During learning lab today, I used ThingLink to annotate my car for an assignment.
https://www.thinglink.com/view/scene/1952999794649596581
It was pretty cool.
This semester, I have had the opportunity to work on my Transdisciplinary Transfer Goals (TTGs), which focus on developing essential skills such as collaboration, creativity, critical thinking, communication, and resilience. These goals have helped me grow not only as a student but also as a team member, problem solver, and individual. Reflecting on these areas has allowed me to better understand my strengths and identify areas where I can continue to improve. In this reflection, I will explore my experiences in each category using specific prompts and offer insights into what I’ve learned throughout the process.
Collaboration: Reflecting on a group project I participated in during the Apprenticeship program, I played the role of the organizer. My primary responsibility was to ensure that the team stayed on track with tasks and that we had a clear goal. For example, I always created a blueprint or plan for our team to finish a task, when we were making wake-up song, I created a mind map to write down the possibilities and the direction our song could go to. I usually worked with Kevin and we did a lot of music collaboration, Through this experience, I learned the importance of clear communication and how vital it is to respect the strengths that each team member brings to the table. Moving forward, I will continue to focus on fostering teamwork while ensuring everyone feels valued.
Creativity: There was a time when my creative output was challenged by self-doubt. I had designed a presentation for our club “Guardian Nets” during the shark tank period in 8th grade, but I felt it didn’t meet my expectations. After receiving constructive feedback from my peers, I realized I could make some adjustments to better communicate my ideas. This experience taught me that self-doubt can often limit creativity, but embracing feedback allows you to grow. Now, I strive to view critique as an opportunity for improvement rather than a setback, because you are never alone and it is always okay to reach our for help.
Resilience: However, the most important point is that since entering 9th grade, I’ve learned that resilience is about persistence and adaptability. One lesson came from math finals I didn’t perform well on because I moved up to IM3+ in the middle of the semester. At first, I felt defeated, and it made me doubt if my ability was up to par, if I was really ready to take on the challenges of this rigorous math course, but I decided to review my mistakes, seek help from my teacher Mr. Kelley, and prepare differently for the next test. This experience taught me that failure can be a stepping stone if you use it as a learning opportunity. These insights will help me face future challenges with a growth mindset.
Critical Thinking: During the Apprenticeship tasks, I faced a task that required us to pick a random object and try to sell it to a partner, which I did with Kevin . The problem was that we didn’t have time to prepare for what we were going to say because we didn’t know what we were going to talk about, so I broke it down into smaller parts to understand each component. I then gathered relevant information, used a bunch of quotes and reverse psychology, and made a decision based on logical reasoning. This process reinforced the importance of improvisation and trust on our instincts. I’ve learned to trust my critical thinking skills and use a step-by-step approach when tackling complex situations like these.
Communication: When I think about my communication style in middle school compared to now, I can see significant growth. The expectations in high school require more clarity and professionalism in how I express myself. I feel confident in presenting my ideas, but I still find it challenging at times to adapt my tone or style to different audiences. This challenge motivates me to continue improving, and I’ve learned that listening actively to others is just as important as expressing my own thoughts.
Lastly, If I were to give advice to a new student entering my grade about the TTGs, I would tell them to embrace the process. TTGs aren’t just about completing tasks—they’re about developing skills that will be valuable in all areas of life. Stay open to feedback, reflect regularly on your growth, and don’t be afraid to step out of your comfort zone. These goals are an opportunity to build both confidence and competence.
Today, in the Learning Lab, Kevin and I played a survival game called gomuku (another version of tic-tac-toe). We really enjoyed the experience and I felt a wave of nostalgia wash over me when I played tic-tac-toe because it was a game I used to play.
Two years ago, ChatGPT appeared in the app store, and the whole world’s attention turned to this particular app, not because it was cool or free, but because it was the first generative AI app that revolutionized the world. Now, apps like Poe, ChatGPT, Canva, Padlet, etc., all have AI functions, and people worldwide are gradually adapting to a new life of embracing artificial intelligence. But what can students do? Today in Eagle BootCamp, we received cards to spark thinking about GenAI and were able to understand the intricacies and nuances of AI that impact our lives positively and negatively. In an activity, we were asked to pick 3 cards from 3 different categories that we believed resonated with us the most and share with our table group. For my commitment card, I chose a card that talked about my AI use and how I should monitor it, but if I realize that I am using it too much, I will lessen my use of AI. Next, for my clarification card, I picked a card that talked about a card that connected my real-life skills with a goal that required me to integrate AI into my life while maintaining authenticity in my work. After this activity, I was able to learn about how profound of an impact AI has on our lives, and even if we are not aware of it, it changes our lives by a little whether we like it or not.
