Final In-depth Blog Post

JavaScript Final Project

Below is the link to my PowerPoint briefly explaining my In-depth project this year. If you want to just look at the project linked below then that is cool too.

In-Depth Final PowerPoint.pptx

Download this file to see my project, and it should open in your browser (doesn’t work on mobile).

Stopwatch

Remember it would be much appreciated to leave a comment with feedback, or if something doesn’t work, please let me know as well. Thank you!

In-depth Post #5 – AJ

‘How to Have a Beautiful Mind’ chapter 8 – The Six Hats

This concept by De Bono suggests that an argument can be represented by six different colors. Although there was not nor has there ever really been an argument in a meeting between me and my mentor, there were situations that that involved the black, yellow, and a little bit of the green hat for problem solving:

 

Mentor: Can you show me what you are seeing right now?

AJ: Yes, let me see if I can share my screen.

Mentor: Ah, ok. Have you installed Node yet?

AJ: No, I will finish setting it up right now.

Mentor: Okay, type “control.log(‘Hello World!’)”, and name the new file “HelloWorld.js” once Node is ready.

AJ: It’s taken me to a new window now, it looks like it is downlowding something on to my computer.

Mentor: Yes, that is Node installing some extra tools to your computer. It’s not very important right now, but while that is running in the background, why don’t you tell me what you have done with learnjs.org. Do you find it better than past resources?

AJ: For sure, I can already tell that these lessons are teaching me important things that Khan wasn’t focussing on. The basics that are crucial to learn before moving on too deep with anything else. I have gone up to functions so far, and I really like how they put you in a situation based on the content of that chapter; it keeps consistency.

 

 

The last meeting, we decided that the tools that I have been using such as Khan Academy were a little too specific, and I needed to have something that taught me more basic JavaScript, that could then be applied to more narrow uses later on.

This meeting, we discussed how I was feeling with the new resources, and helping with setting up a new program called Node, in order to run the code that is written in VS Code. It took a little bit of improvisation from how originally explained it, because our different computers set it up differently.

We knew that this one was probably going to be a shorter meet up, as it was just to get everything working and talk about what I have found over the past week. I plan to continue on with learnjs.org as long as it goes, and by then we can talk about some more advanced tutorials, or possibly shifting gears back into animation.

In-depth Post #4 – AJ

(“How to Have a Beautiful Mind” chapters 6-7)

These meetings with my mentor so far have been mainly scheduled around these blog post assignments, however, this time he has brought to my attention a concern of his regarding me keeping him up to date with what is going on.

He felt that he hasn’t fully grasped what the goals of this project is in the long run, and will most likely be able to help me more with that kind of information. I hadn’t realized this was an issue until now so I thanked him for bringing it to my attention. I told him about these progress reports, but also that I think that this project was more about the journey and that by the end I am able to produce a final project, with examples of what I learned and improved on.

He suggested that I should start involving him with more than just our regular meetings to keep us on the same page, so we decided that every weekend, I will shot him a message, even when meeting up isn’t necessary that week. I acknowledge that my mentor is a busy person, and won’t take for granted the time he is volunteering for me.

Clarification on learning materials (specifically W3Schools.com)

As I continue to move up on Khan Academy, I decided to go back to look at another resource that he gave me a while back, because I wasn’t learning at that level just yet. I read a little bit from W3Schools.com and their approach to teaching the language is much different than what I was used to, as they provide an already coded site that you can play around with, but I still felt like I was missing something.

My mentor decided to take this opportunity to show off some of his own little projects, one being a random generator of items in a list that you could allter by pushing buttons, and he told me to start with something very simple, find it online and by next meeting show him what I’ve been able to come up with. From there he might tell me to change around certain things to fully understand how it works.

W3Schools is a gigantic platform to learn from, but I mentioned before that it focussed on building websites with code, which is not quite what I am looking for. I mentioned this to him and he explained that it is a lot more informative, and he agrees that I should be practicing on my own, which is why he prefers Code.org.

This one is more of practicing with what is called block coding, but there is a feature that can switch the code to regular JavaScript to see what it looks like in both formats. Overall, it is more similar to Khan Academy, and I think that I will try out that website for the next little bit, and maybe have to go back a bit once I do decide to go back to Khan Academy.

Although making websites like these is not quite what I am focussing on right now, I still think that it is really cool with how many possibilities there actually are. He told me that this and drawing with JavaScript isn’t all that different and that I can apply a lot of the knowledge to other forms of JavaScript like this. That conversation gives me a good idea of a possibility to fully explore the language and maybe one day be able to make real games.

