REFLECTIONS ON WEEK 1

1. There aren't any factors that will affect my participation or experience in this class negatively. I am fortunate enough to have a laptop with internet access, an Iphone, and no problems with transportation. I have a pretty busy schedule after school so that might interfere when we do group work but I think I will be able to make time for all assignments and group work. I think that the blogs will allow me to participate more, and on a different level. This type of class will give me more of an opportunity to see the kind of work that my classmates are doing and it will help me build learning connections with other students.

2. An awesome learning experience that totally changed me happened when I was getting my Wilderness First Aid (WFA) certification last year. It was a super intense, totally hands on course that was mentally and physically exhausting. During the course we had to participate in scenarios where students would act out different injuries (fake blood and all). Sometimes your "patient" wouldn't be able to respond so it was really difficult to figure out what you had to do to help them, there very so many different variables to consider! The class took place at Lake Cachuma with a group of about 20 other teenagers and at the end of it I felt comfortable approaching a situation and taking charge helping people who were injured. It was an amazing feeling to be able to successfully put all of the skills I learned to use. I learned so much about a totally new subject and it felt really good to feel completely comfortable with my skills. The experience taught me that hands on learning was much more beneficial than sitting through a boring lecture. I learned that muscle memory helps me remember things. I will never forget how it's supposed to feel when giving CPR after practicing so many times on the dummies (or how much arm muscle I got from doing it!). Getting out in the field and practicing really made me master the skills and feel comfortable using them. I could feel myself learning more and  more each day and I was excited to practice. Even when that practice consisted of moving students with "spine injuries" safely out of a tree. I can apply this to traditional school classes because it taught me that I need to practice hands on to really master the material. Listening to lectures in class won't be enough. I need to write out vocabulary words and make my own sentences. I need to analyze novels rather than just do the necessary reading.  I need to visit other students blog to see different perspectives. Going the extra mile will ensure that I master what I learn.

3. I'm most excited about getting more of a college learning experience. I feel like this class will be the closest think I've gotten in high school so far to a real college class. This class seems like it offers a lot of freedom and I'm excited to push myself. The more I post on my blog, the more excited I get about learning how my presence online can make a difference in my education. Blogging will be a new skill for me so I'm looking forward to learning more about it. It will definitely prepare me for college in many ways. Working with other students and forming study groups and learning from each others work will be very important in college so it's really good that we're doing that this year! I'm a little concerned about time and scheduling. This class has so much to offer and I want to take advantage of all of it but I'm afraid that I won't have the time! With other AP classes, dance, an internship, and other activities I fear that I won't be able to devote as much time as I would like to this class but I will definitely do my best. This class will also help me manage my time better.