Nuoqi's Portfolio

Portfolio Post Reflection: Designing a Story Problem (Piecewise Function Project)

January 6, 2026 / Nuoqi

1. Describe your story and what real-life situation it modeled?

2. What part of your project are you most proud of? Why?

3. What was the hardest part of creating your piecewise function?

4. If you could revise one part of this project, what would you improve and how?

5. What did this project help you understand better about piecewise functions?

Rocky Xian – L4 Unit 2 Design a Story Problem – 4094176 Download

My story was about a soccer match played between Liverpool and Real Madrid, modeling real-life soccer gambling among lots of adults. Me and my partner modeled how the odds of Liverpool winning throughout the game changed according to the situation happening on the field.

The part of my project that I was most proud of was that my partner and I were both successful in implementing a sport that both of us liked into a project. It was also fun to write about soccer gambling since we never knew the details about it but rather heard it from the internet.

The hardest part of creating my piecewise function was when I found out that a constant interval didn’t count as one of the 3 different slopes in context. We had to re-do the graph and re-organize our story to make sure it fits logically with what the graph shows.

If I could revise one part of the project, I would have made sure that our graph was more accurate because I think that it contains too many packed numbers on the y-axis right now.

This project helped me understand how piecewise functions work, combining context with it. It deepened my understanding of slopes and I’m even more interested in real-life context among math problems together.

L4 Mixed Media Artwork Reflection

December 15, 2025 / Nuoqi

The key message I want my audience to understand is how I balance different realms of passion and how they form my worldview.

I communicated this by creating a symbolic scene with five elements. The pool represents my love for swimming as a space for silence and peace. The headphones and music notes show my deep, personal connection to music. The soccer ball symbolizes my passion for the energy and competition of sports. The star is a personal symbol for my unique source of inspiration. Together, these symbols are arranged to invite viewers into my world, to see how these interests connect to shape my perspective.

During creation, I took risks by combining very different symbols into one coherent scene. I experimented with merging a peaceful star with a more athletic soccer ball to show how contrasting interests coexist in my mind. I also tried to cut some of my symbols in half to make unique parts of my artwork.

I risked layering all these items into a single environment. I unified them with a texture to make the scene feel like one authentic, interconnected world, which is my inner landscape.

U2 Portfolio: Reflection on learning

November 6, 2025 / Nuoqi

I used to think that mental health was only 2 sided, you were either mentally healthy or you had a mental health problem. My assumptions were that people with mental health conditions were different from everyone else, and that their struggles were a permanent part of their identity. I used terms like OCD to describe someone who is just organized, not understanding the actual disorder. My view was largely shaped by media portrayals and societal stigma, which often stigmatize mental illness or use it as a dividing line, creating a significant “us and them” divide in my mind.

But now I think of mental health as a spectrum that everyone exists on, much like physical health. Learning about how people using phrases that are criticizing to people who suffer with mental health to people that are experiencing physical trauma in class was important. We all move between points of thriving, struggling, and being ill throughout our lives and people with mental health issues should not be criticized that way. How society has various stigmas to these disorders are present even more in the different presentations. The new information dismantled my previous misconceptions because it replaced stereotypes with facts. I now see that someone with depression isn’t “a depressed person,” but a person managing depression, which is just one aspect of their whole identity.

https://www.canva.com/design/DAG28OhXHJQ/odmSJOrCOgEU6hbuoMcEBg/edit?utm_content=DAG28OhXHJQ&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=link2&utm_source=sharebutton

The presentation around PTSD

L4: Artistic Choices – Kool Koor

November 3, 2025 / Nuoqi

1. Cultural Influence on Aesthetic Choices

After meeting Kool Koor and learning about his artistic journey, how do you think his background in the graffiti culture of the Bronx influenced his aesthetic choices in the techniques and styles he demonstrated?

Kool Koor’s background in the Bronx graffiti culture shaped his aesthetic by moving it from the letter-based forms to a more fluid and smooth art. Kool Koor’s has understanding of urban landscapes, making him to see spaces and surfaces in a particular way. This directly influenced the techniques he demonstrated, where he often begins with expressive, sharp art with graffiti’s flow and energy. Afterwards, instead of crafting wild style letters, he transforms these lines into abstract and organic structures (DNA shapes) . His style combines the nature of street art with a more organized, studio-based art. The graffiti art of the Bronx is thus turned into an art of interconnected compositions on the canvas.

