QUESTIONS:  

• During Quarter 1, what went well for you? Explain. Examples: being back in the classroom, having only two courses, seeing my friends, keeping up with homework, playing volleyball, improving math, helping plan a virtual assembly, becoming more fit. 

Something that went well for me this Quarter was the schedule. This year, I found the schedule to be manageable. Having only 2 classes, I had more time to focus on each class. Overall, I felt that I had more time to concentrate on each class and learned the contents of the course much more effectively. 

• During Quarter 1, what did you find challenging or disappointing or stressful? Explain. 

During Quarter 1, I found dealing with the safety regulations challenging. During the beginning of the year, I was worried that the safety regulations at school would not work. I was afraid of an outbreak occurring at school.

• Think of ONE thing you really want to improve in Quarter 2 (and Q 3&4). Examples: a school subject, a sport, time spent on homework/studying, playing a musical instrument, leadership skills, a language, photography, a relationship, general fitness.  

For the upcoming quarters, I want to work on managing my time more effectively when I complete school assignments. 

• What are two specific actions that you can start doing every day to get closer to your goal? How long will you spend on this action each day? What part of the day? 

a) Create a calendar online to remind me of the upcoming due dates for assignments.

b) Create a weekly schedule to plan out the work effectively. Frequently check the schedule to stay on track.

• If you experience challenges, what might you do to work through them? Examples: ask help from a friend or parent; break the task into smaller chunks; “google” how other people may deal with similar problems. 

If I experience challenges, I will go ask for help from my friends and ask teachers for support if necessary. Often, other people can provide guidance and encouragement when I am experiencing a challenge. 

Session 1
The Law of Magnetism
“The growth and development of people is the highest calling of leadership.” This quote from Harvey Firestone signifies the importance of developing leaders around us. The law of magnetism states that only strong leaders have what it takes to develop others. There are many leaders equipped with various skills such as proper communication or time management, but few leaders have the skill to build up the people around them to make them better leaders. In other words, a true leader not only learns and grows as an individual, but they also take others to a higher leadership level. Working with others to help them reach their goals is one of the most difficult and essential skills that a leader must learn.
This principle is very relevant to me. As a grade 10, I have taken on the role of a leader in TALONS. Over the past few months, I have constantly sought to improve my leadership ability by practicing various skills such as effective communication and positivity. Sometimes, I have been too focused on trying to improve myself as a leader that I forgot about helping grow the other members in my committee. This is a principle that I will work to follow because I am motivated to help my peers succeed. I will definitely be keeping in mind the growth of others in my group for future leadership projects. To develop the grade 9s as leaders in the future, I will have them complete tasks independently while supporting them if they require help.

Session 2
Leaders have the ability to make things happen.
A crucial difference between those who lead and those who follow is that leaders have the ability to start momentum. There are people in a team who stop the momentum. These people do not move the group forward and can impede the progress of the team. Leaders are capable of doing actions that start momentum. They are called ‘momentum makers’. Leaders who follow this principle never wait for others to get started. They take responsibility and bring the group together. A good leader will always follow through on what they say and will take responsibility for their mistakes. Instead of waiting for opportunities to come, leaders take action and initiate the opportunities.
In my experience in TALONS, I have found myself in situations where I wanted other people in my group to step up and take charge. Instead of starting the momentum myself, I hoped somebody else would get the group started. This is an obstacle that I am going to overcome. I have been working towards being a ‘momentum maker’ this year and I will continue to apply this important principle for all of the upcoming leadership events. When my planning committee is quiet and unsure of what to do next, I will implement this principle to ‘make things happen’. I will address the group, summarizing what has been accomplished so far and discussing the next steps. I will work to get over my nervousness about speaking to a group, keeping in mind that a leader must initiate action.

