Yukiu's Portfolio

1. Creative Learner

With creative learning, I had to think of outside-the-box methods to solve unorthodox problems. For example, with my task of the tower of doom, I had to creatively think of ways to make the tower as high as possible with the inclusion of limited materials. Eventually, my group and I thought of the method of simply balancing the spaghetti sticks on one another, where we were able to minimize the amount of tape that needed to be used. Because spaghetti is hollow and light, we could use the tape to extend the height of the tower. I think that creative learning can help me to solve other problems that require nifty solutions, such as tying a rope to fasten an object to a pipe, etc. Additionally, I found that creatively learning could be learnt in tandem with critical thinking and collaboration to solve problems. To solve certain questions, you need to creatively think of solutions while thinking critically about the problem. Additionally, you need to work and collaborate with other group members, as you might not have the best idea in the group. Overall, I concluded that being a creative learner was extremely beneficial due to how novel solutions stand out and are often praised in our world.

2. Critical Thinker

I had to critically think very often with all of the tasks presented- for example I had to work with a variety of prompts such as adapting Cinderella to the modern world. I think that the Cinderella adaptation made me think about the differences and similarities within our world and the fictional world which Cinderella lived in, which allowed me to reflect. Another situation where I had to critically think was the prompt of analyzing media bias in titles, where I had to think rationally to notice the bias within news articles. Many times, biases are not very noticeable and take a lot of analysis to realize- such as the careful and articulate wording of sentences, or the usage of words with more positive or negative connotations. Overall, I think that being a critical thinker is very beneficial for several reasons- such as analyzing information, which leads to better decision-making based on evidence rather than emotional assumptions. Additionally, with problem solving and approaching challenges, where you can learn how to deal with problems by breaking them down systematically and considering various solutions. If anything, I think that being a critical thinker is probably one of the most important soft skills here!

3. Resilience

I was a resilient learner throughout the entire bootcamp as I had to learn how to deal with successes and failures. For example, in the apprenticeship tasks, I had to learn how to be resilient against certain repeated failures, and I had to try and try again. I also learnt a lot more about myself. With the VIA Strengths activity, I learned about how I am more rational than emotional at times, and how I really love learning. Of course, I already knew this, but getting confirmation really helped a lot. Additionally, in the bootcamp, I had to learn how to use a saw and use a hammer for the first (in a very long) time. I also had to try multiple times to get the wood into the correct dimensions, as the saw kept on going out of place. I think that I grew as a resilient learner because I got more experience from trying new things. These skills are transferrable to other day-to-day interactions as life requires patience. I did not have a lot of patience to begin with, but I feel like I have more now considering I had to try a lot of new rigorous tasks to learn new skills.

4. Skillful Communicator

I was able to grow as a skillful communicator as I communicated with multiple groups of people, including school administrators, teachers, or even the entire grade. Because I am in STUCO, I was able to go to weekly meetings and discuss plans with teachers and students, as well as advocate for our grade on certain issues. I also hosted assemblies with my other STUCO members, which forced me to collaborate with them to ensure that such events ran smoothly. Learning these tasks helped me grow and be more comfortable to ask or talk with other people. I think that these tasks that required me to talk with other people in small groups, I was able to learn how to ask for things I wanted to do, as well as ask for help when appropriate. I used to be an introvert, but now I am more comfortable with talking to large groups of people. I think that these skills can be transferrable into public. For example, with my friends! Reading the room is an extremely important skill, and learning to work with different types of people are extremely useful. I think that social and soft skills are more-so taught outside of the classroom but rather in real life situations, and are extremely useful, because first impressions come from soft skills.

5. Effective Collaborator

Similar to being a skillful communicator, I think that being an effective collaborator brings many positives and benefits when it comes to group work and, (quite frankly, and unironically) collaboration! (no pun intended). I had to work with my teammates to build big structures as well as consider which T-shirt was best when voting for the T-shirt competition. Additionally, I had to learn how to give useful feedback when I needed to advocate for our grade on certain issues to admin. I also had to learn to collaborate with my STUCO team to plan assemblies and decide on which plans of action were going to be the most beneficial for our grade. Additionally, I participated and ran multiple tents in the International Fair, which allowed me to work with many different people on many different tasks. I think that being an effective collaborator also means that you are adaptable, which shows how effective collaborator and resilience can be combined together in a large portion of instances. Being an effective collaborator can help me in other tasks, such as group work in sports or debate teams. As the captain for my lacrosse team, I can learn from these tasks to tell my teammates where to improve or what to do on defense or offense. As the nature of lacrosse is fast paced, this quick communication and collaboration can really help me out.

Big Project

The science project that I have been in so far has required me to be resilient and required me to work together with other people, as well as demonstrate leadership. The physics activity is quite simple- you work with a randomly assigned partner and execute a lab report using a set apparatus with a toy car. Simple, right? Well, not so much. First off, the randomly-assigned partner aspect of the project requires flexibility and resilience, where you have to interact with other people that you might not know well. My partner, Andy, was not extremely close with me, but we knew each other since we also had some other classes together (and by classes, I mean class –> Learning Lab) Working with Andy, we had to divide the tasks involved in the lab report effectively. This required us to discuss our strengths and weaknesses openly, ensuring that each of us took on roles that suited our abilities. Additionally, we set clear objectives for each session, which helped us stay focused and organized. This not only helped to streamlined our efforts but also fostered a sense of accountability. At times, I took the lead in organizing our meetings and ensuring we adhered to deadlines. This experience helped me understand the importance of proactive leadership in group settings.

Extracurricular Activity

One extracurricular activity I participated in is lacrosse, where we have weekly trainings and often enroll in competitions against other club teams. I find that lacrosse offers many rewards in terms of opportunities in growth in leadership, resilience, and collaboration. As the captain for my lacrosse team, I have found out that it goes beyond simply calling out on defense and directing plays, it also involves helping and setting an example for my teammates. For example, when we lost at a major competition last year, there were some that were not extremely happy with the result, but I had to learn to console them and make them feel better. Additionally, due to the recent U12 move-ups to our team, I have had the responsibility to make them feel welcome and make them feel involved in our team. Another aspect of leadership is resilience- when I was a new move-up in the U15 team, there were older players that I looked up to, and I know that if they decided that we had lost, or had lost faith in us winning, I would also lose faith. Therefore, I think that I have to channel some of that resilient energy. Finally, collaboration- lacrosse at its core is a cohesive team sport that requires lots of collaboration, whether it be timing and learning each other’s strong points and weaknesses, the sport does require a lot of nuanced teamwork that is incredibly crucial for success.