2. Environmental Impact on Art Creation

Considering Kool Koor’s shift from street art to studio work, how do you think different environments (like the streets versus a classroom) impact an artist’s creative process and choices? In what ways did you feel these environmental influences while trying out his painting style?

Considering Kool Koor’s shift from street art to studio work, I understood that outside, art has to be fast, big, and bold to grab attention to other people. The artist is talking to the whole public. Inside, in a classroom or studio, it’s quieter and more private. This lets an artist slow down, try new things, and make more personal work without the pressure of an audience.

When I tried Kool Koor’s style, I felt this difference. It was easier to practice and experiment in a calm space. I tried the strokes with my own DNA shapes and less pressure of audience was added to me. I got to paint the strokes with freedom and no consequences. The process felt more like a private thought.

3. Personal Reflection on Aesthetic Development

What aspects of your culture or environment do you think will influence your future artistic choices for your self-portrait mixed media artwork? How can you incorporate elements from your own background into your artwork to express your unique identity?

As a student at SAS, my future self-portrait would be shaped by the contrast and fusion of my environment. The most direct influence is the different languages, which could be shown by incorporating Chinese characters and English text.

My Shanghai identity would appear through subtle, modern symbols of the city, the skyscrapers or the network of a subway map. The assignment itself using mixed media allows me to use traditional materials like ink with digital prints or acrylic paint. This layering of old and new, local and international, would be the core of expressing my unique identity.

Me and Ethan’s artwork

L4 Portfolio App Review

October 28, 2025 / Nuoqi

App Tested: Habitica
Testing Period: 10 Days

Part 1: Establishing the Baseline

My WOOP Wish was to make consistent progress on tasks without feeling overwhelmed, leading to reduced stress.

My hypothesis was that Habitica’s game-like rewards and consequences would provide the external motivation I needed to build internal discipline and break down large tasks.

I expected three measurable outcomes after 10 days: an 80% daily task completion rate, faster initiation of tasks, and a drop in my stress level from 8/10 to 5/10 (self-rated)

My baseline metrics showed a high stress level of 8/10, frequent notes of procrastination in my evening journal, and an estimated task completion rate of only about 50%.

Part 2: Multimedia Analysis and Review

Functionality

Habitica’s core features are Dailies for recurring tasks, Habits for positive behaviors, and To-Dos for large projects. For my goal, the Dailies and Habits were the most useful because they created a constant feedback loop. The least used feature for me was the social party system, as I focused on personal accountability.

The app promises to make real-life goals fun and motivating through gamification. My experience mostly matched this, though the “fun” depended on my daily buy-in to the game metaphor.

Limitations include the high setup effort required, the potential for users to cheat the system, and the risk of the app’s own task list becoming a source of overwhelm.

Usefulness

My data showed a clear improvement. My daily task completion rate reached 90%, I started tasks much faster due to morning planning. This evidence strongly supported my hypothesis.

An unexpected positive consequence was that I started automatically thinking in terms of breaking down tasks, even without the app open. A minor negative consequence was feeling gamified anxiety when my avatar lost health.

The app is highly effective for gamers and those focused on consistency and projects. It might be less intuitive for non-gamers or people with goals like meditation, where other apps are more specialized.

Design

Key design elements that encourage use are the avatar progression, which visually represents personal growth, and the streak counters on Dailies, which create a fear of breaking the chain. The satisfying sound when completing a task is a simple but effective reinforcement.

The app uses a freemium business model. It makes money from subscriptions and in-app purchases for cosmetic items. This influences design by keeping core features free while placing some desirable customizations without payment.

Alien reflection for Unit 1

October 8, 2025 / Nuoqi

In the process of teaching the alien, I learned grammar along with the alien. I identified the 8 different parts of speech, sentence structures, and connotations of the word. I grew from being a passive user of English to becoming its structurer. Before, I simply spoke and the rules and rhythms of English were an automatic part of you. Teaching the alien forced me to become aware of that machinery. I had to understand not just how to use a word, but why it worked, which is the logic of its placement and the history of its meaning. This transformed my relationship with communication from one of instinct to one of intention.

Exhibition essential question

October 7, 2025 / Nuoqi

In what ways can an exhibition influence the ideas, beliefs, and experiences of an audience?