In-depth Post #3 – AJ

How to Have a Beautiful Mind Chapters 4-5 

  • How to be interesting 
  • How to respond 

 

This past week, I have been focusing on working with and getting used to the new programs that I have been introduced to. 

 

https://code.org/ 

https://www.w3schools.com/js/DEFAULT.asp 

https://code.visualstudio.com/download 

 

To recap, these were the links that my mentor showed me last week, which was one thing that we discussed this time as well. Another topic will be where I should go next (with my new knowledge and resources). 

 

Planning uses for the new resources. 

As well as continuing with Khan Academy, my mentor showed me a couple of extra websites to look atI decided the previous week, however, that it was best to keep Khan Academy as my main resource.  

My mentor then reminded me that his kids used to learn the language, and used Code.org as it gives access to numerous lessons to different experienced people. This was an opportunity to make that connection to build off of and acknowledge that it is a very useful resource that I plan to use for practice purposes. 

The bottom line is, I will most likely never run out of learning materials and online resources. Especially since we have a way of communicating even when we are not in a scheduled meeting, through messenger. 

 

One thing that my mentor does during our discussions is ask me questions about what he is talking about. This is super useful because it makes it more interactive and keeps me on my toes. I feel like I learn more this way rather than just listening. (Like a one-way conversation.) 

 

Where to next? (Planning ahead) 

My mentor and I knew each other through his kids prior to this project, which allows for connections being made because he has already gone through this kind of thing with them which can help make more detailed supporting points.

This week’s meeting ended with us trying to figure out our first real progress check, and I brought up the idea of making a themed project for this weekend (Valentine’s Day), to cover what I have learned thus far. We brainstormed what aspects I should include: 

  • Various colors 
  • At least 3 distinct shapes 
  • Basic animation should be incorporated 

 

I think that my mentor and I have made good progress, and a solid plan to continue to grow. We both think that these things are important for consistency so that can continue to expand my knowledge until the next meeting. 

In-Depth Post #2 – AJ

Chapters 1-3 on ‘How to Have a Beautiful Mind’

This blog post was postponed because today was the earliest that I could reschedule a meeting with my mentor, in which I focussed on;

  1. Gathering backup/additional resources online.
  2. How I can use what I learn outside of these websites.
  3. Coming up with a consistent schedule for meetings that work for both of us.

 

Links that he provided me with (outside of Khan Academy):

https://code.org/

https://www.w3schools.com/js/DEFAULT.asp

https://code.visualstudio.com/download

(The 3rd link is a downloadable editor for code/note-taking)

 

We plan to meet up every 2-3 weeks on Tuesdays, this meeting lasting around 30 minutes. The topics that we discuss were initiated by a question of mine, which we would talk about while he gives examples with provided evidence.

Although there wasn’t much disagreement, there were times that I understood one thing, and my mentor would talk about another thing or something different that I hadn’t thought about. I needed to listen to what he was saying, and sometimes ask follow-up questions to be able to know where he is coming from.

I think that it’s really important to have an understanding of these skills, in order to get the most out of discussions. I will continue to not only apply them to our future meetings but also to other conversations between friends and family.

The reason I wanted to get more resources in the first place, is because I believe that I must practice it as much as possible along with learning. The meeting ended with the two of us agreeing that it is a very important part of learning this kind of skill.

November Core Competency Activity

Grit Score:

My score was 3.9 on the grit scale, which I know can easily be raised with some work. I think the main thing that I need to improve on is my focus skills when it comes to sticking to one specific project or activity.

Questions:

What went well in quarter 1?

Just the fact that we are even able to be in school at all is a huge plus. It gives me a chance to get to know my peers/teachers and let me work in a space that isn’t my own home. I hope we continue to handle the pandemic well. I also have started using an app to keep track of important things, to help prioritize things that I need to work on.

What was challenging in quarter 1?

It was quite challenging to transition from middle school to TALONS accelerated classes in the first place, but it didn’t help that we have to deal with a pandemic during this transition. I also had to start off with my least favorite subject on top of that. Once I got used to the environment a little bit better, things generally started to go more smoothly, however, I knew it could switch back almost instantly.

What do you want to improve in the next quarters?

Covid has been making it slightly difficult to connect with my classmates and teachers, but I think that it is only going to go uphill from here now that I am more familiar with ‘the new way of school’. However, something that I need to focus on this quarter is asking more questions and speaking up when I need to. I have already started to improve on this, but as school gets harder, I’m not going to be able to do it on my own.

What are two things that you’re going to do to get to your goal?

