to need and be doing a lot more hours through my high school years as an IB student.

Health and Social Education

This area of interaction delves into the range of human issues that exists in human societies, such as social structures, relationships and health. During the five years of the programme, this AOI will help you to find out how these issues affect societies, communities and individuals, including yourself. Through the area of health and social education, you can identify and develop skills that will enable you to function as effective member of societies, as well as learning about how you are changing and how to make informed decisions that may relate to your welfare.

Reflection on this AOI Which health and social issues affect my age group? How were they approached so far this year in the school? Health and social issues that are affecting my age group are individuals and also health. In school, each person has their own individual personality that makes everybody different from each other. Some people think of certain individuals as losers or nerds so they just gang up on them. But in reality the people that are hurting others are just as much regular people as everybody else. We all go to school, we all have the same rights, and I find that a lot of people get bullied just because their stupid or ugly or even just for trying to be themselves. I, myself see how this affects peoples learning or their life. They want to go to school to learn but in the end they just end up asking themselves a whole bunch of questions on why they are who they are, but I think who everybody is, is just perfectly fine. Being yourself, an individual is what separates you from the others. As for health, I think that it affects people of my age because some people dont eat as well as others or have issues with their heart and then when it comes to school time they dont usually think as much or they have other worries. To be healthy and to have a good health is important in life because it keeps your motivation going, and it is always good to be living a happy and healthy life. You need to be healthy and energized not only in sports but to keep your motivation going in your education.

Which other issue(s) should be addressed in this school for your group age? Why do you think so? Other than the other two issues I mentioned, relationship is also another issue that could be addressed to others and myself. Friendship is a lot in a persons life. I think it should be addressed because everybody needs or is going to need a friend by their side in life, to help them through their good times and bad or just to have them around to have a good time with. You could have a whole bunch of friends or just that one special person that was always by your side no matter what. Some people might not think you need friends but I think thats its always good to have some. If you dont have that one special friend or boyfriend with you all the time or just the case because you dont wan t one, then I think life wouldnt be as fun, at least for me anyways, because there are people in the world that are old, even young and dont have friends. It might have been their choice or just a matter of not being social or not friendly. I have these 2 friends that could possibly be the best people I have ever met through high school, but maybe over the years it might change. But right now I know that I have at least someone who will defend me if I ever get into trouble or if I get hurt. I think it is always good to have someone, or anyone by your side

Environments
This area of interaction considers how human interact with the world at large and the parts we play in our environments. It extends into areas beyond human issues and asks students to examine the interrelationships of different environments. Both immediate classroom environments and global environments are to be considered.

Reflection on this AOI How did I affect my environments this year? How did my environments affect me? This year, my environments have changed completely since elementary school. Not just in my classroom but global wise too. As my school year started this year, my classmates have changed my environment quite a bit. It was very unusual to what I was used to in my elementary school. But as I went along I got used to my classmates and the environment they were sending me. In each of my classrooms there is a totally different environment. In my math and English class my classmates tend to talk a while we are working but while were in French class everyone is all silent and is doing their work as said. It is very different for me and thats how it affected me, but I affected my environments just by getting used to the changes as I said before and now my environment is completely different. I am sure it will continue to change next year and the year after, but right now I focus on the environment I am in. Environment global wise has also affected how I react. Last year and years before, I didnt really realize what I was doing to my own environment and how I was affecting it. When I used to walk outside I would just drop a little paper on the ground like it was no big deal or when I used to throw something in the garbage and I missed the garbage can I would just leave it on the ground, but last year in grade 6 I joined the environment club and thats when everything changed me. The environment group and I would miss a little time of class to go in our schoolyard and next door at LCCHS and pick up all the garbage on the ground. We had this big garbage bag that we would put it in and after we finished we would announce a message on our intercom informing that it would be helpful not to throw your trash on the ground but in the garbage can. It informed the students a little but it helped. We found less and less garbage on the ground at our school, but outside the Allion gates there was still trash on the ground. So we decided to make posters and put them up around the walls at LCCHS and thats exactly what we did. We made be green posters and put them on the walls of LCCHS. Our principal thought it was a great idea and their principal didnt mind either. So now this year I have kept up my motivation of not littering and to be green.

Human ingenuity
This AOI deals with the way in which human minds have influenced the world, for example, the way we are, think, interact with each other, create, find solutions to and cause problems, transform ideas and rationalize thought. It also considers the consequences of human thought and action.

Reflection on this AOI What have I created this year in school that I am the most proud of? Why is it so? I have created only 2 things this year. But the one that I am more proud of is my atom creation. Before the second term ended I was assigned an atom project with an element. The element I had was Silicon and what I had to do was create a model of it and write a report about the element. I am proud of this creation because I got a very good mark on it and it was fun to work on. It didnt take me much time to create it or to plan what I wanted it to look like, but it took me a while to find the right supplies to make my model. Once I found all the supplies I needed to make my creation, it took me 1 night to paint all the atoms and the other to build the model. I obviously had a little bit of help with my model, but I painted it all and helped build it. At the end of all this process, the project turned out wonderful including the written report and I was very proud of my work. I know I am going to have more projects where I am going to have to create a model or at least I hope so, and I am looking forward to it.