Seeing the two shows at the museum—the El Anatsui show and the one with the paintings from Musee d’Orsay affected me, but in different ways.

After the Red Moon

The artworks were huge, made from old bottle caps and metal, and they hung from the ceiling like giant, shiny curtains.

I didn’t just look at the art but I walked around it and under it. I saw how the light made parts of it shine. The Act 3: Wall made me feel small but also amazed. The short clip in front of the artwork said the artist was talking about change and using things that others throw away. I understood this because seeing a beautiful artwork made from trash made me think differently about what is “beautiful” or “valuable.” El Anatsui also used these elements to let the audience understand about their country’s culture and theThis show changed my mind about what art can be. It showed me that art doesn’t have to be a painting in a frame. It can be big, movable, and made from surprising things.

Musée d’Orsay

The rooms were quiet and calm, with famous paintings by artists like Van Gogh and Monet on the walls.

Here, I stood still and looked closely at each painting. I could see the brushstrokes and the thick paint. The feeling was peaceful and respectful. The signs explained that these artists were rebels who changed art forever. Seeing the paintings up close helped me understand why they are so important. It felt like I was learning art history. This show didn’t change my beliefs as much as it confirmed them. It made me appreciate the amazing skill of these painters. It felt like a classic and special visit to see masterpieces.

End of Unit 1 synthesis + stress management plan

September 17, 2025 / Nuoqi

How has learning about brain science impacted your understanding of your own

Learning about brain science this term has changed my understanding my own behavior. It’s made me realize that a lot of what I feel isn’t just random emotions; it’s my brain and its development.

The most surprising thing I learned about the teenage brain was the concept of the prefrontal cortex is still developing. I always thought that by your teens, your brain was pretty much finished. Learning that this part, responsible for impulse control, good judgment, and planning, is still under construction explains why sometimes I might act on an impulse without fully thinking through the consequences. It’s not an excuse, but it helps me understand the why. It also makes the limbic system, which processes emotions, feel powerful because it’s more developed, which is why feelings can be so intense.

This understanding could massively improve communication between teens and adults. If adults knew that our sometimes poor impulse control or big emotional reactions are partly biological, they might be less quick to judge or get frustrated. Instead of saying, “What were you thinking?!” they might ask, “Let’s walk through the decision you made.” It could build empathy on both sides.

For stress management, the strategies that seem most helpful for me are mindfulness. Mindfulness isn’t about emptying your mind; it’s about practicing focusing your attention, which can calm yourself. I could incorporate a short 5-minute mindfulness app session right when I get home from school to transition and decompress before starting homework.

Unit PE Table Tennis Reflection

September 4, 2025 / Nuoqi

In the unit of table tennis, we learned to serve legally, handshake and pencil grips, forehand serves with some spin and backhand hits.

Something that I did well was the serves, I was able to add spins to my serve and also follow the rules of a legal serve.

Something that I need to work on is my hits after the serve because I could not commonly hit the ball over the net afterwards.

Something that I enjoyed was playing doubles with my friends because I also learned the rules of playing doubles and had lots of fun

Art sketchbook cover

August 21, 2025 / Nuoqi

In the 3 classes, we have been drawing a sketchbook cover that shows our identity. The above sketchbook cover is deeply connected to my identity as the two elements on the left, one is a gaming console and one is a game I play that relates to the vikings. On the right, there is elements of two rhythm games that I normally play the above is the mascot of one game and below are the notes of another game. In the bottom, are two hobbies of mine, playing soccer and also playing the piano and listening to music. My primary intention was to show my personality in the drawing. I’ve tried to use white to border elements to make a sense of layering, it was quite successful, but, there was a point when I drew something I wasn’t satisfied about and used correction tape to cover it. This is a major problem in my cover that made it look not that balanced and conformed, next time something like this happens, I will use the whiteout which has a better effect.

This is my planning above. On the top, you could see some letters and a person swimming, these were two elements that I originally want to add, the letters were a design of a TV show I watched. I did not put these in the cover because I thought it was too big compared to other small things on the cover. On the left part were the notes, gaming console, and the viking helmet I added on the cover. The music note on the most right was designed as if the bottom circle was a CD, which also shows how I like music. On the cover, I decided to shrink the size and make it more clear, using only black as the color. The parachute and box were from another game and I didn’t add because there were too many game elements already. The transportation on the bottom right was a metro, since I was interested, but was also not added to the cover for conciseness.