Session 3
Work on yourself before you work on others.
John C. Maxwell stated, “leaders go first!” This is an important principle to keep in mind as a leader. Leaders should ask give themselves requirements to make sure they are prepared to lead. If a leader has done what they ask others to do, the leader gains credibility. Other team members trust that the leader knows what they are talking about. Next, if a leader is doing what they ask others to do, the leader gains leadership. They are leading the group, guiding them as they accomplish their tasks. If a leader asking others to do a task is willing to do it again, they gain connection. It is not enough to complete a task; a good leader must be willing to do it again to build a connection with the group. If a leader is not willing to accomplish a task again, the team members will be unmotivated and less likely to repeat the task too. Finally, if a leader asking others to do a task can do it well, they gain respect. The team will trust the leader’s judgements, therefore increasing the overall effectiveness of the group. If all of these requirements have been met, the leader creates motivation. A hard-working leader will create an atmosphere that will positively benefit others. Team members will be inspired by their leader’s abilities and will grow from the leader’s guidance.
In my opinion, this is a critically important concept. Throughout my life, I have seen many people try to work on others before themselves. They did not follow the advice and suggestions they give to other people. I have always found those people difficult to follow and trust. While planning future leadership events, I will constantly work hard on my tasks to set an example for my team. When I encourage another team member that is doing a task, I will let them know that I am also willing to do the task myself. Furthermore, I will make sure I know how a task is properly done before I delegate others with that task.

Session 4
Success is the maximum utilization of the abilities of those within your organization.
While personal success is the maximum usage of the abilities you have, the success of a group is determined by every single member and not just the leader. This concept emphasizes the importance of each individual in a group. A leader who can bring success to a group will focus on others in addition to themselves, knowing that that the success of a group requires each member to develop and contribute. A good leader will commit to their team member, focusing on finding ways to challenge and teach them. They bring out the unique strengths in others, allowing the team members to grow as leaders themselves. I believe this is an essential concept that I need to remember. Throughout my leadership experiences in TALONS, I have always sought to use my strengths to contribute to the team. I would oftentimes neglect to realize that for our group to succeed, each team member’s strength needs to be utilized. As I plan leadership events in the future, I will remember that a team’s success cannot come from one individual. I will focus on dividing tasks evenly to ensure everybody has enough work to do. This way, everyone can utilize their potential to the maximum and will experience the challenge needed to develop as a leader.

What are your thoughts on remote learning and your experience with it? What have you liked and disliked?

Remote learning was a very new experience for me. One thing that I really liked is having more flexibility with my work schedule. I found that by setting my own schedules, I have become better at time management. One thing that I really miss is getting to having face-to-face interactions with others. Working at home can sometimes feel lonely, and I found myself wishing to be able to talk to others more often during remote learning.

How has technology benefitted you during the remote learning experience?

Technology has benefitted me through this experience. During remote learning, I have spent much more time on my computer than before. I have become much more proficient with online communication, as I have sent many emails to teachers during remote learning to ask questions or submit work. In addition, I spent more time using various software such as photoshop and have become more familiar with them.

An image that I created using Photoshop.

How has technology impeded you during the remote learning experience?

Technology has also hindered my productivity. I found myself more prone to distractions such as YouTube when I work online. Furthermore, occasional technical issues have occurred and have disrupted classes and caused confusion for me. For example, I was unable to join a science meeting once, which resulted in me missing out on information and having to catch up afterwards.

What is one core competency that you already were proficient with that helped you transition into remote learning?

One core competency that I was proficient with was personal awareness and responsibility. I took responsibility for my own learning. I have often checked Microsoft Teams and my email to stay informed on assignments. In addition, I made sure to get started on assignments right away instead of leaving it until the last minute. For example, I worked on a science research outline about salmon. I completed this assignment over the course of 2 weeks instead of rushing it during the last few days. The research outline can be downloaded here.

What is one core competency that you have improved or developed during your remote learning experience?

One core competency that I improved on was my Communication. Throughout remote learning, I have often needed to send emails to teachers to ask questions or submit work. As a result, I have become much more familiar with sending proper emails. I have also frequently talked to my peers to discuss questions or to arrange meetings; This has also helped me improve my communication skills.

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To conclude, remote learning felt unique and was mostly an enjoyable experience for me. I learned a lot from remote learning! However, I miss having face-to-face interactions with my peers and teachers.

