Self-Reflection Questions

Reconstruction Debate

1. How did I feel during planning this presentation? Why did I feel this way?
1. I felt confident when our group was planning our speeches. The group I was in was an all boy group, but we were all good presenters.
2. How did I feel prior to presenting? Why did I feel this way?

I felt happy that I was going to present, because I had done well on a previous presentation and I thought I would do well again. I also felt nervous because I was presenting in front of the DLC8 and I didn’t want to do bad and embarrass myself.

3. How did I feel while I was presenting? Why did I feel this way?

While I was presenting, I felt good, but when I heard how I was speaking, I felt bad. I kept stuttering, and losing my spot on the page. When I tried to find my place in the page, I would jump to a new spot, and forget the say some stuff.

4. What did I personally do well?

All I did well was my speech. On Friday towards the end of school, I told my group members my speech and they said it was good.

5. What did not go as desired in this presentation?

Everything that happened didn’t go as desired. I kept forgetting what I was saying, stuttering, and trying to make eye contact, but to no avail.

6. On a scale from 1-10, how well do I think I understood the content? Explain.

3; I couldn’t really understand what Lincoln’s Proclamation of Amnesty was saying, and the other Radical that was pointing out the errors, wasn’t who I wanted to work with, so I rode solo on my part. Without any help from the other group, it was harder to understand the content, and write the speech.

7. How do I think my group members perceived me? Why do I think this?

I think that my group member perceived me as having a lot of information, but also being a slacker. I got my work done on time, but a lot of people perceived me as a slacker.

8. How do I think the 8^th graders perceived me? Why do I think this?

I think the 8^th graders perceived me as not a good presenter, and someone that should have taken another role, smaller than the one that I had. I think this because of me not presenting well that day, they wouldn’t want me in their group to present, based on how I did.

9. Knowing that I can only control how I act and react, if I could do this presentation again, what would I change about my actions to make it a more ideal experience?

I would practice more, so that I would know my lines better. I kept losing track of what I said, and where I was reading from on the page. Also to not look at the 8^th graders, and look at only the seventh graders. That way I fell that I am presenting to the people I know, and that I won’t get nervous.

10. What are my strengths in groups?

I can make an all right presentation, but I’m not the best. If I have enough time to practice my lines, and I really understand what I’m talking about, I can be a really good presenter.

11. What areas do I need improvement?

I need to work on not getting stressed, and to get my work done on time. Also to prioritize.

12. What is the most important thing I learned about myself? Why is this so important?

I learned that I need to work on my “people skills”. What I mean by this, is to not get super nervous while presenting. During TWIF presentations, I really knew what I was talking about, and I had people coming to me saying that I had the best presentation. During the Lincoln Douglas Debate, I had to fill in for another person in my group because he could not finish his presentation part. I didn’t do too well during this project, and I think it was because I was presenting in front of the morning class, and I didn’t know them too well. During this previous debate, I had to present in front of the 8^th graders, and I didn’t want to embarrass myself, and I didn’t know them either.

13. Are there any other things that I need to express?

I don’t need to work with Sinai. Together in a group, we would mess around, and not get our work done. I would like to not work with him.

Reflective Blog Entry

At the beginning of the year, I had NO idea whatsoever how to use the technology in the DLC. I had only one-year experience with the Mac technology. Last year in sixth grade, we had the same laptops we have here, but we didn't learn NEARLY as much. On the first day in the DLC, I learned more than all last year. At the beginning of the year, I would have looked at one of the recent DLC8 projects, and STROVE to make all of mine JUST like that. At the end of first semester, I would look at one of those projects and throw up in my mouth from watching those. After the experience that I have had in the DLC7 to this point, I am looking at everything with my "big kid/Miss Bailin" eyes. Remember how I said that I wanted to make my projects like that, which would mean that I thought that they were A+ projects, but I got to grade two of them, and one got a 50% while the other got a 30%. I don't know about you, but I don't want a failing grade at the beginning of the year. I am really proud that I can call myself a "Mini Miss Bailin" because I think that Miss Bailin is someone that most of the kids in the DLC7 strive to be, because she is a teacher. Teachers make the grades, so people want to have the right ideas so they get the good grades. If I am a "Mini Miss Bailin" then people will look up to me, which is something that I would LOVE to happen. The most challenging project so far is the Thomas Friedman's The World Is Flat 2.0, because I had no help WHATSOEVER from my partner. I wasn't really interested in the book so it was hard read, which meant that my creativeness wasn't working, and I couldn't really find anything interesting about the chapter. In the end I had to do all the work, read the chapter about eight times so that I could understand what was going on, and search all of the pictures over again to get the citations. Throughout the whole year my favorite moment was when Miss Bailin officially declared me a "Mini Miss Bailin". I had commented on someone's Thematic Causes DNP and when they read the comment, they started angrily chatting me, and saying that since I graded him hard, he was a freak and a loser and a freaking retard. I sent Miss Bailin an e-mail asking if I was grading really hard, then put the comment in the e-mail. When she replied she said, and I quote,” You definitely have the Miss Bailin down. :) I am very proud of your analysis." When I received that reply, I was really happy that Miss Bailin was proud of something I did. For second semester, I am hoping to do more solo projects, because I work better alone. Also I wish that I could be a leader for any project. I think that I have earned a spot as a leader, but I have some work flaws. If I would happen to be a leader, then Someone in my group would have to start the project, then let me finish it. If you didn't get what I was saying, then I'll put it into simple words: It is hard for me to work from scratch, but once I have something to work with, I can make it a whole lot better.