Reflection - COMMUNITY

An exemplary on a reflection of my learning. This helps me remember the things I learnt!

ABSTRACT

Every fortnight, we have a double period (two hours) of community. Community is a combination of all of our subjects in which students are to choose a global context that will contribute to the community. The group must plan and organise an action based on the global context. This includes researching a topic that interests or concerns them and act upon it. Since we do not have much time, the projects are usually small and simple. Despite this, small actions mean a lot more to others…

 REFLECTION-Community

~SachikoMochiko--

The Busking Association Act

Overview

This project was one of my best leadership experiences as I organised and managed a busking program that includes organising roasters, timetables, recruiting members and a the advertising. As manager (leader of my group), I am required to lead/manage the Busking Association Management Crew. I made sure that their work met deadlines and that they are working productively by establishing roles for each of the members. This role is what I consider this as one of my major leadership roles. 

Collaboration with my community group went much better than I expected. We exchanged ideas and worked together to a high standard.

*Scroll down to the bottom of this reflection for the main points!!

Major Skills �" Overview

♣ Motivating other team members using strategies

♣ Forward planning

♣ Negotiate Efficiently

♣ Leadership

♣ Collaboration and negotiation with team members

Investigation

Once we had formed a group I noticed that what we had in common was your passion for music. Naturally, I suggested that we should do something to do with music. So, I communicated efficiently about ideas around busking and encouraged my teammates to express their ideas too. By doing this, I have expressed efficient communication and collaboration skills. Later, we have combined my idea of busking and my teammates idea of donating to orphanages: the money that is donated by busking will be donated to local orphanages around Victoria. At first, we had to research where we are going to donate the money, how we are going to donate the money and how to get buskers (musicians from out school) to other areas (other than the school) such as local community centres and the city. By collaborating ideas and coming up with new ones, it is concluded that I effectively represented both my critical and creative thinking. 

Later, it was deemed that the project was too big to finish this year to take buskers to the city. Also, we went to visit Mr Scheffer (MYP music teacher) for advice and feedback [during our visits, we got idea of the name Busking Association]. So, we decided to first organise a booking system for musicians around the school. This lead us in designing and formatting booking tables, rosters, timetables, a poster to advertise around the school and an information slip. I have asked for suggestions from my teammates in what information to put on our poster and information slip. I was the main author and designer for these papers and honestly did most of the work. The language that I chose had to be appropriate for the purpose and audience. This ultimately meant that I represent the following skills:

•selects and manipulates words, phrases or clauses for their shades of meaning and impact

• successfully involved the reader by the use of literary devices such as metaphor, simile, onomatopoeia

 abstract and technical terms appropriately in context

• controls effectively the language and structural features of a large repertoire of text forms

• controls and manipulates the linguistic and structural components of writing to enhance clarity and impact

 •generates, explores and develops topics and ideas

• may choose to manipulate or abandon conventional text forms to achieve impact 

• maintains stylistic features throughout texts

• makes critical choices of tone and point of view to suit different purposes and to influence audiences

• writes exploring and developing abstract ideas

• makes informed choices about the linguistic features, organisation and development of ideas and information according to audience and purpose

• deliberately structures sentences to enhance a text and according to audience and purpose

• develops ideas and information clearly, sustaining coherence throughout complex texts

Planning

I encouraged my group to collaborate ideas along with mine to form an Ultimate Goal. This represents my leadership and collaboration skills as I made sure that my teammates were on task and motivated by suggesting and establishing their individual goals for the week and give feedback (e.g. how they can improve) at the end of the week/period. The result of this process was: 

“Our community project endeavours to establish an official (Alamanda) busking committee/club that donates their earnings towards orphanages around Victoria. This busking committee strives to reach the local community as well as much more. By doing this unique community project, we hope to benefit both the buskers and the orphanages by challenging young performers to busk in different environments giving them more confidence while also benefiting the children and workers at orphanages-by donating money to the less fortunate. This represents our two chosen global contexts; personal & cultural expression and fairness & development.”

After, we discussed further actions and pre-considerations to be taken such as what will happen if teachers complain of the loud amplified sounds, who we should talk to for permission etc. and what to say. I made sure that my team was on track by spending some time at home planning the weekly or hourly plan chronologically. I also had to make sure that inappropriate attitude during our planning stage was diminished by having a small amount of dominancy. This means, whenever two people in my group argue, it is my job to make sure it does not escalate to the point where it negatively affects the growth of this project. Fundamentally, I used my forward planning to organise my group so we can stay on task whilst being motivated.

As soon as we discussed and establish a ‘To-Do-List’, I ensured that we have also planned how we will achieve those goals. Foremost, I discussed with them �"individually�" when they are available and the skills they have (strengths and weaknesses) so that I could later plan their further roles. Once the roles were established, I will have to negotiate with them time of collaboration outside Community Periods. 

*By motivating the team members, using my forward planning skills, making sure that arguments within the community group projects and formulating strategies to keep my group motivated and on task �"I have efficiently managed the time in an ordinarily way.

Action

Our first main action was to announce this in assembly before the established date of launching. But due to another groups community project we had to move the launching date. So, a small improvised overview of The Busking Association Act was declared in assembly. I did not organise my group members and myself to do this announcement at the desired time, so I took the risk to improvise a small speech about our community project. The skills I shown in the duration of the improvised speeches are choosing the most important information, keeping the speech concise and clear and using an expressive and appropriate tone to keep the audience attention.

On the same week of the announcement, the established launching date was due to partake (Friday). I had to manage my time to practice and negotiate rehearsals with my duet partner. The rehearsals went well and I was able to manage time just enough for me to confidently perform.

On the day of launching, I bumped into the Year 9 student lead band. When I told, them they could busk today, they took the opportunity to do so and offered to help set up 10 minutes before (we also negotiated with another teacher ourselves). Once school started, I used my negotiation skills to let out first period teacher (math teacher) to let us plan where the Year 9 Band can perform. Overall, I negotiated with my math teacher to organise my community project further in that period ultimately missing the period. 

Once it was lunchtime, we had both by duet collaboration and the Year 9 Student Lead band play outside the New Building and we shared equipment alternating. 

Reflection

I think I should improve on motivating MYSELF as I was too focused on making sure my team mate was motivated. This lead me into procrastinating and letting my group carry some of the burden. 

Overall, the project went much better than I expected and I learnt what heights I can reach! And that I shouldn’t fear being in the leadership role.

Main Points

• I communicated efficiently about ideas around busking and encouraged my teammates to express their ideas too. By doing this, I have expressed efficient communication and collaboration skills
• By collaborating ideas and coming up with new ones, it is concluded that I effectively represented both my critical and creative thinking. 
• The language that I chose had to be appropriate for the purpose and audience
• I encouraged my group to collaborate ideas
• The skills I shown in the duration of the improvised speeches are choosing the most important information, keeping the speech concise and clear and using an expressive and appropriate tone to keep the audience attention.
• leadership and collaboration skills as I made sure that my teammates were on task and motivated by suggesting and establishing their individual goals for the week and give feedback (e.g. how they can improve) at the end of the week/period 

Author's Note

Hope this helps other students like me...