Hello everyone! Here is my video presentation:

I hope you enjoy it and find it interesting!

Welcome to my in-depth presentation. Over the past few months, I have been learning about game design!

When I initially began my In-Depth learning, I did not expect that there are so many components to game design. Through this project, I learned various things from programming 2D games to creating game assets for 3D games. I still have a lot to learn.

Using Unity, a game engine, and Blender, a 3D graphics software, I have created multiple games over the past few months, starting with basic 2D games, to more complex 2D and 3D games. Here are 3 video games that I made that will demonstrate my learning and growth. Enjoy the games!

(Games are only available on the computer)

Game 1: Drift

This was a really basic 3D game that I created to learn programming and 3D physics in Unity. (I think I made the levels too hard!😅)

2. Wandering Spirit

I made this game about a month ago. I made this simple 2D game to practice the skills that I have learned so far, and I’m pretty satisfied with how it turned out!

3. Islandbound

This is the game that I have worked on for the last month. For this game, I had to learn more about 3D game design and many new components. I am still working on this game, and this is a preview! (Note: this game cannot run on Safari)

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I hope you had some fun playing the games that I developed! Over the course of In-Depth, I learned so much about game design. This is something that I’m truly passionate about, and I will keep on learning… The journey has just begun!

I want to give a huge thank you to Mr. Linburg, my mentor. Through this entire project, he has provided me with a lot of support and encouragement. Without his amazing guidance, I would not have been able to come this far. I would also like to thank you for checking out my in-depth project! Feel free to leave a comment or ask any questions!

-Mike

            It has been a few weeks since my last blog post. Over these few weeks, I have begun to work on a 3D adventure game in Unity. This project is quite different compared to the games that I had created in the past. The games that I created in the past had simpler graphics, and much required much less use of 3D physics. This game will utilize more complex visual elements, as well as more complex game mechanics.

So far, I have researched about the Terrain System in Unity and practiced using it. The Terrain System is a built-in tool in Unity and is extremely useful for creating interesting and realistic landscapes. I first began with creating a mountain landscape to practice using the various tools within the Terrain System. I really enjoyed this process and had plenty of fun practicing creating a landscape. Through sculpting these landscapes, I realized that I like to be creative and imaginative. In addition, I also watched some videos on YouTube on how to enhance the graphics of the scene by using Post-Processing.

Although it was slightly difficult at first to get a grasp at all the different tools in the Terrain System, I was able to overcome this challenge by staying determined. I watched a lot of videos online to learn more about using the tools and spent a lot of time practicing creating landscapes. In the end, I learned many tips and tricks and became much more familiar with using the Terrain System.

A screenshot of my first terrain made with Unity’s Terrain System.

I am currently working on creating an island in Unity. I will be using this island as the setting of my adventure game.

A screenshot of the island that I am currently working on.

My meetings with my mentor, Mr. Linburg, have gone well. We have stayed consistent with our communication, talking through email once every week. During the meetings, I updated my progress with my mentor, and we would discuss a plan for the next week. Mr. Linburg would also provide me with resources that I could look into, such as how to import Blender assets into Unity. Mr. Linburg has been an awesome mentor. Although he is very busy, he is always supporting my learning and passion.

On In-Depth night, to demonstrate what I have learned, I plan to have a playable game that guests can play. To do this, I will upload my adventure game online and insert it directly into the post. I will also have some notes on my post to explain briefly about the things that I have learned, and how I applied them to my game. Hopefully, the guests will have fun playing the game!

Overall, I have made a lot of progress during the past few weeks. Through this project, I have learned more about developing games and about myself. I have also discovered my creativity and imagination by creating various landscapes and other visuals such as a treasure chest. Over the next few weeks, I will continue to work on my adventure game. I will be working on the terrain, adding different game mechanics, as well as import some game assets that I have created in Blender. I am very excited to see how the game turns out!

-Mike

My ecological footprint was 9 Hecters. After comparing my ecological footprint with my peers, I realized that my ecological footprint was slightly higher than average.