  1. Like I said before, to be able to succeed, I need to not only be able to ask my teachers for assistance when needed occasionally but I also know that I can’t only rely on them. I must use other resources like classmates or even google. This is why I need to start telling my parents more about school each day. It’s very easy to ask for help from my peers, since they are with me the whole day, doing the same work. However, they’re not always going to be able to help.
  2. This doesn’t only have to be for asking questions, but I think writing things down in the moment more often is going to help when someone is busy and not able to help with whatever I’m asking of them. (Which is also why I need multiple resources)

How will you work through challenges?

I have noticed that most of the time when I get stressed out over something, it is because I am trying to do everything almost simultaneously; focusing on the big picture. This is why I use tools to help me keep track of things to narrow it down to individual tasks. I have a lot going on right now, and my plate is only going to get fuller once the pandemic comes to an end.

How to Be a REAL Success

Four Key Lessons to Success

In this post, I will be going over four quotes or ‘nuggets’ of information from John Maxwell’s How to Be a REAL Success book.

What does it mean (to me)?

I will be choosing one thing each from the four main sessions and describing what exactly it connects to from my life as a person with the intention of being successful.

Why did I choose it?

I will also be explaining why that piece of information jumped out at me specifically and the relevance it has to obstacles that I am going through or have had in the past.

How am I going to apply it to future activites and events?

There is no point in receiving guidance that connects to me if I am not planning to use it in the future during certain challenges that I will now be able to overcome.

Relationships

“The first person you learn to get along with is yourself”

When I read this, I immediately thought of back to Middle school. This was partially a time when I cared a lot more about other people and what they thought of me, rather than being myself. I think that it is very important to focus on getting to know yourself a little bit better every couple of months at least, to build character.

Although relationships are an extremely important part of success, that doesn’t necessarily limit you to other people. Something to always remember is that the relationship you have with yourself is the only one that lasts forever. The second reason that I chose this quote was that knowing who you want to be rather than being who you think other people want you to be is a lot better overall and will get you farther with this topic in the long run.

For me, I picture using these pieces of advice when planning leadership events, or during sports activities when I have to be a leader. I think that this particular quote will be most useful when I am just getting to know people. Although relationships can be formed and grown over time, a first impression is what sticks with you, and you only get one chance at it. But in order to present yourself to a new person the way that you want to, you have to know what that looks like in advance. In other words, you have to understand yourself better, to know how to be yourself.

Equipping

“We receive ego satisfaction for being needed”

This is one of the seven reasons why we don’t equip people enough, and I think that it’s is an important one to remember too. When I read this, I think of when I used to monitor little kids in elementary school. We weren’t just watching them, we had to teach them when they do something wrong and be leaders. This quote was a huge component to monitoring, and I wish I had learned it before because it was mostly habit to just do everything for them because we could.

I said before that it is really important to always keep this in the back of your mind because I believe that it is one of the most difficult parts of equipping people to forget about. Although it is good to get a little bit of ego strength to boost confidence, overall it’s more efficient to teach other people how to do things whenever you can.

My basketball coach said that the only way to get better is to practice how we want to play, and in those practices, you make each other better based on how hard you work them. A selfish player would only care about their personal growth, and a team player is always looking out to let their teammates improve. That is how this quote can be used in basketball.

Attitude

“Our attitude is a choice, and it determines our our aproach to life”

I sort of mixed two different sentences together, because I feel like they are both related, and they both also mean something to me. I would consider myself a positive person, and I don’t like to stop being one when things don’t go the right way. As they say, a good attitude doesn’t go unrewarded.

I think that this topic builds off of the other three in a way, which makes it just as important. First off, you cannot have good relationships with people having a bad attitude. You can’t have people look up to you as a strong leader in general either. It is difficult for some people because not everybody has a growth mindset. People with this kind of mindset won’t give up when they make a mistake.

During the leadership day trip up Burnaby Mountain, there were numerous times where my feet or legs were sore. However, I noticed that all of the times that they weren’t, was whenever I was socializing with my classmates; I guess it took my mind off it. The lesson that I learned that day, and will continue to remember, is that a tough situation can be done easily with other people who are positive.

Leadership

“The law of the lid”

The final and fourth key to success is having good leadership skills, and the law of the lid explains just that. When you are trying to lead a group of people, the better leader you are will determine the amount of success you and your group have. It is impossible to have a successful company or group, without a good leader, it just can’t happen.

I think that the law of the lid is crucial to leadership skills because it proves how important leadership is to be successful, it’s probably the most important part of it. I chose it because if I am lacking as a leader, then it is going to show with the level of success that the group that I am trying to lead has. In other words, any part of leadership that I need improvement in I need to take care of as soon as possible.

