Hello, my name is Ashleigh Nguyen. Today, I will be presenting The Social Justice project, the first project of this semester.
For this project, we each picked a non-profit organization. After researching that organization, we had to write a 7-10 page research paper on the issue the organization helps and how they help it. The projects goal was to alert us on world issues, make us appreciate how good we had it, and get us to help those who are less fortunate.
Aside from the writing component, we had an art component, tech component, and a challenge option. As an art component, I did a canvas painting, my tech component was a video of me making my art component, and my challenge option was a video I put together with some (PRODUCT)RED commercials.
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
The Social Justice Project:
The organization I chose for this project was (PRODUCT) RED. I learned a lot about the organization throughout the course of this project. PRODUCT(RED) was founded in 2006 by Bono ,from U2, and Bobby Shriver. Their main goal is to raise awareness and funds to help rid Africa of the AIDS epidemic. (PRODUCT)RED is a brand name that partners with top brands including American Express UK, Apple, Bugaboo, Converse, Dell, Gap, Nike, Penfolds, and Starbucks. The company also has special editions from Beats by Dr. Dre, Girl Skateboards, Shazam, Solange Azagury-Partridge, and TimBuk2. Each company designs items with the (RED) logo on it, and a portion of the profit for each item goes directly to the Global Fund, the world's leading funder for AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria in Africa. It invests one hundred percent of the money it receives from (PRODUCT)RED in programs benefiting women and children. With the help of (RED), the Global Fund has made over $180 million and have helped over 7.5 people in Africa.(PRODUCT)RED's current goal is to have an AIDS-free generation in the year 2015.
Social Justice, to me, is the equal treatment of everyone and anyone, no matter what their race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, etc. is. Social justice had not existed to me before we had started this project. I had introduced to the concept of it from the Young Revolutionaries project we did last year, but I had not known what it was.
Before this project, I knew nothing about the Invisible Children. It was really eye-opening for me. I had no idea this had been happening all this time. It made me want to make a change, and I would definitely look into helping an organization like that when I'm older. The whole story with Joseph Kony and the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) really interested me, and I enjoyed learning about the organization.
I chose (PRODUCT) RED for this project because HIV and AIDS interests me a lot. HIV is an extreme prevalent disease and I've heard about it on the internet and on the TV all time, but I never really took it upon myself to research it. My knowledge about it was limited to the fact it was transmitted sexually or through bodily fluids and it could kill you. I took this project as an opportunity to learn more about the topic.
I feel like a had a lot of success with this project. More success, than challenge, at least. Writing a paper on HIV and AIDS wasn't necessarily challenging when it came to finding information, but it was really hard to condense all the information and pull out things relevant to HIV and AIDS in Africa. My main problem was the fact I wasn't focusing on the continent, but the world as a whole. I also found it difficult to find statistics that weren't just relevant to a specific area. I think I had okay time management with this project. Since it was spread out in a 3 month span, it was easier to think "I have plenty of time to do this." If I were to do this project again, I would spend more time on planning my art component. I feel like it could have come out so much cleaner if had put some effort into actually planning the process. Otherwise, I feel like I did good job.
Social Justice, to me, is the equal treatment of everyone and anyone, no matter what their race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, etc. is. Social justice had not existed to me before we had started this project. I had introduced to the concept of it from the Young Revolutionaries project we did last year, but I had not known what it was.
Before this project, I knew nothing about the Invisible Children. It was really eye-opening for me. I had no idea this had been happening all this time. It made me want to make a change, and I would definitely look into helping an organization like that when I'm older. The whole story with Joseph Kony and the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) really interested me, and I enjoyed learning about the organization.
I chose (PRODUCT) RED for this project because HIV and AIDS interests me a lot. HIV is an extreme prevalent disease and I've heard about it on the internet and on the TV all time, but I never really took it upon myself to research it. My knowledge about it was limited to the fact it was transmitted sexually or through bodily fluids and it could kill you. I took this project as an opportunity to learn more about the topic.
I feel like a had a lot of success with this project. More success, than challenge, at least. Writing a paper on HIV and AIDS wasn't necessarily challenging when it came to finding information, but it was really hard to condense all the information and pull out things relevant to HIV and AIDS in Africa. My main problem was the fact I wasn't focusing on the continent, but the world as a whole. I also found it difficult to find statistics that weren't just relevant to a specific area. I think I had okay time management with this project. Since it was spread out in a 3 month span, it was easier to think "I have plenty of time to do this." If I were to do this project again, I would spend more time on planning my art component. I feel like it could have come out so much cleaner if had put some effort into actually planning the process. Otherwise, I feel like I did good job.