Today, I finished an apprenticeship task in GarageBand which involved creating a song that I would wake up to. I made a remake of the song Giorno’s theme except with a trap beat and the song sounded pretty neat.
I was able to have quite some fun during the skits today during the tech BootCamp, and I learned many things about responsible tech use and the implications that go along with the use of irresponsible tech use. Additionally, I learned about how our actions also have an effect on other people and what we can do to make sure that we are thinking about our actions, and how we can make a positive impact on other people.
Some of the “mystical knowledge” I learned today included working with AI, plagiarism, and the hub code of conduct. I was interested in learning how AI worked and why it wielded a significant impact on our student lives, so it was pretty enlightening to learn about the potential of this new tool that could impact our future in maybe a good or volatile way. Furthermore, the code of conduct was interesting because it let me understand how I could study and do my things in the library without the librarians shouting at me (please don’t lol). Lastly, I really enjoyed the plagiarism learning process so I could understand why it was so important to not plagiarize, and how it could affect my future.
if ur reading this rn…wait why are u reading my portfolio
if
so…we’re in high school now. fresh out of middle school, we’re called freshmen for a reason. i don’t have to worry about taking my phone out in the middle of the hallway, or feeling embarrassed when a teacher is watching me what i “wasn’t” supposed to do, and the best, GETTING TAKEOUT LUNCH ON FRIDAYS!!! extended learning is like another lunch break, so of course, i finished all of my homework during that time. but just like what spider man said, with great power comes great responsibility. so i guess it’s fair after all. anyhow, now that i’m in high school, i need to look ahead and start to work on the battle plan. high school is like a war, getting good grades is a battle, and comparing ur grades with ur friends is like a 1v1. high school is very different from middle school, i’ll give u that. i heard that there was a turkey bowl near the end of the year, a football game between the most athletic guys in the grade, i gotta play in that game or else it meant -100000 aura.
life is full of unexpected events. u don’t get to pick what life throws at u, but u can definitely pick what u throw back at life, the choice is always in our hands. that’s exactly what i’m trying to do. time management, homework, stress, more homework, extracurriculars, and even more homework, there are many things that students need to juggle. and thinking even further ahead, we got the actual beginning of our lives, COLLEGE. my parents went to NYU, so they probably want me to go to that school, but i’m pretty sure that i’m not the type of guy to be a fund manager in morgan stanley. instead, what i am really into and excited for is…DRUMROLL…GAME DEVELOPMENT!!! i know that many people think that game developers are geeks, but i can assure u that i don’t look like one, and i don’t act like one, so we’re chilling. there are so many gamers out there, but only so many game developers. i was a gamer all my life, and two years ago, i decided that i wanted to be that guy to create the games that people would play, the guy that got his favorite youtubers to enjoy his game, so i got started. as of august of 2024, i am inclined to get a game design major at USC, as they have the best game design major in the whole wide world. additionally, if u are making good money while enjoying the job, isn’t that the dream job that everyone wants?
however, as much as i love game development, i cannot solely rely on that one passion to “stand out” or reach my dream colleges. that’s where drumming comes into play. i know this post is supposed to be anonymous, and i won’t disclose who i am, but at this point, if u know me well, u already know who i am 😉. i am a drummer, and i have been playing the drums since i was 5. i might not be the best drummer in china, but the last time i checked, was somewhere on the top 25 list. furthermore, i love drumming. i get back from school and i want to just sit down and practice for a little while. that’s why i also have one piece of advice for you guys. if you are being forced to do an activity that takes up a bunch of time, drop it like it’s hot. the more time you invest in it and you still don’t enjoy it, it’s a red flag to stop, because if you don’t truly enjoy the activity, the results are counterintuitive and hurt you in the long run.
at the end of the day, just have fun, cuz it’s not that deep.
Another day of working, another day of new content and work. Today, I worked on the texturing and modeling of the character’s hands in Blender, then added animations to buttons for my main menu. It went smoothly and I got all of the work done.
The picture above has me in it working on my main menu. I was in the animation editor, figuring out how to add the shadow color and color change of the text when the user hovers over the button, making the menu more interactive and immersive. This is because my game is aiming for realism and immersiveness, so every small detail matters. That’s it for today!