The Plan

Data Sheet:

Actions that increased my ecological footprint significantly:

-Eating non-organic beef

-Spending time travelling with just my family

-Owning 1 car

-Spending a lot more time than 1 hour on the computer each day

-Producing enough trash each day to fill up a basket

-Showering for more than 10 minutes

-Owning clothes that were mostly brand new

-Eating dairy products

-Eating non-organic pork

-Spending 1/2 – 1 hour on a vehicle per day

Actions that I changed to reduce my ecological footprint:

-Eating non-organic beef: I made sure to limit my consumption of non-organic beef to 3 times a week. As an alternative to beef, I ate chicken.

-Producing enough trash each day to fill up a basket: I reduced my usage of kleenex and paper towels, and I made sure not to throw away items unless absolutely necessary.

-Showering for more than 10 minutes: This was a significant change for me. When I shower, I am usually tired and stay in the shower for a long time as a result. I set a timer of 5 minutes to prevent myself from taking too long. I also set an alarm at 4 minutes to remind myself of the time.

-Spending 1/2 – hour on a vehicle per day: Due to the current situation, I found it easy to avoid spending time on a vehicle, as I mostly stay home these days.

-Eating non-organic pork: I limited my pork consumption significantly. I had only one meal with pork over the past week.

The Reflection

Changes that were easy to make

The easiest change to make was limiting my vehicle usage. Due to the current situation, I am staying at home and avoiding travel outside. Another easy change to make was limiting my pork consumption; I do not eat pork often, and it is not my favourite type of meat. Thus, it was easy to remind myself and my parent to limit the consumption of pork. I also found limiting the production of garbage to be simple. Before I tried to reduce garbage production, I would usually use a kleenex or paper towel to wipe my hand after I washed them. I switched over to using a towel that can be reused to limit my trash production. This was a simple task, but it helped me prevent a lot of trash from being produced. More than I expected!

Changes that were difficult to make

The hardest change for me to make was limiting my shower time. I enjoy long, warm showers, especially when I am tired. To limit my shower usage, I had to implement several strategies and gradually reduce my shower time. One strategy that I used was to set a timer to go off when the limited time was up. I also set the alarm to go off one minute before the time was up to remind myself to finish up. In addition, I also tried to shower earlier than before. I shower at night; When I used to shower, I would be tired, which would cause me to spend more time showering. By showering earlier, I was more awake and that helped reduce my shower time. Another change that was difficult to make was reducing my beef consumption. Out of all the different types of meat, I consumed beef the most. I had to constantly remind myself and my parents to avoid using beef as the protein source for many lunches and dinners.

Obstacles

-Eating non-organic beef: I consumed beef frequently; It was challenging to remember to switch to other meats such as chicken for meals.

-Producing enough trash each day to fill up a basket: I struggled to find ways to reduce my trash production. I overcame this obstacle by thinking of all the different ways that I produced garbage, then determining the biggest factor of my garbage production. Once I figured out that using too much paper towels and kleenex were the biggest factors, I was able to effectively find a solution to reduce my garbage production; Using towels.

-Showering for more than 10 minutes: During the first few nights where I tried to limit my shower consumption, I still felt tired when I showered and found it difficult to follow the alarm that I set. Eventually, as I began to shower earlier to reduce my tiredness while showering, I was able to follow the alarm much more easily.

-Spending 1/2 – hour on a vehicle per day: There was not a notable obstacle for this change. My family has been limiting travel outside, so it was fairly easy to reduce my time on a vehicle.

-Eating non-organic pork: It found it slightly difficult to remember to limit the amount of pork that I consume. I would sometimes forget to remind my parents. I overcame this obstacle by talking about the next day’s meal plans with my parents to make sure that I limited the amount of non-organic pork that I consumed.

Next Steps

Overall, I believe this was a successful attempt to reduce my ecological footprint. In the future, I will definitely continue to implement these changes. I will also try to reduce my water consumption further by reducing how many times I flush and reduce my energy consumption by turning off the lights whenever I am not using them. I also want to reduce my screen time on the computer as well. Through this assignment, I learned much more about my impact on the environment and actions that I can take to reduce my ecological footprint!