Reflection #1: Academic Progress
I know I am learning when I'm excited about it. In classes like Pre-Calculus or Physics, if I can do a problem perfectly, I get really excited about it. If I can't do it, however, I just get really frustrated and shut down my mind. The success is a drive for me, mostly because it's like I won, and I like to win. In classes like History and English, I know I'm learning when I want to learn more and get excited about note-taking.
As a student, I learn better in a more structured environment. Not that I can't work in a relaxed one, or anything. It's just easier for me to focus. I also learn a lot from lectures. I find it fun to take notes. Taking notes its like a game, because I'm trying to write down what the teacher is saying as fast as I can so I can keep up with them. I'm kind of almost backwards, because I don't enjoy "fun" activities, unless the topic interests me.
The two main study skills I need to improve on are time management and focusing. I can do other things like checking my planner or SchoolLoop, and then prioritizing the assignments, but I have a problem when actually doing the assignments. My biggest problem is time management. For example, I'll be working on something somewhat enjoyable, and I find myself just dragging it on because I don't want to any of my other stuff. It's really just a form of procrastination. Focusing is also extremely hard for me. For some reason, I can't just sit down and get my work done. I always have to get up and walk around, or else I'll just zone out. I also have a problem with thinking. Like I'll be thinking of something, that will remind me of something else, and that thing will remind me of something else, and it'll just go on and on until I snap out of it.
As a student, I learn better in a more structured environment. Not that I can't work in a relaxed one, or anything. It's just easier for me to focus. I also learn a lot from lectures. I find it fun to take notes. Taking notes its like a game, because I'm trying to write down what the teacher is saying as fast as I can so I can keep up with them. I'm kind of almost backwards, because I don't enjoy "fun" activities, unless the topic interests me.
The two main study skills I need to improve on are time management and focusing. I can do other things like checking my planner or SchoolLoop, and then prioritizing the assignments, but I have a problem when actually doing the assignments. My biggest problem is time management. For example, I'll be working on something somewhat enjoyable, and I find myself just dragging it on because I don't want to any of my other stuff. It's really just a form of procrastination. Focusing is also extremely hard for me. For some reason, I can't just sit down and get my work done. I always have to get up and walk around, or else I'll just zone out. I also have a problem with thinking. Like I'll be thinking of something, that will remind me of something else, and that thing will remind me of something else, and it'll just go on and on until I snap out of it.
Reflection #2: Social/Emotional/Behavioral Development
In order to be a resourceful learner, I've developed skills such as writing in my planner, checking SchoolLoop, and prioritizing my assignments. I still really need to practice getting work done extremely effectively. As of now, I get my work done pretty effectively, but I'm trying to get my work done faster so I have more time to do nothing. I also need to work on focusing, which comes hand in hand with working effectively. If I can train myself not to zone out, the rest will come easily.
My greatest challenge working collaboratively would probably be listening to other people. It's not that I'm not a good listener, I just don't have the patience to listen to other people's ideas when I already have one in mind. I also have a hard time trying to get other people to listen to me. Mostly because I get really frustrated if they don't get the idea the first time, and then I just start yelling. People don't necessarily listen to me when I yell, so then I just end up wanting to punch a wall.
To be honest, I haven't really contributed as much to the school culture this year as I would like. This year, I keep to myself more because there are so many strangers. It was so much easier to be a part of this school because we were all so tight-knit. There were days that I would stay here until 9 or 10, helping out teachers and at open houses. Now, they have so many other people, I'm not really needed as much.
My favorite learning experience so far has been College Level US History. I chose this particular class as my favorite learning experience because I've never had anything like it. The class is like my bread and butter, because I love American History. This class is also ten times more amazing because of Professor Henig. He makes it so easy to understand and more exciting.
My greatest challenge working collaboratively would probably be listening to other people. It's not that I'm not a good listener, I just don't have the patience to listen to other people's ideas when I already have one in mind. I also have a hard time trying to get other people to listen to me. Mostly because I get really frustrated if they don't get the idea the first time, and then I just start yelling. People don't necessarily listen to me when I yell, so then I just end up wanting to punch a wall.
To be honest, I haven't really contributed as much to the school culture this year as I would like. This year, I keep to myself more because there are so many strangers. It was so much easier to be a part of this school because we were all so tight-knit. There were days that I would stay here until 9 or 10, helping out teachers and at open houses. Now, they have so many other people, I'm not really needed as much.
My favorite learning experience so far has been College Level US History. I chose this particular class as my favorite learning experience because I've never had anything like it. The class is like my bread and butter, because I love American History. This class is also ten times more amazing because of Professor Henig. He makes it so easy to understand and more exciting.
Saturday, January 14, 2012
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