Even though it is still my first year in TALONS, I have already been put into situations where I need to be a leader, rather than relying on grade tens to take that role. That is why it is so important to remember all of these lessons and constantly work on them, (especially this one) because you never know when you are going to need them in life.

Ecological Footprint

🌲My E.F.🌲

A couple of weeks ago I was given a sheet that let me calculate my ecological footprint, and I think that this project has given me the knowledge and a great opportunity to do my part lower the overall score after a while.

My Ecological Footprint vs others’ Ecological Footprint: (Hectares)

Mine: 11.17

  • Water use = 80 points
  • Clothing = 105 points
  • ‘Stuff’ = 402 points
  • Shelter = 40 points
  • Transportation = 155
  • Fun = 140
  • Food = 195
  • Total = 1117 points
  • Total/100 = 11.17 Hectares

Kalayla: 8.59

Xilia: 11.05

Anita: 9.15

Justin: 7.45

Kira: 5.96

The main reason why mine was higher than average was from the 400 point bonus because of the pesticides, which is the key to lower mine right now.

Here are ten things that increase my Ecological Footprint:

  • Spending more than a couple minutes in the shower every day +60
  • Flushing the toilet every time +30
  • Owning some clothes that I don’t wear +40
  • Using non-environmentally friendly pesticides +400!
  • Using garbage on a daily basis +30
  • Owning a house with more than two rooms per person living in it +70
  • Spending time in a vehicle throughout the day +40
  • Participating in activities that require “some land to be changed” +40
  • Spending a little too much time on a device sometimes +70
  • Only some of the food I eat was grown organic and in B.C +40

Here are five things that I am willing to work on:

Spending more than a couple of minutes in the shower. I think this is one that I can try to lower because I know that I take a little bit longer than my parents, but I also know that if I want to do this than I am probably going to have to come up with a strategy to shower more efficiently like rinse time, or even amount of soap used.

Owning some clothes that I don’t wear. This one is a bit of an easier one for me because my family has already been donating to organizations like Big Brothers. I know that there are at least some clothes that aren’t worth keeping, it’s just a matter of spending the time to do it. I’m talking about a day that I set aside and make some sort of a pile of clothes that I no longer need.

Using non environmentally friendly pesticides. Unlike some other areas, this one will really lower my score if I can manage it, but it will be tough for sure. After chatting with my parents about it, the only thing we could think of that would go under this category was the ant spray that we use, which seems like something that would be important in my mind.

Using garbage on a daily basis. Although it’s not very much garbage, I thought I might as well do it as well, since we actually used to not use any garbage at one point, so it shouldn’t be too hard. It’s mainly just stuff like Ziplock bags that don’t need to be thrown away if we take the time to manually recycle them.

Spending a little too much time on a device sometimes. This one is also pretty simple. I know that there are plenty of things to do outside with my friends around the wonderful neighborhood that we live in, but the one thing that I am wondering about is whether online school counts, which would be a problem.

(My goal is to try to lower it to around a 7.5 H!)

What was easy to change?

I already kind of had an idea going in what aspects were going to be simple, or difficult to change. First, I had to find a day that I was free, go through my closet, and pull out any clothes that I thought I would want to give away. We can no longer hand things down to people we know around us, so we have to wait for Big Brothers to come. (Which is once every couple of weeks to a month).

The next thing that my family and I had to adapt to was not using any more garbage. It was going to be way too hard to completely cut it out of our life, so we decided to focus on plastic bags. Ziplock bags are used quite frequently, so we just had to go back to what we used to do, which was collecting them in a recyclable plastic bag, and driving down to the depot each week.

What was difficult to change?

Same as the easy changes for me, I pretty much already knew what I was getting myself into. Although I already am wasting a lot less water than I used to, I don’t think it is the best I can do yet. Each time I showered I had to think of one thing that I can do more efficiently, and even though it was hard, I was able to get it down to two minutes by the end of it all.

This is where it starts to get confusing. Like I said before, the only pesticide that we use is ant spray, yet it only ever comes out in the summer usually, so I don’t know how I would be able to do something about it right now. All I could really do is plan ahead some alternatives for next summer. (Which there are a lot of).

What are some obstacles I encountered?

Especially right now, it has been pretty challenging finding time to get outside during the week with homework and the extracurricular activities that I do. It doesn’t help that sometimes it rains all day either.

What are the steps that I plan to take in the future?

I previously mentioned that my family plans on switching from the typical Ant Off spray to something more environmentally friendly. After doing some research, I found that there are a lot of ways to get rid of ants. All things like planting mint, mixing vinegar and water in a similar spray bottle, pepper/cinnamon, etc. This upcoming summer we are going to try out some new things and see if we want to continue it from there.