PART B: Your pieces of work

In all the pieces of work that you have included in your portfolio, chose one of them in order to answer the following questions. Piece of work chosen: My English essay on Terry Fox
How this chosen piece of work relate to the Areas of Interaction?

This piece of work relates to the areas of interaction especially to approaches to learning because it was on someone who made a difference in the world and our community. I learned new information that I have never learned before and it made my curiosity grow even more on this one person.

What do you think you have learned while working on this assignment?

While working on this assignment I have learned a lot about one hero that made a difference in the world and also on how I reflect on my class work. When I was done my rough copy of this assignment, I read it all over; self corrected it and reflected on how I think I wrote it. I think I mentioned a lot about my hero and I made sure all my punctuation was ok. So I learned a lot on how to fix my rough work improve it for next time so I could do even better even though I did well.

Why are you proud of this piece of work? I am proud of this piece of work because I am very proud on how I took my time to plan and prepare it. I did a fantastic job on it, I took my time and it was one of my best pieces of work I think I did from my IB portfolio. It was my first writing assignment graded on the IB criteria and I wanted to do well and I achieved that goal.

PART C: Learner profile

The aim of the MYP programme is to develop internationally minded people who, recognizing their common humanity and shared guardianship of the planet, help to create a better and more peaceful world. The IB learner profile is a list of attributes that you should develop and work on during the five years of the programme. IB learners strive to be: Inquirers They develop their natural curiosity. They acquire the skills necessary to conduct inquiry and research and show independence in learning. They actively enjoy learning and this love of learning will be sustained throughout their lives. Knowledgeable They explore concepts, ideas and issues that have local and global significance. In so doing, they acquire in-depth knowledge and develop understanding across a broad and balanced range of disciplines. Thinkers They exercise initiative in applying thinking skills critically and creatively to recognize and approach complex problems, and make reasoned, ethical decisions. Communicators They understand and express ideas and information confidently and creatively in more than one language and in a variety of modes of communication. They work effectively and willingly in collaboration with others. Principled They act with integrity and honesty, with a strong sense of fairness, justice and respect for the dignity of the individual, groups and communities. They take responsibility for their own actions and the consequences that accompany them. Open-minded They understand and appreciate their own cultures and personal histories, and are open to the perspectives, values and traditions of other individuals and communities. They are accustomed to seeking and evaluating a range of points of view, and are willing to grow from the experience. Caring They show empathy, compassion and respect towards the needs and feelings of others. They have a personal commitment to service, and act to make a positive difference to the lives of others and to the environment. Risk-takers They approach unfamiliar situations and uncertainty with courage and forethought, and have the independence of spirit to explore new roles, ideas and strategies. They are brave and articulate in defending their beliefs. Balanced They understand the importance of intellectual, physical and emotional balance to achieve personal well-being for themselves and others. Reflective They give thoughtful consideration to their own learning and experience. They are able to assess and understand their strengths and limitations in order to support their learning and personal development.

Reflection on the IB learner profile

Chose the two attributes that you feel that you developed the best so far this year. Explain why you picked these two attributes and how you demonstrated them so far this year. The first attribute I feel I developed this year is being reflective. At the beginning of this year when I would get a test back, I wouldnt review it or reflect on it. I would just take it home for my parents to sign. I used to think of reviewing it but I didnt want to just because I had gotten a good mark. But sometimes thats not the case. My marks on a test had gotten lower in a certain subject and thats what made me realize that I had to start reflecting on my work or tests so I would do better on the next one. So now every time I get a test back I would reflect on my mistakes and if they were just silly or if I really did had a problem on a certain question. Now, I also test myself on mistakes I made and it really helps. Reflecting is not the most fun thing to do, but it really helps if you want to keep doing well in school. My other attribute that I feel I developed this year is being caring. I respect all my classmates as for who they are and I am very caring towards other students in my grade but at the same time I care a lot about my school grades. I commit myself into all my work and service I do at school. I am always trying my best to keep up in my subjects and always be working hard on everything I do. I want to keep up my motivation for my last term because its a big part of my report card. My first term I thought it was a breeze but I wanted to increase my marks a little bit more even though I did really well in term 2.

Chose two attributes that you feel that you need to develop for the rest of this year. Explain why you picked these two attributes and how you will work on them for the rest of this year. Being a risk-taker is a big attribute I have to develop for the rest of the year. I always try to push myself to raise my hand more often in class or be first to do a presentation, but I find that I am still to shy. So for this term I set a goal that I have to raise my hand more often and not be last on a presentation even though I never was. I just want to be less nervous and confident. A risk-taker is courageous and brave and thats exactly what I have to be more of. I want to be more involved. I know listening is also good but to be involved in the group discussion is also a good way to become a good risk-taker and will help your public speaking. A communicator is also what I have to develop. It resembles a little bit like being a risk-taker but not quite. Being a communicator is more being involved in class discussions. Not as much as presentations or raising your hand for answers. For me, the communication comes in more in English class when we have our class discussions about a certain topic. I am usually not as involved as some of my classmates. In my class there is usually about only four people that actually participate and this term I would like to be one of them. Participating and communicating with others is good to do because it makes you less and less shy even in your social life, not just with your classmates!