As I look through my blog, I realized that my reflections have gotten longer as the semester ended. My first few posts are very brief but still got the point across. I think at the beginning, I was very lost on what was expected to be a good reflection because there wasn't a sample of a great reflection so I just did what I could. But as the semester went along, Andrew went over what was expected of us many times and I believe that my reflections improved overtime by just adding little details and sentences I never usually brought up in my older reflections. Though the semester, I struggled getting the 250 because I never really knew how many points I got per post so when I added up my estimated points I believe I got but then when Andrew grades them, the two numbers would be different. I liked it when Andrew did blog checks, so I knew where I stood, whether I needed to add more to my blog or to start prepping for the next section. I know most people don't like writing up the reflections, but I felt that at times I enjoyed writing up what I had just did and learned. I like them because they gave me a chance to research more in depth information on what I did and not just what was required to put in the proposal. But with that said, sometimes I just pushed them aside because I'd rather be doing other stuff for class and all the reflections just started building up near the end and I hated when that happened.
By writing these blog posts and labs, I learned that I had procrastinated a whole lot and I didn't really push to work with different people. I had always procrastinated throughout this semester but I mostly felt it during this last section, because I knew that I had worksheets done so I didn't really make an effort to start new labs. What I did do this section was shaping rocks and I really enjoyed that even though it took away most of the time I had in class to work. Because it took so much of my class time, I didn't really make an effort to write up the reflections for my previous labs until the very last week in the section. A struggle I had with procrastinating was that since I wrote the reflections days or weeks after the actual experience, I didn't really have a clear memory of what had happened. I feel that I didn't really work with new people because I was more comfortable with working with the people I usually hang out with. I felt awkward asking other people to do labs with me because they might be busy with other labs or I think they'd be more comfortable with doing labs with their friends too. I think I was the most motivated was in section 1 and beginning of section 2 because that was when I did all the labs I really wanted to do and then for the rest of the sections I just ran out of ideas. Although, it seems that I didn't do worksheets until the last section, but really all the worksheets are from through out the sections and I saved them so I could use them as last minute points if I didn't have enough. I learned that I actually liked the lessons Andrew gave us to go with the worksheets because I actually got to understand the background of what is actually happening to molecules while I am doing the labs. Also, I think I am pretty used to practicing what I have learned on a worksheet or at least something that would let myself know that I understood the information that was given to me.
My favorite labs were the bath bomb lab and the pop rocks lab because those two items really interested me and I wanted to learn how they were made and worked so I can make them myself at home. Although the pop rocks didn't work the way we wanted to, it was still a fun learning experience. Now I know that I probably shouldn't try making the pop rocks at home because in the lab I had just made a huge piece of sour laffy taffy. I was the most motivated to learn about these two topics so I can know how to improve the next time. I wasn't as motivated in section 3 because I just did labs that I had found on google that I thought would be cool but I really procrastinated to writing the reflections and actually learning the science behind them so I only knew a brief on what is going on. What happened though, was that at the beginning of spring break, I decided that I was going to finish the reflections for the labs I have done so far, and I spent hours and hours just learning more about what I have done over the past two weeks. And by writing the reflections for those labs, I learned a whole bunch. And I actually enjoyed learning the science behind it and I just needed some motivation to learn it. But for those labs, I was mainly motivated to get them done before the section ends instead of being motivated for the knowledge.
From this class, I will takeaway the management skills I had to develop at the beginning of this semester in order to get an A in this class. I had to learn how to manage my time and keep track of my points for the class. Also I will takeaway the knowledge that I had to learn and teach to myself of how to make certain items. For example, I have made bath bombs, jewelry, rocket engines, and many more. I also tookaway that knowledge can be achieved by self discovery and not just by what the teachers will teach. Lots of what I have done for this class was designed to my liking and I just had to get what I want to do approved by Andrew. There was a upside and a downside to that because at times I really loved doing what ever I wanted because It was fun but then somedays, I wouldn't know what to do at all and I just needed a teacher to tell me what to do.
By writing these blog posts and labs, I learned that I had procrastinated a whole lot and I didn't really push to work with different people. I had always procrastinated throughout this semester but I mostly felt it during this last section, because I knew that I had worksheets done so I didn't really make an effort to start new labs. What I did do this section was shaping rocks and I really enjoyed that even though it took away most of the time I had in class to work. Because it took so much of my class time, I didn't really make an effort to write up the reflections for my previous labs until the very last week in the section. A struggle I had with procrastinating was that since I wrote the reflections days or weeks after the actual experience, I didn't really have a clear memory of what had happened. I feel that I didn't really work with new people because I was more comfortable with working with the people I usually hang out with. I felt awkward asking other people to do labs with me because they might be busy with other labs or I think they'd be more comfortable with doing labs with their friends too. I think I was the most motivated was in section 1 and beginning of section 2 because that was when I did all the labs I really wanted to do and then for the rest of the sections I just ran out of ideas. Although, it seems that I didn't do worksheets until the last section, but really all the worksheets are from through out the sections and I saved them so I could use them as last minute points if I didn't have enough. I learned that I actually liked the lessons Andrew gave us to go with the worksheets because I actually got to understand the background of what is actually happening to molecules while I am doing the labs. Also, I think I am pretty used to practicing what I have learned on a worksheet or at least something that would let myself know that I understood the information that was given to me.
My favorite labs were the bath bomb lab and the pop rocks lab because those two items really interested me and I wanted to learn how they were made and worked so I can make them myself at home. Although the pop rocks didn't work the way we wanted to, it was still a fun learning experience. Now I know that I probably shouldn't try making the pop rocks at home because in the lab I had just made a huge piece of sour laffy taffy. I was the most motivated to learn about these two topics so I can know how to improve the next time. I wasn't as motivated in section 3 because I just did labs that I had found on google that I thought would be cool but I really procrastinated to writing the reflections and actually learning the science behind them so I only knew a brief on what is going on. What happened though, was that at the beginning of spring break, I decided that I was going to finish the reflections for the labs I have done so far, and I spent hours and hours just learning more about what I have done over the past two weeks. And by writing the reflections for those labs, I learned a whole bunch. And I actually enjoyed learning the science behind it and I just needed some motivation to learn it. But for those labs, I was mainly motivated to get them done before the section ends instead of being motivated for the knowledge.
From this class, I will takeaway the management skills I had to develop at the beginning of this semester in order to get an A in this class. I had to learn how to manage my time and keep track of my points for the class. Also I will takeaway the knowledge that I had to learn and teach to myself of how to make certain items. For example, I have made bath bombs, jewelry, rocket engines, and many more. I also tookaway that knowledge can be achieved by self discovery and not just by what the teachers will teach. Lots of what I have done for this class was designed to my liking and I just had to get what I want to do approved by Andrew. There was a upside and a downside to that because at times I really loved doing what ever I wanted because It was fun but then somedays, I wouldn't know what to do at all and I just needed a teacher to tell me what to do.