Ocean's Portfolio

Creative Learner

One of the most impactful activities I did for creative learner was task 14: Up-cycle. In this task, I had to create a piece of artwork with materials/garbage that would otherwise have been discarded. At first, I wanted to create something that relates to plastic pollution and its impact on our environment, especially the sea. I decided on drawing a seabird, cutting out its stomach, then putting garbage and plastic behind it to make it seem like there was actual garbage in the seabird’s stomach. I faced a lot of challenges in the process, like deciding what materials I will use to make the 3D effect of the garbage in the seabird’s stomach, and how to make sure the plastic stays in place behind the drawing. In the end, I used a cardboard box to put the garbage and plastic, then glued PVC board (a kind of transparent plastic) on top to ensure the plastic won’t come out, then lastly glued the sketch of the seabird on top. This experience really helped me hone my creative process, especially with 3D designs, and work on communicating ideas in my artwork to raise awareness about global issues. 

Critical Thinking

Throughout working on my critical thinking tasks, I really learned how to think creatively and critically to solve issues. For example, one of the tasks I completed was Task 9: How Could…? Drawing Obscure Solutions. In this task, I had to use certain objects to answer a question. The question I chose was: How could a watch, an umbrella, and a wheelbarrow be used to rescue a cat from a tree? At first, I had no idea how to answer this question, as these items were all too unusual, and no “normal” way could be used to rescue a cat from a tree with these objects, and I realized creativity had to be used as well. I finally thought of an idea, which was to turn over the wheelbarrow, stand on it with the umbrella turned upside-down, and have one more person on the ground using the watch to reflect sunlight. The speck of sunlight can get the cat’s attention, and attract it onto the upside-down umbrella, where the person holding it can safely lower it down back onto the ground. This task really showed me how to think outside the box, and to use my creativity along with critical thinking when trying to come up with solutions to my everyday problems. 

Resilience

Throughout my resilience tasks, I have gained a deeper understanding of what it means to be resilient. At first, I viewed resilience as simply persisting no matter what, but these activities have shown me that it means much more. I have always been challenged with coping mechanisms strategies, but when I began writing about my experiences, everything seemed all perfectly in place. One of the most impactful activities was creating a vision board that represented my goals and aspirations. This not only motivated me to stay focused but also reminded me of the importance of having a positive outlook, even during tough times. I have learned that resilience involves the ability to preserve hope and spirit in the presence of opposition and hardships in life. Overall, these resilience tasks have not only equipped me with practical skills but have also fostered a growth mindset. I now appreciate the journey of overcoming challenges and understand that resilience is a lifelong skill that I will continue to cultivate. 

Skillful Communicator

My experience actively completing skillful communicator tasks has been very insightful. Personally, I am an introvert so presenting to a large audience is always difficult for me, and I am always anxious when it comes to such situations. Because of this, I started out small by doing a presentation and then presenting it to my peers. I was much more comfortable because the audience was fairly small, consisted only of my friends, and I was able to practice my presentation skills quite a lot. That was quite a valuable experience for me. Another valuable aspect was taking part in discussions with peers and attempting to practice active listening. I found out that accepting other people’s opinions helps build a collaborative culture and develops trust. It enabled me to be more empathetic and open-minded which helps me to bond with my classmates better. Also, it has been eye-opening for me to receive constructive criticism of my communication style. It has prompted me to pay attention to my body language and tone which are important aspects of communication. All in all, these activities have boosted my confidence and equipped me with skills that won’t just help me in school, but in the course of my life. 

Effective Collaborator

It has been very beneficial to my teamwork abilities to perform the effective collaborator tasks. Being an effective collaborator is an extremely important aspect in the course of our lives, and I think these tasks have really helped me improve my collaborating skills. At the beginning, I thought that collaboration was simply a matter of allocation of tasks and divisions of groups, but I’ve come to realize that it encompasses much more important aspects such as communication, trust, and common goals. Becoming a more effective communicator is one of the most important skills I consider that I needed. It was certainly helpful to witness how our different approaches improved the project in question. Most importantly, it enabled me to appreciate the concept of shared responsibility. Every member needed to do their work, so we established timelines and monitored each other’s progress. In teamwork, everyone has their own responsibilities, and it isn’t enough for just one of us to complete the work or tasks that we agreed on. I appreciate these tasks because they taught me what it means to work effectively with others and value collaboration for the sake of achieving greater objectives.